Practically Engaged...

Today's post, I'm writing about the practical side of engagement shoots, things for the couple to consider before they head off to their engagement shoot with their photographer.


Clothes
Whenever I do engagement shoots, I advise couples about clothes to wear on the day.

A lot of the time, we want to instantly jump into wearing whatever we love most, for a photo shoot. However, I advise all my couples against wearing clothes with big logos, text, or graphics on them. The reason I advise against people wearing logos, big text, or graphic images on clothes is that it has two negative effects. Firstly, it instantly draws the eye away from the face in the photograph. Wearing a simple top means it doesn't compete for attention. I think certain patterns are fine, for example, bold checks, but a busy Paisley print, or high contrast fine stripes might not be such a good idea. What you (and your photographer!) also want to avoid, is the moire effect. That occasionally happens when you wear a very fine weave or patterned fabric, and makes it look like there's an optical illusion strapped to your clothes. There are techniques for removing it, but its easier to avoid it altogether. Photoshop has its uses, but its so much faster to get things right before the photo is taken! Nice, plain block colour clothes are great.

The second reason for advising against logos, text, and graphic images, is that it dates the photograph very quickly. Want proof? Look through any old photos you have. Those with text or graphics or a logo might be much more identifiable with a certain fashion at the time, than plain clothes. Plain clothes are much more timeless and classic for professional photographs. It is good to mix up the colour a bit, so a blue shirt with black jeans is fine.

Try to also think about what you're both wearing. Think about coordinating both with colour and style. So for example, if you're both going for crisp shirts, maybe think about the colour - if one wears a black shirt, the other might want to wear a contrasting complementary colour. If one of you wears a pale blue shirt, then a bright magenta pink top might not work so well. When Prince William and Kate Middleton got engaged, their engagement photos showed them both wearing complementary warm neutral coloured long sleeve tops - he wore a mocha brown knitted sweater, and she wore a gorgeous champagne blouse.

You could also think about wearing layers, so that you have different "looks".

But most importantly, wear clothes you feel comfortable in, and that you love. Clothes that make you feel good. If you don't have an outfit that fulfills that "feel good!" factor, then it's a good excuse to go shopping.



Location
You can be as creative as you like with your engagement location. While a wedding budget and availability might curtail options for venues for the actual wedding day, engagement shoots are a chance for you to go somewhere a bit different. You'll probably be thinking of somewhere that you find aesthetically pleasing, making it suitable for photographs. Speak to your photographer about the location. Do be aware though, that not all indoor light is flattering on the face. Indoor venues are fine, but it might be an idea to see if there's a room with lots of natural light, or at least a large window, to give your photographer options.  However, this is all dependent upon the style of photograph you're after. If you want something dramatic, perhaps quite urban and gritty, then strong lighting that casts shadows could look amazing.

From a practical perspective, also consider the location of the shoot. Your photographer may ask you to pay extra travel expenses (and potentially overnight accommodation) if you're wanting to shoot somewhere a bit further than their normal area. Even some photographers who advertise themselves as being "UK wide" may charge extra if you want them to travel to Mull for an engagement shoot when they are based in Leeds.

You also need to consider whether permission is needed in advance. The last thing you want is a member of security escorting you and your photographer off the premises. Railway stations are romantic, for example, but you still need to seek permission in advance as they are private property. Some venues might also ask for a small payment, and you need to consider whether you're willing to pay for your favourite venue. Establish with your photographer in advance who's responsibility it is to attain permission in advance.

Don't worry about asking for permission! I've had to phone lots of venues to ask permission for photo shoots in the past. Most people I've spoken to are helpful, some are even slightly curious (after all, it won't be every day they sit at their desk, working away, and receive a phone call asking them about a photo shoot!), and everyone I've spoken to has been friendly. Phoning is always better than emailing. It is a bit more nerve-wracking, but relax, try to sound cheerful and pleasant and perhaps slightly bubbly (even fake a smile while you talk - they can't see you, but it'll make your voice sound happier!). Emails are fine if you need to follow up with written information with the request. You might also want to make sure you're asking to speak to the office or venue manager, as letting out a big long spiel to the first person who answers might mean you find you have to repeat it all a few minutes later. The worst thing that anyone can say to you is "no", so just relax. Some venues will also have stipulations, for example, no flash (particularly inside historic venues with light-sensitive artifacts); that the photographer has public liability insurance (so the venue won't be sued if a member of the public trips up over a tripod); that you don't expect them to close an area off to the public for your shoot (asking them to do so might involve charges for loss of profit); or they might ask you come early, or late in the day, or during the week when the venue is at its quietest. Timing and insurance are definitely things you want to check with your photographer.


