Sunday 15th Fashion Shoot

After the trade show I met one of yesterday's models Alex, who I had found out lived only 5 minutes from where I was staying. We did some fashion shots for her portfolio. She is an amazing model - really easy to work with and natural in front of the camera. The pictures certainly show that. A few pics from the shoot.....

SWPP Scottish Trade Show, Grangemouth. 15th April

Well, after much panic and nerves I finally managed to get my first seminar under my belt. It wasn't as bad as I expected, and next time I'll know where I am and where I need to improve. I actually quite enjoyed it. Thanks to the SWPP for asking me to speak, and a huge thank you to Trevor and Faye Yerbury who were extremely supportive. Thanks also to all who attended.

Trevor and Faye's seminar was really good and showed me what I have to aim for! They had some wonderful childrens photographs on display and did a great shoot with a wonderful little model.

Elske Bridal Shoot 14th April

Went to Glasgow today to take part in a shoot with Elske Bridal . We had an amzing day at Oran Mor on Byres Road. What a venue. I was like a kid in a toy shop when I arrived. So many spots to photograph in. We had two superb models Kirstie and Alexandra. We also had some amazing jewellery from Sheila Fleet in Orkney to finish off the look.

We shot all day and the hard working models must have been shattered by the end - I certainly was - but it took my mind off tomorrow's seminar at Grangemouth!

We ended up on a bridge near the SECC and shot some lovely outdoor stuff with cranes and more industrial surroundings.

Big thank you's to Jim and Frances for asking me to do the shoot, as well as all others involved. It was a memorable day!


Some pics here....

Country Music Festival 7th and 8th April

Back out to Halkirk for the annual Country Music Festival run by NNCMC. The event has become huge and attracts acts from all over the world, and is supported by hundreds of fans from all over. It was estimated that there were 1100 people in the building on Saturday night. My favourite as a photographer was the incredible Travis LeDoyt, an Elvis impersonator from the states who was the star of the weekend, driving the crowd crazy with his amazingly realistic take on "The King"

More pictures from the whole weekend are on my Image File site - click here.

Password is nncmc

Here is a taster.....

Saturday 7th April

No rest for the wicked - a portrait session at Keiss. It was very dull and windy but we got some good atmospheric shots.

6th April, Inverness

After a busy day yesterday, I was back on the road in the morning heading North to Inverness, where I had to meet 3 different couples about weddings. The first meeting also involved an engagement shoot with Jane and Ian, who are from Yorkshire, and get married in the Highlands in December. With a little help from Red Bull, I managed to get through another draining day and arrived back in Thurso about 5pm. 800+ miles in total over the journey!

5th April Gretna Green

Today was my longest journey so far for a wedding - Gretna Green. 360 miles away and about as far as a person can drive from one end of Scotland to the other. I travelled down on Wednesday and stayed ata B&B in Waterbeck, near Lockerbie. It was a good journey and I met my bride and groom, Nicola Cooper and Gavin Masefield at their hotel. They were staying at the Smiths Hotel, Gretna. The couple stay in Wakefield, Yorkshire and contacted me after seeing the images from Beth and Toby's wedding at Loch Torridon Hotel last year.

As a wedding photographer, I suppose it was inevitable that I'd do a wedding here sooner or later, and I was quite excited about it. As it was a small wedding party, I had longer than normal with the bride and groom and really had some fun! I'm not sure the people of Gretna were used to seeing the groom and best man browsing a Lingerie store, despite the 2500 weddings per year they have!! I didn't want to do too much of the stereotype Gretna shots, and stuck to my own style. Of course there are a few shots that have to be done!

I drove up as far as Perth before crashing at a B&B and having a great sleep!

Some images....

31st March Bunchrew House, Inverness

Today I travelled to Bunchrew House in Inverness for the wedding of Emma Hosegood and Paul Ellis, from Streatham, London. It was a beautiful day, again, almost too sunny from my point of view. This was my first wedding at Bunchrew, and it was great. What a superb location it is.

Here are a few shots from the day...

More from Orkney

A few of Kim as well.......

Orkney Shoot Images

Images of Emma from Saturday....

MPA Scottish Region Awards

What a night! I entered 11 prints, and could only enter the Most Promising categories as a new member, but 8 of them won something.

I got 2 Merits, 4 Awards of Excellence, Most Promising Avante-Garde Wedding Photographer, Most Promising Classic Wedding Photographer and Overall Most Promising Photographer.

These were the images:



Merit - Classic Portrait

Merit - Classic Portrait

Award Of Excellence - Avante Garde Wedding

Award of Excellence - Avante Garde Wedding

Award of Excellence - Avante Garde Wedding

Award of Excellence - Avante Garde Wedding

Most Promising Classic Wedding Photographer



Most Promising Avante Garde Wedding Photographer and Overall Most Promising Photographer 2007

Orkney

Had a great trip to Orkney. I did a shoot with 'bride' Emma and her friend Kim, which was great fun. I had to rearrange my plans for Sunday to attend the MPA Awards in Edinburgh, and ended up having to leave my stand unattended, with Martin Gill from Blackstairs Highlandwear kindly keeping an eye on things for me, and bringing my kit back over. Of course nobody told me that the clocks went forward on Saturday night and I missed my ferry. I then had to race across to Stromness to book on the Hamnavoe!!

Some pics from the shoot in Orkney will be added here soon.

Winner of my draw for a portrait session at the exhibition was Linzi Dowell of Tankerness.

Models Required

I currently need 2-3 male models to help out with a photoshoot in Highland dress. No size zero models please :-)

Anyone interested contact me by e-mail john@captiv8.uk.com

Another hectic weekend!

Just getting over another crazy weekend, which saw me in Orkney on Saturday, and Edinburgh on Sunday. I was attending the Wedding Exhibition in the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall and went over Saturday and set up before leaving on Sunday morning to go the Master Photographers Association Scottish Region Awards night in North Queensferry.
More details later......

Introducing my new nephew.......

Young Euan Earnshaw's first proper photo shoot last week. He got bored pretty quickly of being photographed. Obviously not taking after his dad........

Aged ten weeks and one day....

(click for bigger versions)

Scottish Trade Show

I am going to be a speaker at the SWPP/BPPA Scottish Trade Show in the Grange Manor, Grangemouth next month. Details here - Scotland Trade Show

Portland Arms Wedding Fayre 4th March

Very busy day today at the Portland Arms with many people passing through over the day. Hopefully a good few bookings as a result. Everyone seemed to do well and have a successful day.

Looks like I am going to have to change my pricing system and album selection once again, as they have been copied AGAIN! The pricing system is now appearing on another 'photographers' stand almost exactly word for word. I only changed it as the same individual copied everything I was doing before and I wanted to be different. Four of my six albums, which were also changed last year to offer something different - are now appearing on the same stand. Same manufacturers, same specific products, only much cheaper. Obviously the standard of photography is the give away but still very unimaginitive.

Rumour has it that the individual in question also ordered the mushroom soup and tartan chicken at dinner time, washed down with a pint of Miller just to be like me :-)

Ah, it's great to be popular...........

MPA Panel

I recently joined the Master Photographers Association and submitted a panel for judging at Focus in Birmingham this week. Because of time constraints I decided to go for Licentiate at this stage and work on Associateship once I had more time. I only had a few weeks from joining to get it together but with the help of my mentor Gordon McGowan I have been successful with my panel.

Gordon is not only the best wedding photographer in the country but also one of the best in the world in my opinion. If you haven't seen his work before check out his website I am very proud to have helping me.