Photographing weddings at The Caves

I have been quite delighted at the response to my photography training courses, particularly since the beginning of this year. I received a booking this week from a photographer who is booked to photograph a wedding at The Caves in Edinburgh later in the year and they’re a little worried about how to work in the low light. They photographed one wedding at The Caves two years ago and the photographs did not turn out well, hence their apprehension about this one.

One of the advantages with offering One-on-one training is that I can tailor make the day to give clients exactly what they want. So we don’t waste time covering things they already know but instead concentrate on learning the specific skills they are interested in.

I thoroughly enjoy teaching and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the range of clients that have booked courses with me. I’ve had many kinds of photographers from complete beginners with no knowledge of photography or their camera’s whatsoever, keen amateurs looking to improve and even turn professional through to semi-pro’s and full-time photographers wanting to take their photography up a few levels so they can move into a higher price bracket.

The One-on-one training days are so far the most popular but I’ve also had a couple of groups book photography training days and tours. One was in and around Edinburgh and the other I took them through Perthshire for some scenic Scottish landscapes.

The photo spreads on the blog today are from the last wedding I photographed at The Caves. I know many wedding photographers in Edinburgh fear The Caves as it is so dark inside. The photographer mentioned above showed me some of the photos they’d taken last time here and basically they made the classic mistake many photographers make when light levels are low of panicking and believing the only way out is to blast everything with flash.

One of the main things we’ll cover on the training day is learning to relax and be comfortable in your environment rather than being frightened of it. You need to learn to work with what you have and make the most of the atmosphere otherwise firing away with a flash gun will only destroy the ambience and feel of the venue. You can see from the mixture of shots here how I have used the lighting to dramatic effect in many instances but at the same time retained the mood and feeling of this unique venue.

As well as the photography training courses in Edinburgh I’ve had a lot of commercial work the last few months, too. This has included a few fashion shoots for bridal and beauty companies, some hotel brochures and a couple of magazine shoots which won’t be published until later in the year. The wedding season is already underway which I’m always happy about and which you can keep up-to-date with if you follow my facebook page.

Being a busy Edinburgh wedding photographer I also get a lot of spin off family photo-shoots, especially when a new baby comes along. It really is nice to photograph the children of couples whose wedding I photographed. I’m really looking forward to three of these which I have booked during the next few weeks. More details on any of the services I’ve mentioned can be found on my website. Here’s the links:

Wedding Photography in Edinburgh
Photography Training and Courses in Edinburgh
Family photo-shoots in Edinburgh
Baby photo-shoots in Edinburgh

Simply Bridesmaids Photo-shoot

A couple of years ago I was commissioned to do a photo-shoot for a well known fashion chain. It had a two day budget of £800 per day. When I initially met with the market manager to discuss the brief and saw what it was they were looking to achieve I told them that instead of hiring a large studio for two days along with all the lighting and ancillary equipment I could do the shoot in one of their own stores (they are all huge!) and use my own portable lighting and because I work quicker than most we could get everything done in one day. This would save them £800. They looked at me like I was mad! I honestly think they didn’t believe I could produce the type of shots they wanted at half the price and in half the time. And so they decided to stick to the original plan and budget.



I know a lot of photographers think I was silly saying what I did as I was doing myself out of half my fee. But the way I see it is that in the long term people remember you not just because you are good at your job but they also appreciate simple honesty and integrity. When the average life of a new photography business is said to be only 2-3 years I think my basic concept and principles are one of the reasons I’m still going strong after 30 years. I’m pleased to say that the above company have hired my services several times since that shoot!



Anyway today I thought I’d tell you about a recent shoot I did for Simply Bridesmaids where we ended up with virtually the same amount of shots for a fraction of the budget and in a fraction of the time. We had picked an afternoon when we knew the shop would be fairly quiet. However, as it turned out the shop was bustling all afternoon! So that meant I had to resort to commandeering one of the changing rooms and doing all the photography in there!



The secret to achieving studio looking shots within virtually any environment is how you work the lighting. I was using Canon speedlites with shoot-through brolleys and used a simple four light set up. Two for the background, one for the foreground and the main light for the subject, which in this case was the dresses. The background lights were predominantly what we call high-key, but you can attach coloured gels to them to change and give different effects. The foreground light I deliberately over powered by around two stops in photography speak in order to keep the foreground close to a high white for the majority of the photographs which could then easily be blended with whatever effects I chose for the background.