Light
I mentioned light before, but this part is about daylight. A lot of people think that I need strong, bright sunshine to make the most of my photographs. It's not strictly true. I did an engagement shoot recently in the seaside town of Largs, on the west coast of Scotland. We had glorious sunshine, and that was fine, because it suited the location perfectly - seasides and sunshine go well together. However, I also love cloudy days. Cloud can be surprisingly lovely in a photograph. It means the light is softer, there's no harsh shadows, and I can use my own flashes if I want to. I also don't have to worry about whether I'm casting a shadow in my photo, or which direction the sun is in. I like cloud for portraits. From a photography perspective it's the biggest softbox with the most powerful light and it's completely free.


Time
Engagement shoots won't last as long as your entire wedding, but they do take a bit of time. Depending on the location, I usually take a couple of hours. That's longer than I'd expect to take for "private shots of the couple" during a wedding. It's usually a good idea to just block out a morning or afternoon from your diary. People always run a little late; traffic jams, parking, buses not turning up on time, someone calling just the minute you're about to lock the door... things that are often beyond our control can make us all late from time to time. The last thing you want is to be running late and then have to dash away again because you're meeting someone immediately afterwards. 


Props
Finally, let's get onto something a bit more fun! Don't be afraid to talk to your photographer about the idea of using props. You may have some, your photographer may have some. Fake moustaches and chalk boards are very popular props to make an engagement shoot more fun, and add some silliness, frivolity, and playfulness into your images. The benefit with props is it gives you something to hold, you can play around, and a couple being silly together can usually get some fantastic expressions. Don't be afraid of what other people think! Even if you're naturally quiet and reserved, silly playful props can be great. I believe that when you and your partner are old and grey and looking back in years to come, you'll find yourself reliving and giggling about the engagement shoot with the props. If you don't want to be silly, then a small bunch of flowers, balloons, bubbles, a bright umbrella, some colourful wellies can work just as well.

Is there anything you think I've missed from the practical side of engagement shoots? Have you had any personal experience - good or bad - involving the practicalities of engagement shoots? Feel free to let me know using the comments form below!

Engagement shoots

So today, I thought I'd write about engagement shoots. There's two reasons for this: 1. at the time of writing I'm taking a break from editing some engagement shoot photographs; 2. I recently read this article from Smart Bride Boutique listing of reasons why couples ought to take advantage of engagement shoots. So it's definitely something on my mind that I thought would explore it a little further.

I love doing engagement shoots. Engagement shoots are extremely beneficial to both the photographer and the couple for a lot of reasons, but the reason for writing this is perhaps aimed at people who aren’t really sure whether they want an engagement shoot. I think there’s a potential for misunderstandings as to what an engagement shoot involves. I know some people want to “opt out”, but I like to encourage people to reconsider, and this blog entry is about why engagement shoots are a good idea.

Lots of photographers, including myself, offer engagement shoots as part of their complete wedding photography package. Within my package it’s a complementary part of the complete service, and it’s really useful for me when I’m working with a couple.

I think one of the misconceptions is that because you’re hiring a professional photographer the engagement session will be as formal as traditional wedding photography. It’s not. Engagement photo shoots are a slightly different creature. You don’t have to get dressed up, you can wear exactly what you want and unless you’re really into formal poses, most engagement photo shoots tend to be very relaxed and usually shot on location. Actually, engagement shoots offer a wonderful opportunity for a couple to get a little creative with their photographer, do things you really don’t want to do when you’re wearing smart clothes and surrounded by friends and family and have hundreds of other things to think about. It’s about having photos which are about you looking lovely, but also much more every-day. Think of it as lifestyle rather than ceremony. It’s all about exploring your personality outside the wedding environment.

So what are the benefits then? First of all, I encourage my couples to see it as a rehearsal. It gives them a chance to see exactly what its like being in front of my camera, relax, play, and really build up a photographic relationship. It takes away the “what do we do?” factor. It’s a warm up, so that by the time the wedding day comes, my couples feel relaxed, happy and much more confident in front of the camera.

