Tracy and Greg, who are no strangers to the blog got married a few weeks back at the majestic Barcelo Stirling Highland Hotel.  The Stirling Highland Hotel sits on the road up to Stirling Castle and the building was the original home of The High School of Stirling (which has since moved twice), so it is steeped in local history.

It was very fitting then that Tracy and Greg chose some very classic and historical cars to transport them to the venue.  The Highland Hotel also has an agreement with Stirling Castle to allow couples to have their photographs taken in the grounds of nearby Stirling Castle.

Of course any great wedding cannot go without a little bit of drama and our poor bride and groom got stranded back at the hotel with a broken down car when all the rest of their bridal party were waiting for them up at the castle.

Once they were able to be rescued and the official group shots were taken we then had another problem as a wayward tourist decided to walk right in front of one the bridal cars ejecting the mother of the bride out of her wheelchair – fortunately she wasn’t hurt.  Apparently neither was the tourist although I believe the driver of the car did leave him with a loud ringing noise in his ear with the roasting he gave him LOL

After all that drama it was back to the wedding venue for a good Scottish knees up with a traditional Ceilidh which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Here are a few of my favourite images from the day.

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Friends and Family will be able to view the wedding photographs and order prints from our clients gallery once Tracy and Greg have had a chance to review all their images.

Just last week we had the “Posh and Beck’s” of the Scottish Photographic industry (and I mean that in the nicest possible way) – Trevor and Faye Yerbury.  Trevor and Faye are a very charismatic couple and their work is simply stunning.  Being the fourth generation curators of the Yerbury Studios brand, both Trevor and Faye have a wealth of knowledge, history, hilarious anecdotes and of course simply awesome raw talent.  Do yourself a favour and go take a look at their work.

This week however, it was back to regular club business and our Annual Print Competition.  This is a very highly contested affair amongst our club members and whilst we have interim competitions during the year, everyone holds something special back for the annual competition.

I previously won this award a couple of years ago for one of my travel images (which also scooped a Gold award at the SWPP a few months back),  but I could only muster a “Commended” award last year, so I was determined to try and win the Annual Print trophy back.

Well, it was close, very close.  In fact the judge had me as the winner, but for just one very small detail. A label. Sometimes it is the smallest of things that can turn a good photograph into a great photograph and in my case I had overlooked a little bit of clothing which the judge (David Symonds, FRPS) quite rightly decreed as detracting from an “otherwise excellent portrait”.

So it was a Second Place award for me this year.  Ah well, maybe next year. 

All is not lost though as I did win the Tom Dickson Trophy for a digital image a few months earlier – the annual prize giving is next week at our AGM.  It’s a huge trophy, so I’ll need to invest in some Silver polish to keep it clean. (When my wife Morag reads this she’ll be rolling her eyes LOL).

Congratulations of course must go to fellow member, Bill McKenzie who’s glorious “Harbour Colour” image won first prize.

Anyone interested in joining the local club should put a diary entry in for the early September when we are due to kick off our season again after our “Summer” recess. We meet Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm – more details on the club website.

Here is the image the got me the Second Place – it’s one I took of Kathryn Miller for her modelling portfolio when we were out at our villa in Florida at the start of the year.  If you look at the bottom left hand corner of the image, you will notice the offending little white piece of label material.

Details, Details Details….

1. Take the creative mind of a certain Mr John Denton (photographer extraordinaire)
2. Roll one wooden floor to an even thickness
3. Add one attractive model (thank you Ms Ashleigh Hewitt)
4. Garnish with some recycled Christmas Fairy Lights
5. Lastly sprinkle some digital processing to taste

This is a quick shot I took at John Denton’s mini Lighting Workshop that I organised at Stirling Camera Club on Wednesday night.

John very kindly drove all the way up from Yorkshire to present a mini workshop on lighting techniques to the members of the club.  John presented an extremely enjoyable evening and it was a real pleasure to meet him.

Coincidentally this shot reminds me that I don’t have any time to lie down at the moment as it’s all go.  I’m currently finishing off Joyce and Doug’s photographs from their recent wedding at Broomhall Castle in Menstrie. On Saturday Morag and I head off along the River Forth to Orocco Pier in South Queensferry for Nicola and Paul’s wedding.

On Sunday we have three client meetings and then a visit to the stunning Balbirnie House in Markinch to chat through final arrangements for an upcoming Civil Partnership.

Next weekend we will be at Gean House in Alloa working with a local model on a bridal photoshoot. We’ll be experimenting with some new lighting equipment recommended by Gordon MacGowan during his SWPP Convention Masterclass.

Then its back to editing and preparing some new sample albums just in time for an upcoming Wedding Fayre also at Gean House on the 21st of March.  Oh, and a little trip up to the Winter Gardens and Palm Court Hotel in Aberdeen on the 20th for Sharleene and Barry’s wedding.

Keep an eye open for some sneak peak images from Nicola and Paul’s wedding early next week.

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This was a Christmas Ball for the resident students at Stirling University’s  Andrew Stewart and AK Davidson Halls.

We had a very enjoyable evening – a really nice bunch of people, and it was great fun.