That may sound a little complicated but it isn’t really. The most complex part was in lighting the dresses. If this was a regular photo-shoot or a wedding I would set the lights for the subject or model so that we get good skin tones and that the lighting sculpts her face in the most striking and flattering fashion. However, for this shoot the subject was the prom and party dresses and naturally they want the photos to show off the colours, textures and details of the gowns. Because of this it meant the lighting had to be changed and adjusted for each set of images. For some of the dresses, to achieve accurate results, I had to switch off completely the main light and utilise window light instead. It’s quite unorthodox using three studio lights on the background and foreground whereas at the same time employing simple window light as your primary source but that’s one benefit of experience, you often times know what will work even if it’s a bit unconventional. 



The results were everything I wanted them to be. They are every bit as good and as striking as if they’d been done in an expensive studio and at a much higher budget. Dee, the owner of Simply Bridesmaids, was absolutely thrilled with them! Which of course is the most important thing!

Modelling the dresses is the gorgeous Natalie whose wedding I photographed back in 2010 and who now models part-time for me together with her husband Billy. If you follow my facebook page you will recognize her as she’s modelled in a couple of other recent photo-shoots for me, too.



If you like photography and would be interested in learning some of the lighting techniques used on this shoot why not consider booking one of my one-on-one photography training days. You can find details on the ‘Training’ tab on my website or click this link: Photography Training Edinburgh. I run several options for beginners, intermediates and anyone looking to break into professional photography. If you are a low-end or part-time wedding photographer in Edinburgh looking to move up a level I also offer training together with portfolio building. Feel free to give me a call and discuss your requirements.



If you would like to keep up with my latest work and images it is best to check my facebook page. Philip Hawkins Photography on facebook. I’m afraid I do not always have time to put together blog posts on a regular basis so it’s much easier simply uploading recent photos to my facebook page.

Please remember you can click on any of the photo spreads to open up the gallery viewer and see them at a larger and better size.

A Norton House Wedding, Kristen and Glenn

I knew Kristen and Glenn’s wedding at Norton House Hotel was going to be a good one because I’d had such a great engagement shoot with them a few months ago. You can see some of their photos from this session when I blogged it back in the autumn: Kristen and Glenn’s Engagement Shoot - Norton House Hotel weddings.

If you wish to jump straight to their wedding photographs just double click any of the images and it will open up the gallery viewer to see them at a larger size.

I arrived at Norton House around 10.30 and had quick coffee before starting the photography at 11am. Kristen was wanting some getting ready photographs so we headed straight up to her room where she was just beginning having her hair and make-up done. After knocking I was let into the room by Kristen’s sister, who was one of the bridesmaids, and as soon as Kristen saw me she leapt from her seat with delight, threw her arms around me and gave me a great big kiss! How’s that for a brilliant start to a photographers day!

I declined the offer of a glass of champagne (as I always do on a wedding day) as it’s no good having a tipsy photographer during the ceremony ;) and started with some details photographs of the wedding dress, bouquets, shoes, etc. We also included some natural, reportage images as Kristen was thrust back into the hairdressers seat to have her hair and make-up completed.

When she was ready I got a couple of head and shoulders shots just to show off her make-up and hair before she started getting into her dress. Because I work quite quickly I was able to get a couple of photographs utilising the natural window light as well as a couple with our mobile studio lighting. The effects would be quite different, both equally dramatic, and Kristen has chosen one of each for her album. The first one shown here is the high-key studio portrait, although it was simply done against the plain hotel room wall with one back light and one front 45 degree front light, which I have converted into high-key black and white.

The second photograph was taken when all the girls were ready and just before we were due to head along for the ceremony. I’d taken photos of the girls doing up the back of Kristen’s wedding dress, which are always good fun to do, photos of Kristen when she was fully ready and also some shots of her with her father, too.

The ceremony was take place in the Ballroom. This is a room familiar to most of the professional wedding photographers in Edinburgh but today it was set out in a new configuration which has never been tried before. Glenn and Kristen came up with this idea themselves and at first Norton House were a little unsure but when running it passed the chair cover company they were all for it. Usually the ceremony is set up for the couple to stand at the head of the room in front of the stage with a central aisle. However, if you have a look at the last photograph you can see the layout Kritsen and Glenn went with. Very different but really chic!

Myself and Diane worked from the corners of the room throughout the ceremony and got a great range of images; the declarations, vows, ring exchange, etc. All totally natural and spontaneous that make for great storybook albums. After signing of the register there were a couple of readings and a presentation for the newly weds from the children and then we were heading out for the drinks reception.

The weather wasn’t looking too idyllic and rain was threatening but we had time to do the requested Big Group photograph and their family shots before the heavens opened up. I deliberately shot the Big Group in panoramic format as Kristin and Glenn have ordered a beautiful 12 x 8 panoramic Bellissimo Perfetto album and I wanted to give the Big Group shot a double page spread in the album as it will look particularly impressive!