The second benefit is that it’s an opportunity for me to work with my couple, so that we can build on what we produce from the engagement shoot. With their feedback, we know whether we want to do more of a certain thing; or if there’s a pose that they just don’t feel works for them. It’s an opportunity to identify the stronger and weaker images and that can all feed into how we work on the wedding day.

Thirdly, engagement shoots give you an extra photo session, an extra range of professional images you can use.  It makes it a bit more versatile; you have an extra range of photos to use to show people who you are. You can use them as your online profile picture, in print, as a gift for a relative, or for a wedding website for your guests. It also means you’re not waiting until after your wedding before you have lovely photos to show people.

Fourthly, consider the engagement shoot as your pre-wedding treat. When you’re planning your wedding, you spend a lot of money on things that won’t be used or seen until the wedding day. Your daily budget might also be a bit more constrained as a result; you’ve cut back on the luxuries or at perhaps feel a little guilty when you spend when you’re meant to be saving.  The engagement shoot is a chance to be a little more self-indulgent. If it’s included in your wedding photography package, then you can enjoy it without the guilt factor.

Finally, it gives you the chance to have their photograph almost anywhere. Perhaps there’s a stately home with gorgeous grounds that doesn’t cater for weddings but could be used as a backdrop for your engagement session. Maybe you went somewhere on a first date and want to use it for your engagement shoot. I say almost anywhere – remember to factor in traveling distance, and also seeking prior permission from any property owners. 

While I hope this blog entry has perhaps persuaded any engagement shoot sceptics, I'd love to hear from readers on their thoughts and experiences of engagement shoots. Did you have one? If not, do you wish you had?  Or have you got one lined up and how are you feeling about it? Or have you got anything you think ought to be added to this list of reasons why?

 

In my next blog article, I’ll be talking about the practical issues involved in engagement shoots.

Knickerbocker Glorious!

So today, I thought I'd blog about a shoot I did in Largs with Alison Tinlin from Plans and Presents, hair stylist Gail Rankin, Make up artist Sophie Edwards, with accessories provided by Wedding and Baby.

We went to Largs with the intention of doing a slightly kitschy, vintage seaside photoshoot. I wanted something that was a proper traditional seaside resort without the tackiness. Largs was a great location. From a photographic perspective, its a neat town, with very little litter or graffiti, not too many people, and plenty of wide open space to get the sky in and lots of details from it. We sought permission from Nardinis to use their interior as a backdrop for some of the photos (and they were very lovely about it all).

I've done plenty of location shoots before involving gorgeous dresses (including the bridesmaid shoot I did with Flossy and Dossy a few months ago), but I wanted something slightly different here. This shoot was less about being a fashion parade, and more about the individual - in this case, Alison. It was actually easier than some of the shoots I've done previously, as there weren't lots of outfit changes to incorporate into the timing.

I think the hardest thing I find is defining what I think my "voice" is. I have a particular style to my photographs, but sometimes when I'm up so close to the photos, I can't quite put my finger on what exactly it is. I know I like to have photos that have an element of pop - I want people to come out of the picture, to get an essence of their personality just jumping out of the image.

I wanted to get more of that from Alison. It's easy a lot of the time for people to shrink in the photographs, and a lot of people do. Camera comes out and people become shy and like wallflowers. Or, alternatively, they start throwing very awkward poses that they've seen in magazines and "think" I want from them.

What I really want, is to have fun photographs. I want fun, I want natural, candid, but most of all, playful. I don't want a fixed grin.

I think sometimes it's a bit like having a conversation with someone for the first time. I want to get beyond the small talk, the "what do you do/ where are you from" stuff, and right into the bit where there's a connection, the bit where the conversation just rolls and people start really revealing themselves. Years ago, a friend of mine referred to it almost as being like layers, numbering each layer. So small talk was layer one, then the bit where you start digging out information from the small talk is layer two, and then the really good stuff, the core, that's layer three. He'd smile when we got into a deeper level of conversation, the bit where we started to forget where we were and just got completely lost in our own world, and he'd remark "now we're here, this is the third layer". It's not necessarily about baring your soul and getting the skeletons out of the closet (or wherever else you keep them), it's just about figuring out who the person in front of the camera is, getting rid of your labels (mother, wife, girlfriend, husband, father, brother, son, daughter, work colleague...) and being all the wonderful bits of you.

