Let’s talk babies…

My most recent shoot was a newborn shoot. If you are a photographer reading this then you will know how unpredictable babies are *head in hands* lol.

Now let me start by saying, I am not a newborn photographer, nor have I taken any newborn courses, so I am basically like a fish out of water here. My first newborn shoot was with my step daughters new baby and there was no pressure. The shoot was basically a favour for family, under familiar circumstances and even at that it wasn’t a walk in the park. I done my research, found some useful tips and learned that to capture the best images the shoot should be done within the first ten days, this is when babies sleep the most (apparently). Well apparently not….. this defo wasn’t the case for this little madam, eight days old and she stayed awake for the whole shoot, well up until the last five minutes (bearing in mind the shoot was 1 and a half hours and 4 outfit changes) lol. I’m not going to lie but I really had to work to capture the money shot and I swore I would never do it again until I’d taken a newborn photography course. Unfortunately covid denied me of any course and put a haul to those plans. Not sure if that was a good thing or bad to be honest, lol.

Anyhoo my recent shoot was also a favour and before the shoot I was already fearing the worst. This little lady was a week old and i swear she could smell my fear *massive sigh*. Two hours and she just wouldn’t settle, I knew I was walking away with nothing as we tried everything to comfort her and send her off to sleep. Lack of knowledge played a massive part in this, and all involved were stressing that there wouldn’t be any pics of this beautiful newborn baby girl. A hot water bottle provided by mum and dad at the very end, placed under the blanket that she lay on soothed her long enough to take a few pics before traumatising everyone. The moral of this story?? Don’t do anybody any favours lol! No but seriously… knowledge and experience is defo the key here and bucket loads of patience.

I was extremely lucky to get these images and thank my lucky stars that I had something Nice to show mum and dad. Never again! Well, not without proper knowledge lol. I take my hat off to newborn photographers, it’s defo a talent. Probably don’t get the credit and appreciation they deserve.

I would like to take a moment and thank you all for joining me on my photography journey, and listening to me babble on and on, not forgetting my bad grammar lol. I’m taking some time out just now but won’t leave it too long! until the next time 😘

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4th Jul 2021 0

Summer is here

The days are warmer, the schools have finished up and outdoor locations and attractions are packed….. must be summer lol.

Most of you will think I’m mad but I’m not a massive fan of summer, for me it’s the heat and I don’t cope great in the heat. I do however like the nice feeling that the sun brings, nature comes alive and the nights are less of a bore.

Most people if not everyone is outside, enjoying not only the weather but the easing of restrictions in Scotland. photographers are making the most of the nice weather and venturing outside with their cameras. This is a great season for outdoor photography and a busy time for working photographers. Unfortunately Ive had to postpone both professional and personal projects as I make some personal changes within my life, i won’t go into too much detail just now but if you follow me I will explain these at a later date.

Ive not been blogging much really, as I’ve not had much me time but i will get back to boring you all soon lol. Anyhoo… I had the pleasure of doing my first communion this month, the weather stayed dry and that’s all I could be thankful for. Being a photographer I thought I could go out into the world and capture anything.. I’m quickly learning that isn’t the case. I’m not the most confident person and I’m extremely hard on myself, maybe too hard sometimes. I’ve learned that outdoor portraits isn’t my strong point and I put a lot of pressure on myself to capture something different, this does not do me any favours. Did I enjoy doing the shoot? No. Did I capture something different? No. Will I do it again? Probably 😂

This shoot was extra special because the girl making her first communion was my niece. Having me as her auntie, she is a pro in front of the camera as you can imagine and she looked gorgeous ☺️ I’m starting to babble on now so I’ll just show you…

Her mum, like all other mums out there just wanted a nice picture of their child that represented their special day as a keepsake, and I think I managed to give her exactly that.

In the fear of writing a novel and talking too much I will keep my recent shoot for another blog lol. Until the next time 😘

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3rd Jul 2021 0

All work and no play

With the diary reopening and filling up quickly, I’ve had to put my personal projects to one side. With the summer months passing quickly I plan to capture that landscape I’ve been talking about and wanting to get for a while now ASAP. In the meantime I’ve been kept busy…

With the diary full to the end of June, I thought I’d take some time out to update my blog and show you all some pics from a recent sitter shoot I done. I’ve chose to share these images because the model is too cute not to share.

The following images are from a sitter shoot with 6 month old, Miss Georgia Mae. Georgia was a photographers dream, she sat the whole time without falling and she was full of smiles and we managed to hold her attention for the whole hour.

Each shoot is different from the last because not only does everyone look different but they all bring a different personality which reflects in every image.