Prize for coolest photo goes to these girls who decided to give their best “cat” impression – yep we’re impressed as much as you are…..

And prize for most unimaginative use of a feather boa goes to….

If you were an attendee at the event and would like to view or purchase your photos, click here to view the gallery. Also come say hello on our Facebook page.

This pre-wedding photoshoot saw us walking around the beautiful grounds of the Stirling University Campus. The University’s grounds are huge and I was fortunate to find a couple of new locations I’d never used before – including the stunning brick wall that you can see in a few of these images – this is right at the back of the university grounds where it backs onto Logie Kirk.

Jacqueline and Tam are getting married in Bridge of Allan Church near Stirling and have chosen one of Scotland’s finest hotels for their wedding reception, the world famous Dunblane Hydro.  The Hydro (now a Doubletree by Hilton property) has had a recent refurbishment, so it will make a stunning venue for their wedding.

So from these photos you can clearly see the hot pink coat, the stunning brick wall and the campus. But what about the Abba tribute band? Well that would courtesy of Tam who on regular occasions dons a wig and platform soles as his alter ego Benny in Scotland’s finest Abba tribute band, Abba-Cadabra.

I can’t wait for this wedding whan Tam says “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do”, and to see whether it’s Jacqueline or Tam who will prove to be the “Dancing Queen”.  Thanks for being a pair of real “Super Troupers” on an otherwise cold Scottish day.

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This time it was the turn of Tracy and Greg from Stirling.

Like most grooms-to-be Greg was a little bit apprehensive about the photoshoot and didn’t quite know what to expect. Fortunately he soon relaxed into it and the results speak for themselves.

It was a typical Scottish November day – damp and cold.  Tracy and Greg however, were real troopers and quite happy to sit or even lie on the ground in the pursuit of a “cool” image (pardon the pun). The results were some stunning, and indeed very cool pictures.

Tracy and Greg get married next April at the Stirling Highland Hotel which is a stunning venue for their wedding. They also have permission to have their wedding photographs taken at nearby Stirling Castle, which is often referred to as Scotland’s finest example of castle architecture.  So this will be a fantastic backdrop for their wedding photographs.

Can’t wait!

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Of course, whilst a good location helps to make a good photoshoot, its all about the couple.  For this shoot we have Carrie and Scott from Alloa – they are getting married next year at the fabulous Royal Hotel in Bridge of Allan which is just outside Stirling – an excellent choice of wedding venue.

Carrie and Scott had never had professional photographs taken before so I don’t think they knew quite what to expect and approached shoot with a little trepidation I think.  This is one of the key reasons I try to do all our pre-wedding photography in a quiet location at a quiet time of day – that way you can relax into the shoot and not have to worry about any bystanders watching proceedings and wondering if the couple being photographed are some new reality stars or something!

Once again we came away with a great set of images of a great looking couple. Thanks guys.

Now that we are back home in Scotland, today’s blog post shows the results of the pre-wedding photoshoot I did with Eilidh and Peter just before I left on holiday.

Eilidh and Peter are getting married next July at Alloa Baptist Church and then onwards to Stirling Management Centre, which is located within the grounds of Stirling University (one of Scotland’s finest Educational establishments).  Stirling Management Centre is an excellent Wedding Venue which is often overlooked by couples in favour of the traditional hotel function suite.  So if you are planning a wedding in the Stirlingshire area, be sure to add them to you shortlist of potential venues.

I arranged to meet Eilidh and Peter at the Stirling University Campus and we took some shots in the beautiful grounds there.  Then we nipped down to the area surrounding the “new” Stirling Bridge, which links Stirling Town Centre and the Railway Station with the new part of town. This area is currently being re-developed from the remnants of the old Players Cigarette factory (how time passes!).  The pace of the re-development has been very very slow and I really feel for the businesses located over there – however it does present some excellent photography opportunities.

As a Scottish wedding photographer I am always looking for new locations and this was the first time I’d taken a couple to this particular spot and fortunately it worked out great and we got some really cool images.

Just before jumping on a plane for the States I emailed the images to Eilidh and Peter and I was very pleased to receive a lovely reply from them when I was away, saying how much they loved the photos.  Thanks guys, it was great fun taking the images and I’m really looking forward to your wedding next year.

For my latest pre-wedding photoshoot, Stirling-based couple Laura and Ollie had asked me if they could bring along their dog Sam. I was more than happy to oblige (although I must admit to a little trepidation). I’d never considered myself a pet photographer, but fortunately it all worked out fine, and Sam proved to be an absolute star.

Laura and Ollie are getting married in July 2010 at Logie Kirk in Stirling and then on to Stirling Management Centre, in the grounds of Stirling University, for their wedding reception.

For their pre-wedding photographs we headed up to Bridge of Allan Reservoir on the outskirts of Stirling, a favourite dog-walking spot for the couple, and an excellent location for photography.

Although nervous at first Sam soon settled down in front of the camera and as you can see from these images, was very quickly vying to steal the limelight away from Laura and Ollie.

Of course we can’t have the Scottish countryside without a little rain, but it all turned out well and we had a wonderful photoshoot resulting in some stunning images.