So yes, that's what I want from these sorts of photoshoots. And I'll pretty much do anything I can to get people to that point. I'm not looking for the secrets, the dark stuff, I'm just looking for the playfulness, the humour, the light hearted, happy, lovely side, the bits that attract people to you as friends or romantic interests, the bits that make people care, and the bits that should make you realise how truly wonderful you are.

So, here for your delectation, the photos from the shoot.

Sophie prepares Alison's make up

Inside Nardinis

Knickerbocker Glorious!

Flying the flag

at the piano

bouquet courtesy of Wedding and Baby

Our generous host

Kicking it up in Largs

the most wayward balloons!

Alison and Largs

Bouquet

over to Cumbrae

The Wonderful Nardinis

shoes!

The team:
Shoot Organisation/Model - Alison Tinlin - http://www.plansandpresents.co.uk
Photographer - Kristin Mitchell - http://struvephotography.co.uk/
Hair - Gail Rankin - http://www.gailhardie.co.uk/
Make - Up - http://www.sophieedwardsmakeup.com/
Hairpieces/Jewellery - http://www.weddingandbaby.co.uk/
Gown/Shoes - courtesy of - http://angelfins.co.uk
Venue (inside shots) - http://nardinis.co.uk/

Websites I love...

So in my last blog entry, I briefly touched on a website I used to gather resources together called Pinterest.

Pinterest is basically an online pin board. You're browsing the internet, find a picture you like, and you want to show it/share it/ make a note of it for later. Basically with Pinterest, you create an account, then drag and drop the "Pin It" tool to your bookmarks on your internet browser, and every time you see a photo or image you like, you click the "pin it" tool, and it pins the image (with a link to the original source) to your pin board. Think of it like your favourites list on Flickr, only you can favourite anything on the internet.

I find the Pinterest tool very useful for sharing images with people, especially creative teams collaborating on photo shoots. I think of it as being a virtual scrapbook I can access with an internet connection. Using it as a tool with my creative teams during my period photo shoots, I was able to make notes and instructions about what I was looking for, especially in relation to make up, hair, costume, poses, and so on. Make up artists usually create mood boards, and Pinterest is the sort of resource that would let you do that. Plus, you can create as many different pin boards as you like, you can follow and comment and re-pin from friends pin boards too.

As a resource, I think this has endless possibilities for anyone doing research on the web. Still stuck for things you could do? Here's some of my suggestions:


1. Mood Boost Board
Monday morning, sitting at work, feeling a bit fed up that the weekend has gone so quickly? Why not create a mood board that will help boost your mood? Collect pictures of loved friends and family scattered across the internet; pictures of exotic beaches you fancy visiting someday; your dream home/car; or just fill it with collected pictures of your favourite actor/singer to make everyone else wonder what's brought such a smile to your face so early in the day.

2. Healthy Board
It might not be scientifically proven (I'm basing this on personal experience here!) but if you're trying to improve your health, why not gather pictures to inspire you? A dress you want to buy (and fit into!), or photos of appetising and healthy food to tempt you away from the chocolate eclairs. Or photos of people exercising, or doing outdoor activities, or lush green parks, people at spas - anything that makes you want to get fit and healthy. If standing by the supermarket queue and seeing sweets tempts you to buy and tuck into something chocolatey, perhaps a healthy board will tempt you towards something a little better for you!


3. Hair Cuts
Read the beauty pages of any magazine, and they usually suggest that you take pictures of hair styles to show your hairdresser. If you're anything like me, you usually remember this when its a bit late - the day of the appointment! So save some time, and start a haircut pin board; so if you want the back of one cut with the fringe from another picture, or a particular shade then why not create a pin board of haircuts you like, and build a collection of pictures to help you get the hairstyle you want!


4. Interiors
We'd all like to have a home built up of collected and selected objects, but how many of us actually end up with a mismatched clutter instead? Why not make up a mood board to help you create your dream interior designs? Think of it as a means of drawing all your ideas together into a more organised selection, you could use it to find sofas, lights, book shelves, paint or wallpaper or curtains that would all work together into your ideal room.