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6th Jun 2021 0

The diary reopens

It’s official!!! I’m back in business baby!! Lol. The 26th of this month seen most of Scotland’s small businesses, shops, retail, among many others including photographers open their doors for the first time in 5 months. A huge relief for many but still a long time to go before we can relax.

I’m just happy to be able to capture images once again taking the Proper precautions. The diary was opened and the preparation has begun ☺️

Looking forward to working with some new faces, trying out some new ideas and continuing to capture and make memories.

Guidelines are still necessary and should be followed at all times. They have been reposted across my social media platforms where applicable to help maintain a safe working environment and relationship with all involved in throughout the process.

Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel, I suppose time will tell. Best of luck to everyone getting back to work or beginning a brand new journey, stay safe.

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29th Apr 2021 0

When nothing goes right…go left

A few weeks ago, I decided to capture a set of three images that would all tie in with each other, in one way or another. I had a few ideas with the first being of a romantic nature. This idea involved two people, a male and female, a red heart and a fair bit of photoshop work. I managed to organise the two required subjects and organise the photoshoot for a few days later. Unfortunately for various different reasons I was unable to capture what I had envisioned, but unwilling to walk away with nothing decided to create a set of three using a little creativity.

With my set of three images complete I realised that I could make a series and add to the series,bit by bit, using different subjects and other creative touches. I used a quote to name the series, it’s the perfect title for this series….

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect”
Alice Walker

All the above images are modelled by the lovely Iga Brola.

This series will continue, becoming my new project among other things 🙈😂… watch this space ☺️

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6th Apr 2021 0

A (Wo)mans best friend

Today’s blog is all about dogs. Now I know dogs aren’t Everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have had one, do have one or just like dogs.. you’ll know that they make the best pets. They are loyal, affectionate and fantastic companions. My dog is a yellow lab, he is 12 this year and is most certainly classed as part of my family. I’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old, and it hasn’t always been fun and games but with plenty time, patience and training he settled in quickly and does exactly as he is told. Approaching 12 he has some cheeky senior moments and selective hearing lol, but i wouldn’t change him for the world 🥰

Few weeks ago I set up indoors for a mini portrait shoot with my wee old man, to capture his newly grey beard and older wise eyes. He has changed soo much from the day I laid eyes on him and i like to document his years. Before you see the pictures I captured, I forgot to tell you how much he hates the camera 🙈 ironic I know considering, but it’s true. He hates his picture being taken and always has 😂. So here he is… meet Bailey, my wee old man.

I used my shoot time wisely capturing some extra images to play about with. I tried something a little bit more creative for fun. I created a cartoon feel image, concentrating on his lovely big eye, using window light to create a more natural outdoor feel and adding a wee piece of nature. It’s always fun using my imagination and photoshop to create something a little different, I quite like the outcome….. what do you think?

In keeping with today’s dog theme I would like to announce that my sister, after years of waiting eventually got the puppy she always wanted. My sister has asthma and can only have specific breeds of dog, she also has three young girls so waiting was the right thing for her and it paid off. Her new fur baby is adorable, she is a wee black Cavapoo (cavalier King Charles spaniel/poodle) girl with the temperament of an angel, she is patient with the kids and extremely respectable, she has found her place in the family and settled in instantly. I had the pleasure of meeting her outside and introducing her to the camera. She was very unsure of the camera but with consistency and more meetings she will come around. I’ve included a few wee images from that day and I think she done really well for her first shoot ☺️. This is Belle….

I plan on capturing Belle again, only next time within an outdoor location, eg. A park or woodland area. Just waiting on her getting her immunisations ☺️. Until next time…😘

You can see all my work on both my Facebook and Instagram pages.

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16th Feb 2021 0

Comfort zone

I am fortunate enough to have tried various genres and types of photography during my time at college. In doing so I found there were things I liked and things I didn’t, genres I was ok with and genres I wasn’t ok with. I found that I enjoyed portraiture and developed a keen interest, this was a genre I wasn’t originally keen on. I always thought I wasn’t much of a people person and yet I found that when behind the camera I loved people. Each person with their own expressions, their own character and mood helps make every image unique and I love that each one tells its own story.

Since leaving college I have concentrated solely on portraiture and unable to capture peoples portraits right now I have been pushed to explore other ideas. Ive been looking on social media at other photographers work and what’s been keeping them active during lockdown. In doing so I’ve found that self portraits are quite popular, this may be because its achievable within the house, photographers can be really creative or it may be that it’s easier to instruct ones self than instructing another person. Whatever the reasons were I did think about giving it a bash.