In Morag and Simon’s case their choice of location was to be the spot where they they originally got engaged, Wallace Monument, one of Scotland’s most popular tourist attractions.

As a Scottish Wedding Photographer who was born in the shadow of “The Wallace”, this is a particularly favourite location of mine and is right bang in the middle of my home patch of Central Scotland.

Wallace Monument stands proud on Abbey Craig rock high above the town of Stirling, and was opened to the public in 1861 to recognise one of Scotland’s greatest heroes, Sir William Wallace (or as Hollywood now affectionately knows him, “Braveheart“).

Nowadays, you can actually get married at the top of Wallace Monument – just keep your fingers crossed that it’s not too windy a day!.

In Morag and Simon’s case they are getting married next year at the stunning wedding venue of Airth Castle Hotel, once owned by the family of another Scottish hero, King Robert the Bruce.  Airth Castle Hotel and Spa is one of Scotland’s premier wedding venues and will make a stunning backdrop for Morag and Simon’s wedding photography.

So, on to the photographs from their pre-wedding photoshot at what was NOT a “semi-private” location by any measure.  Cue the magic trick of making 300 tourists, also visiting Wallace Monument that day, disappear……

Glenskirlie House and Castle is a simply stunning wedding venue and is very popular with couples throughout Scotland.  Glenskirlie House and Castle can be found just off the main M80/A80 Glasgow to Stirling road at Kilsyth Road, Banknock on the A803.

Laura and Allan decided on Stirling as the backdrop for their pre-wedding photography and we decided on Stirling’s Kings Park as the initial location.

However, being in Scotland you can never be sure of the weather and it started to bucket down with rain. Of course, scottish wedding photographers are always prepared for a spot of rain, so plan B was implemented and we found a number of areas of shelter around the town in some really cool locations.

Laura and Allan handled the rain like troopers and we all agreed we ended up with some really cool shots.

Thanks for being such great sports!

For their pre-wedding photoshoot Stuart suggested we head up to the  North Third Reservoir area, as this was where he originally proposed to Margaret.  North Third sits in high ground just South of Stirling in Central Scotland and is a beautiful part of the country.

The photoshoot went very well apart from the biting midges, horse flies and the occasional startled deer.  Here is one of my favourite images from the shoot and I’ll post the rest once Margarat and Stuart get a chance to review them early next week.

However it is an area of photography that I do enjoy, and is very similar in approach to a pre-wedding photoshoot in terms of camera technique and general style of shooting. So when approached by Kevin and Leanne (who were married last year) to do a maternity shot for them I was more than happy to oblige.

We shot the maternity session in and around Stirling in Scotland – firstly in the Clackmannanshire countryside at the foot of the Ochil Hills and then into Stirling itself just beside the Old Stirling Bridge.

Fast forward a few weeks and say hello to Baby Grace, Kevin and Leanne’s delightful daughter. Grace is a natural poser and her first formal baby pictures turned out rather well.

A couple of weeks ago on a delightfully sunny weekend I found myself up at the great wedding venue of Dalmunzie Castle in Glenshee, Perthshire to do a pre-wedding photoshoot with Ian and Jill.

Although I am based in Stirling, as a Wedding Photographer I market my services throughout the whole of Scotland, so it was not unusual to find myself in the Central Highlands of Scotland.

I will be photographing Ian and Jill’s wedding day at Dalmunzie Castle in July 2010 and this was an opportunity for all of us to get to know each other better and most importantly for them to assess my skills as their wedding photographer.

On a pre-wedding photoshoot such as this we’ll typically aim to capture around 10-15 great images that the couple can then use however they wish (many couples use them for save the date cards or frame their favourite image as a family keepsake) .

Ian and Jill were great fun to work with and in the end we presented them with around 25 images which we will use to create a fully customised Wedding Guest book (more about that in an upcoming post).  Family and friends can view the full collection of images in the clients area.

Last Weekend we went out on a Pre-Wedding photoshoot around various locations in Stirling with Karine and Derek.  They are not getting married until 2011, but plans are already well underway. They will be married in Dunkeld Cathedral and then onto the Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry for a huge party. We can’t wait!

I learned last week that I had been accepted as a member of the highly prestigious Wedding Photojournalist Association.

Membership is extremely tightly controlled and less than 5% of all applicants are actually accepted.

As you can imagine I am extremely honoured that the quality and style of my wedding photography has been recognised in this manner and I now join the elite group of only 6 Scottish Members who have been invited to join this internationally renowned organisation.

From the Wedding Photojournalist Association’s website:-

The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) is a professional organization composed of photojournalists and wedding photographers from around the world. What sets our members apart in the industry is their candid, documentary approach – a distinctly artistic vision toward wedding photography.

Leading the way in Wedding Photojournalism, WPJA represents the most discriminating talent around the world technically, creatively and visually. Qualified members hold industry-leading standards, skills and business integrity.

The WPJA puts the world’s best wedding photography at your fingertips. We offer a new perspective on wedding photography – quietly capturing the real moments as they happen for the bride and groom.

It is our goal to use photography to tell the story of your wedding day, not dictate it for you.