5. Gardens
Same ideas as the interiors - use the boards to help organise your thought processes over your dream garden. Build up pictures of plants, shrubs, and features that could work in your garden, rather than arriving at the garden centre with a blank mind and a shopping basket filled with plants that you hope will work when you get home. 


6. Holidays
Get inspired for dream holidays and places you'd like to visit. You could also use it as a board to cheer you up when you need a daydream or two of a gorgeous beach when its raining outside. You might be surprised what you find landing on your pin board - you might be tempted to explore a new country or location that you've yet to visit; or swap your usual hotel by the beach in the Med for a holiday exploring the Far East.

7. Photos
This is my favourite one, and perhaps I'm a little biased. One of my previous brides decided to send me links to wedding photos she'd seen on the internet, to ask if I could do photos in the style she'd found. It was a great thing to do - we both then had a clear idea exactly of what she wanted and a starting point for talking about her wedding photography. Much like showing your hairdresser pictures of styles you like, this sort of board could help you get the photos you want, and helps make sure everyone is clear as to what you're after and what can be created for you!

8. Clothes
Ever see a photo of a dress, or shoes or a top you like in a magazine then completely forget about it or where you've seen it? Why not create a visual shopping list for yourself using the Pinterest boards? You could do this especially for getting a holiday wardrobe together before you go away, or maybe some new clothes for a personal make-over.


9. Events
Preparing for a wedding? why not make your own research boards of things you like. So wedding cakes, chair decorations, bridesmaid dresses, bouquets, table centre pieces; or maybe you're planning a birthday bash and want to make sure you get the right location and themes for the day? You could add design, decoration, even just a mood through a picture.

10. Things to do
Think of this as DIY and how-tos. The internet is awash with useful examples of how to make things, how to do things yourself. Sure, we all bookmark the most useful things (if we remember); at worst, we trawl through links we've posted on Facebook/Twitter, or maybe even type in a few words to a search engine. Well, what about tagging the photos of things you want to make, create, do, become, improve? the "after" photo, so you can see how its done? One of the useful things about pinterest, is that it takes you back to the source of the original image, so you can find it there. Alternatively, the how-to in question might take the form of an image, so you could link to that. Or you might want to simply make a collection of things you plan to make in the future (which as someone who enjoys knitting, usually includes "make a scarf like this"). Your things to do might not be quite so creatively minded, but more places you want to visit, local coffee shops, or days out. Make something to jog your memory, keep it fresh, and ensure you actually do the things you're planning, make it a to-do-list you actually feel inspired to tick off.

Portrait of a lady

18th Century lady, originally uploaded by Kristin Mitchell photography.

So the past few weeks, I've been kept exceptionally busy.  As you might know, I already have a collection of qualifications in photography from college, but I recently signed up to a night class for a one-off course. 

When I left college last year, there was a photograph I'd created which to be honest, was what I'd call a bit of a slow burner. It took me a while to fall in love with it, but lots of other people seemed to like it a lot.  

It's this photograph, of a kite. 

The kite photograph was originally for an advertising concept, for wind energy. The outdoor image was shot first, then projected onto muslin cloth in a studio, and a kite was placed in front of the muslin.

After leaving college, I wished I'd experimented more with projections. So, when the chance came to do another class, and a self-initiated project, I decided to use projections again.

The inspiration for my project was old paintings and portraits, how aristocrats were portrayed in front of gorgeous vistas. So I started doing some digging around and more research. I decided to create modern portraits using projections to create the idea of someone sitting in front of a gorgeous vista.

It was a surprisingly big project. Although I created three portraits, the starting point was the background. I decided to take lots of pictures of backgrounds, so that I could bring out the richness in the shadow and detail in the lighter areas, much like traditional portrait painters would have done. If you look at almost any traditional painting, even in the darkest corner, it's not actually black paint; there's tiny details, in deep, dark rich colours, so subtle but still there. I wanted to make sure this wasn't lost with a camera, and took several photos, layering them in such a way to bring out the details and make it a rich palette of colour.

Next, was the portrait. The background was projected, but there had to be separate exposures - one for the background and another for the sitter; the background needed a longer exposure time than the sitter under the studio lights.

For two of the portraits, I hired dresses from Scottish Opera.

The portrait above, drew on inspiration from the 18th Century. I also created a portrait of a one of my regular models, Vivien Taylor, using a gorgeous early 19th Century Jane Austen period costume. The inspiration behind this picture can be found on Pinterest.