Anyone that knows me well, will know that I love a selfie. I have no issues taking a selfie, I’ve perfected the angle over the years lol, I know my best side and I’m fond of a filter or two to hide every insecurity.

The camera on the other hand is not my friend and I have never been comfortable having my picture taken. The stress of no filters and every flaw being magnified freaks me out, I know how I look when I look in the mirror but I really do prefer the catfish look, lol. All that aside I have enough knowledge within photoshop to create a flawless look so I did eventually decide to give self portrait a bash. I chose to concentrate on my favourite type of photography…..close up portraiture, and have included the final result below…

This image was taken during the first Scottish lockdown and has a wee story. I felt it was appropriate to capture a self portrait with a wee creative touch that would incorporate the lockdown that we were all living in. I know by now we are all sick of hearing about covid 19 but its taken over life as we know it and its hard not to talk about, sorry. The title of the image is…. “Inside looking out” the title speaks for itself really. I’m portrayed as being inside and looking out through a gap in an ajar door or through a gap in the curtains, the list could go on but the message being Stay home, stay safe.

My second attempt at a self portrait (captured during the 2nd Scottish lockdown) wasn’t creative in the slightest and I found myself just taking extremely close up portraits and using shadows and highlights to enhance the overall look.

Im going to be honest and it may hold me back due to lack of subjects with this current situation, but sadly Self portrait isn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy this type of photography and I’m far too critical as it is without being in the image myself. It was now time to explore other ideas ☺️ watch this space.

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7th Feb 2021 0

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn

2020, the year the world stood still yet surprisingly the quickest year ever. Autumn has arrived and the colours outdoors are changing. I love Autumn, the air feels cleaner, it’s not too cold nor too warm and the world becomes colourful.

Autumn is always a busy time of the year for me socially and 2020 seen my son turn 16. I still can’t believe I’m a mum to a 16 year old 😂 we celebrated his big day with a family gathering outdoors and a movie night. Happy 16th to my baby boy 🥳

Autumn also seen out the last of my outdoor shoots as the dry days became less. This shoot was captured in the clients gorgeous garden and included mum, dad, daughter and gran. The family were fantastic and we had some fun and laughs throughout, even got a postman involved 😂 (needs must). Obviously I’ve included a few images from the day, a good end to my photography year.

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12th Oct 2020 0

Back to school

With the schools returning after five months off and some schools unable to accommodate a school photographer, gave me an opportunity to capture a few school images.

Now… under normal circumstances school shoots are pretty straight forward, mums want nice tidy images shot within the studio. Sounds simple enough doesn’t it? Well… I don’t have the use of a studio and unable to enter anyone’s home under government guidelines meant it had to be carried out, outdoors.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely had my doubts regarding all the things that could go wrong using studio equipment outside, but it was worth a try. I also had to work in a safe way for both myself and the client, keeping a 2 metre social distance, wearing a mask where necessary and cleaning hands and equipment before and after the shoot. I’ve included some behind the scene pictures of the setup that show how I achieved my final images, and the final results. This shoot was for the McCluskey girls, Caoimhe and Madelyn.

I was happy with the result and the girls mum was over the moon. Always nice when everything works out ☺️ “happy client, happy photographer”. I was asked to do another two school shoots because that one went so well and both clients were soo happy that they will be coming back for more. First set of images are of Brother and Sister Erin and Shay.

And lastly we have Sisters Mia and Kara.

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27th Sep 2020 3

Preparation

At last I was able to get out to capture images. It is the middle of Summer 2020, restrictions lifted slightly and the weather is not too bad. The first shoot I had planned was an outdoor sitter shoot. My baby step granddaughter had just turned six months and I wanted to capture that milestone.

The shoot itself was hard work, the little madam decided she did want her photo taken lol, but I managed to get a few shots before she threw the towel in. I decided to try something a little different in post production with this set of images, I wanted to try and create an oil painting effect without them actually looking like they had been painted. Im still not 100% sure about the edit but it was nice to try something different.

“Outdoor sitter shoot” with Sofia Irvine

I enjoyed the outdoor shoot and was happy to have my camera back in my hand, so I decided to do some promotion work for outdoor shoots. I used the images I captured from the above shoot, and designed a promotion leaflet offering clients an outdoor shoot at a discounted price. The promotion leaflet was displayed on my social media platforms in order to grab peoples attention.

To my surprise there were loads of people interested in this shoot but unfortunately the weather changed quickly and I was only able to get one more done that year (will post the shoot in a blog post soon). Preparing promotions and eye catching leaflets definitely pays off and i will be preparing a few different promotions for 2021 (praying for the better weather). until the next time 😘

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31st Aug 2020 0