Plans and Presents - the photoshoot

So I thought I'd write a blog post today about my photoshoot last week with Alison from Plans and Presents.

I really like working in the West End of Glasgow because it does offer such a wide variety of locations in a small area. I like places where locations are within short walking distances. Partly because I don't really want my clients to feel tired from being marched around, but also because I usually have a considerable amount of equipment to haul. While the weight isn't always an issue, it's usually the awkwardness of bag shapes that can be the problem. If you've ever tried dragging large cumbersome suitcases around, you probably have a fair idea how you always end up a magnet for people to walk directly towards. Same thing happens when I've got a long tripod bag over my shoulder.

Following my reccie I knew I wanted to use the cloisters at Glasgow university for this shoot. I also had a pretty good idea of something I wanted to do with the lighting. I prefer keeping my lighting as simple as possible, something I've gradually learned over time that too many lights can spoil a photo.

Alison started her business over a year ago, and in that short space of time she's become an influential figure in Scotland for weddings and event organisation, clear proof of her hard work,  determination and passion for providing a good service to her clients. She's also incredibly friendly, something I daresay has helped her to succeed with working with people towards their weddings.

Alison was keen to have some professional photographs taken which were more current. I was more than happy to do this, and I felt that she would suit a classic contemporary image.

To me, portraiture is a bit like clothes shopping. One size doesn't fit all, one style doesn't always suit all people either. You need to get a feel, an idea for what would and can work. Poses, lighting, and post production are all important factors to consider with the end result.

Alison came wearing a lovely cerise top with smart black trousers and shoes, looking very professional and smart. Combined with her raven black hair and dark eyes, I knew I wanted this to be very much about colour and keeping everything about the photographs striking and bold.

We started the shoot at the Cloisters, and moved round the campus to a large wooden door which had gorgeous warm tones and texture and I felt this would work in a photograph.

After leaving the university, we walked over to Cranworth Lane - which I consider perhaps the equally attractive but lesser visited cousin of Ashton Lane. I felt this gave a lovely cosmopolitan setting for the next set of photographs, and the black and white exteriors really worked well as a simple monochromatic backdrop to Alison's bright top.

Finally, we headed to the Botanics. I decided to give Alison a more relaxing pose to assume, and asked her to lie down for me. While the weather is good, I wanted to take the chance to do something a little more summery.

Those fluffy white clouds, blue sky and green grass won't be around much longer, so here was a chance to take full advantage of them as a backdrop.

While studios are great places to work with portraits (especially if its raining or you want a change of clothes, or space to be more experimental), I do enjoy shooting on location much more. I think this is because I find it so much more versatile. Also, working outside means I get to use one of the most powerful lights I can - the sun. No batteries or wires and so powerful to use and easy to manipulate to work with a portrait.

Working with Alison was an absolute pleasure for this shoot. A good shoot to me is as much about chemistry and people enjoying it, as it is about the photographs at the end. The best photographs usually show a good rapport between the subject and the photographer, something you get when both parties enjoy the shoot. Alison is naturally friendly and easy to talk to and I think she bonded well with the camera. Relaxing and enjoying yourself are integral to a successful shoot, feeling tense or frustrated tend to come out in facial expressions or body language very quickly and any subconscious behaviour can be impossible to control, so it all gets picked up by the camera.

That's why I think it's so important to meet with wedding photographers before you hire them. If you don't click off camera, the images might not click on your big day.

Previewing locations

So this week, I had a portrait photoshoot with the wonderful wedding and event planner, Alison from Plans and Presents.


Alison was one of the first wedding suppliers to make contact with me and that's something I hold in high regard - friendliness is what you practice.

The downside with any shoot in Scotland is our weather climate. Arranging a photoshoot in advance by more than a few days is a bit like a photographic roulette. A week prior to the shoot, I was constantly checking the BBC online weather, which predicted heavy showers throughout the day. This meant that I needed a plan B, with potential indoor locations sourced.

I managed to find a couple of fall-back locations, who were willing to help out.

Normally when I'm organising a shoot, I have an idea of where I want to go, and start sourcing potential venues and locations almost immediately. Reccie's are an important part of my photography - making sure that a location is usable. I usually try to go a few days before, but no more than a week in advance. In the space of a week, anything can happen, including building works, scaffolding, repairs, which can transform a gorgeous location into a less photogenic building site.

Indoor locations are occasionally harder than outdoor ones - simply for seeking permission to use premises, and trying to fit around any busy periods. Some locations might request something in exchange, money, photos, services. Others might allow a photographer to work there, but forbid flash photography, or the use of tripods. Depending on the location, I might forgo flash, but in those circumstances it's near impossible to work without a tripod. 

In the end, I didn't use them, as it turned out the BBC weather forecast, even on the day of the shoot, had been hopelessly wrong about the weather. No rain, those high winds were little less than a gentle breeze, and a blue sky just glowing with sunshine and small fluffy candyfloss clouds.

The above photograph is taken from the reccie in the cloisters at Glasgow University. This location is very popular with wedding photographers, the combination of those lovely arches and pillars and vaulted ceiling with a bride in a white dress and floaty veil usually works beautifully, creating a gorgeous classic combination, worthy of canvases on lounge walls.

This was one of the locations we used during Alison's portrait shoot - it works well in any weather and any season. The sunshine poured between the arches, creating large pools of light across the floor, adding to the drama of the location.

Within a small area, the west end of Glasgow is a rich oasis of photographic locations, which is mostly why I chose it for this particular shoot. Want a wild countryside look? Head to the river Kelvin and walk along the banks under trees. Want something a little more tame? Botanic Gardens is a perfect location with its manicured lawns. For an urban setting, wandering around Byres Road and Great Western Road offers a wealth of options; for cobbled streets and artisan craft shops, Cranworth Lane is an outstanding location.

I'll post some of the photos from Alison's shoot later in the week when she's had a chance to view them (and hopefully she'll like them).