Finally, I took a leap into the 20th Century. I was very much curious about this image of Elizabeth II on her coronation by Cecil Beaton. What was curious to me, initially, was the angles of the background in relation to the chair and seating position of the Queen. In closer cropped images, the background is looking up, at an angle, into the roof, while the Queen sits straight on, towards the camera. This wider angle version hints that perhaps what we see behind the Queen isn't all it seems, but maybe a backdrop.

With this in mind, the lovely Wendy from Flossy and Dossy agreed to pose for me as my regal model. Here she's wearing a dress she made, with the tiara kindly borrowed from Gioia Mia. The interior of this shot was taken inside St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, and actually I think the flags and banners add an authenticity to the final image. Oh, and if you're wondering, yes, the clothes pegs were entirely intentional in the image - I wanted to show it wasn't simply a photoshop job, as people's awareness of image creation tends to become more cynical of how an image has been created.


The whole project kept me busy for the best part of seven weeks, including writing the proposal, sourcing background locations, photographing and editing the backgrounds, undertaking the research and constructing a research workbook, finding suitable dresses and props, as well as photographing and editing the images, printing them, and finally writing a evaluation. Both the proposal and evaluation had to be the length of an essay each.

So what do I get at the end of it? Well, enough credits, in conjunction with my previous college qualifications to undertake a single year's honours degree course, if I wish to do so. The alternative would have been to have spent a year full-time doing a degree course.

At this point in time, I have no intention on going back to college. While I enjoyed my time there, I don't feel that it's the right choice for me at this time. However, I always like to leave doors wide open when it comes to opportunities for the future, especially as this was very much a one-off night class. What I really got from it was the chance to explore projected backgrounds again in a large studio, and almost exclusive use of the studio for several weeks. It was also nice to do a more academic project again, and throw myself back into writing proposals and evaluations, and knowing that my work will be heavily critiqued and thoroughly evaluated by tutors.

For now though, its life back to normal and back to 21st century portraits!

Amanda and Stuart's Vegas themed wedding party

Recently, Amanda and her fiance Stuart decided to get married in Las Vegas. As a result, not all of their friends and family were able to make it over to help them celebrate. So they had a post-wedding party with a Vegas theme in Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow. They hired me to take some photos.

It was a slightly different set up from most weddings, this was more of an evening party than a full-on formal wedding. Amanda and Stuart hired a mini casino for the spare room to help entertain guests when they weren't enjoying dancing the night away. The function room was decorated with an Elvis cutout, and the prerequisite Vegas sign, to help get their guests in the mood for some casino fun.

Congratulations to Stuart and Amanda on their wedding, and wishing them the best of luck for their future together!

Bridesmaid Revisited

I thought that today I'd share with you the images from the photoshoot I did last Thursday.

The shoot took place at the Hub, in Edinburgh (right next to Edinburgh Castle). One thing about the Hub is that its spire is actually the highest point in all of Edinburgh. 

My dressmaker for this was Wendy from Flossy and Dossy. We'd been talking about doing a bridesmaid wear shoot since October last year, following my previous shoot with her dresses at Viewpark Gardens.

We got together with Sonia from Gioia Mia who supplied the jewellery and fantastic head pieces; one of my favourite make up artists, Kathryn Hughes, and two models Sophie and Esther who looked absolutely gorgeous and radiated the demure glamour we needed. Both Wendy and Sonia provided bespoke, individual pieces for this shoot, which I think look gorgeous. Wendy even supplied the shoes, which she hand-painted to work with the dresses. You can see more about how she did that here:

http://flossyanddossy.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-shoes.html

To be honest, this was a dream shoot to work on. Everyone gave complete commitment and worked hard; the venue, The Hub, were fantastic at giving us the space to shoot; and the whole day couldn't have run more smoothly. 

Dresses: Flossy and Dossy www.flossyanddossy.co.uk
Jewellery and accessories: Gioia Mia www.gioiamia.net
Make up and hair: Kathryn Hughes
Models: Sophie Robertson and Esther Kungu www.estherkungu.com/
Photography: Kristin Mitchell www.kristinmitchell.co.uk
Location: The Hub, Edinburgh www.thehub-edinburgh.com/