The venue for Jane and Ian’s wedding was the spectacular Crichton Church found on the Crichton estate in Dumfries which dates back to 1834. This was to be a small and intimate wedding with only family and very close friends attending the ceremony. The day went without a hitch however even though it is now May the wind was bitterly cold, so in order to prevent frost bite we opted to take a lot of the pictures in and around the church building. The surrounding grounds would have provided some stunning backdrops to pictures however sometimes the weather dictates where you get your pictures taken. There was a chance for a few pictures as we made our way back to the hotel for the reception. Below are a few of my favourite pictures captured on the day.

Some of my favourite shots from the wedding of Louise and Grant who had their service at St Athanasius Church in Carluke and then went on to have their reception at the Bothwell Bridge hotel in Bothwell. It was a great day and everyone looked to be having a great time.

Sunday photography lighting course seemed to be a big success based on the feedback that I received from everyone who attended the day. On the day we had 2 volunteers, so a big thank you to both Rachael Laura Konieczka Pugs and Nayla Jawaid for stepping in at the last minute to fill the gap. Being the trainer on the day means I have fewer opportunities to take pictures as it is the course attendees that are there to learn, practice and experiment; however I was able to capture a few images during the day that I hope the models will be happy with. So here is a sneak peak of some of these images.

As a wedding and portraiture photographer I have over the years had to hone my skills when using camera flash(s), I feel this is an area that intimidates and confuses a lot of photographers. A camera flash is a very useful piece of equipment and most camera users will know that as soon as you try to take a picture indoors in low light that’s when your camera needs the additional light created by the flash. The real art of indoor flash photography comes from the photographer understanding of light and being able to control how much light is added to the scene and where the light is added from. Everyone has taken or been in a picture where the subject has been ‘nuked’ with the camera flash light and the resulting image makes the subject look like red eyed demonic albino trapped in the head lights of an on coming truck.  Fear not all indoors flash pictures do not need to look like this, the real  fun and creativity begins when you start to use external flash light(s) which can be disconnected from the camera and then triggered remotely. Having the light(s) disconnected from the camera allows the photographer to control the direction plus also being able to manually control the amount of light hitting the subject creates far more interesting and creative images.

If you would like to learn more about flash and studio lighting then please come along to my next course I am running at the Summerlee Photo Media studios, use the following link for additional information: – FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING COURSE

I have created a gallery below showing some images taken using the techniques discussed above: –

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I had the pleasure of photographing Laura and Jamie’s wedding day at the Lochside House Hotel, New Cumnock.  This venue has some lovely gardens that always make for some great pictures; however as always the weather will always dictate if any pictures are to be taken outside. Surprisingly wet weather was not the challenge, this time it was fog and freezing temperatures. Thankfully the fog lifted and everyone braved the winter temperatures and ventured outside for some picture taking. Everyone involved in the wedding were very welcoming and patient when it came to getting their pictures taken which made my job very easy. Over the course of the day I was able to capture some great images that recorded the day as it progressed including images of all the little details that Laura and Jamie had planned into their special day. Here are a few of my favourite images captured during the day.

Louise and Derek got married earlier in the month in sunny Mexico however they wanted to hold a party for all their friends and family that were not able to attend the wedding day. The wedding reception was held at the Colvilles Park Country Club in Motherwell. I was asked along for a few hours to capture some images of the guests and as the party progressed during the evening.

I was fortunate enough to be asked to photograph Madonna’s and Iain wedding on Saturday at the Westerwood Hotel in Cumbernauld. It was a lovely autumn day, unfortunately the leaves on the tree had just started their transition to autumnal colours; however the backdrop of blue sky, white fluffy clouds and the Campsie Fells did provide a lovely backdrop for the group pictures. Having an early wedding reception meal meant we were able to venture out again in the evening to get some photographs in the golden hues of the evenings setting sun. I was in my element allowed to take photographs on a lovely day, at a nice venue and with a friendly bunch of people.

Madonna & Iain’s Wedding at the Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld by Alec Kirkham

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The wedding plans were all in place the weather was being kind and with the majestic Culcreuch Castle and its 1600 acres of forest were the backdrop to Ann and Andy’s wedding day, this was going to be something to remember for a long time. I have had the pleasure of photographing Ann and Andy before along with there 2 lovely sons Daniel and Cameron. Some of you may remember Ann and Andy’s youngest son Cameron who won the Cutest baby competition run earlier this year. So on their wedding day they were very relaxed getting their pictures taken and we had a good laugh together. I particularly liked Andy’s comment of ” he has never known anyone with as much energy as his son Cameron until he met me”, this made me laugh. The day went without a hitch and I got some great pictures that will serve as a fantastic reminder of just how special this day really was for them both. Congratulations to the both of them again.

Laura and Helio were both really excited and at times a bit emotional about their wedding day, in fact everyone was a bit emotional and I am sure there was enough tears shed on the day to fill a good sized bucket. This was the coming together of a Scottish and Portuguese family. Many of Helio’s family and friends made the trip from Portugal and other European countries in order to attend the wedding day. For many this was their first trip to Scotland, so having the wedding at the historic and stunning location of New Lanark was a double bonus for all of the visitors. The day went without a hitch, so a special thanks to Laura’s mum Carol who organised most of the day. Everyone on the day made my job very easy and they were all a pleasure to work with and photograph, so much so I almost felt like one of the guest during the day and I must say it is the first time the bride and groom have insisted that I have my picture taken with them. So once again congratulations to the happy couple and I wish them a long and happy life together.

The day started well with the rain stopping and the sun making a rare appearance. Louise and Mark had selected the stunning venue of the Vu in Bathgate. This purpose built wedding venue sits high on the Bathgate hills, with its own small Loch and stunning views this location can be the setting for some truly great images; however due to the exposed location it is very weather dependent. The last time I photographed a wedding here the rain was horizontal and the wind was blowing a gale so this time I was really looking forward to taking some pictures in the sunshine. Louise and Mark were a very laid back couple and very comfortable with getting their picture taken. Due to a late wedding ceremony it was impossible to get through all of the required group pictures in the allotted 15 minutes before it was time for the guests to be seated; however both Louise and Mark gave me 5 minutes between each course to capture some images of them together. Fortunately this was when the light quality was at its best (this time is know to photographers as the golden hour, 1 hour before sunset) and looking at these pictures you will see why. Once again congratulation to both Louise and Mark and all the best in the future.