For the bride and groom photographs we went back inside as the rain was now pouring down. We did shots in the conservatory, the gorgeous ornate staircase and the main entrance, which is undercover. We ended up with over 60 different photographs from a twenty minute session, which was on top of the 150 I’d already taken so far. I mention this simply because it highlights one of the key differences with magazine style wedding photography. I can take a large amount of photographs in a very short space of time and with minimum fuss to the couple and guests and most importantly they will all be stunning. See what you think of the five I’ve included here.

Finally may I mention that I've just updated my website Wedding Gallery with fresh photographs from recent weddings. I have always been an advocate that a photographers work should speak for itself so in the first instance I would invite any couple currently planning a wedding and looking to decide on a  wedding photographer to have a look at my photographs and then compare them to any other wedding photographer in Edinburgh. Selecting the right photographer for your wedding can be a daunting process, however, having internet access now allows you to check on a photographers skill level and expertise simply by comparing their photographs from their websites. A good question to ask yourself is, Do their images have impact and do the people in them look good? At the end of the day that is what you want from your own photographs.

Weddings, Photo-shoots and Commercial assignments

What an incredibly busy and exciting year 2012 has been! To be honest I really didn’t think anything would eclipse 2011 for me after being featured by ITV in their five week run-up to the Royal Wedding as one of the top 12 wedding photographers in the country. It generated enormous interest and exposure and I was thrilled! However, this spring I’ve had the same amount of publicity after BBC Magazines included me in their Top 12 Wedding Photographers feature.

I’ve also ended the year by having several photographs published on the International Professional Photographers Society pages. I can’t tell you how chuffed I was at this as they only feature a very very small percentage of professional photographers work from all over the globe and the images have to be literally out of this world! Two of the photographs are in this blog; the wedding photograph of Emma and Stuart at Dalhousie Castle and the Storm over Melville Castle.

One of the things my friends and family are always amazed about is how, despite having been taking photographs professionally since the age of 16, my love and enthusiasm for photography has grown more and more over the years and is stronger now than it has ever been! When I was a young boy I got hooked on photography at 8 years of age and all I ever wanted to do was leave school as soon as possible and be a professional photographer. I am very fortunate to have had that come about and still be doing what I love almost 30 years on!

Weddings and Photo-shoots are of course my number one priority but I still enjoy freelancing for magazines and the commercial work I pick up, too. This of course has a great knock-on effect on my wedding photography as you learn some of the most highly prized secrets of the trade from magazine Editors and Publishing House designers which have a great impact on your skills and creativity. And it’s also nice receiving my Royalties every December ;)

December is always an extremely busy month for most wedding photographers in Edinburgh, especially those who do photo-shoots, too. Not only with the photography itself but also all the print, canvas and album orders. I’ve managed to get all my orders out today so everyone should receive everything in time for Christmas. This also includes my landscape prints and canvases that sell from website as well.

One thing I am going to mention is the price for my framed prints if you have had a photo-shoot or wedding with me. I do so simply because everyone has been telling me what great value for money they are, especially compared with other photography studio’s. So, a large 20” x 16” framed photograph is £69.95, a medium 16x12 is £59.95 and a 12x10 only £49.95. All my framed prints come in photo noir style, classic black frames with matching mounts. There’s a couple of pictures of them on my facebook page.

January is always a busy month for couples looking for and booking their wedding photographer. I’ve recently carried out a few tweaks on my website to try and provide all the information future bride and grooms need about myself and my services and costings.

2012 has been another year where poor wedding photographers have appeared on the news as disappointed couples attempt to sue them for their money back. Many of the experienced pro’s like myself work hard trying to help and educate couples in how to tell the difference between photographers and standards of work. An important point to remember is do not assume that all wedding photographers are the same, because they are not. In fact there are huge differences!

I do not who it was that coined the term “Frumpographer” but it does actually help in highlighting that it is not all about the packages and options but rather what you are paying your money for is the skill and level of expertise of the photographer himself and it is this that will directly affect how you look in your wedding photographs. So when comparing one photographer against another do so by looking carefully at his work. Even if you initially know little about photography you can soon train yourself to recognise the difference between what is a good photograph, a poor photograph and a stunning photograph. Go into the photographers Gallery and look at what they considers to be their best photographs and then compare them side by side.

Talking of looking at photographs please remember that if you click on any image here it will open a larger gallery style viewer so you can see the photographs at a larger size.

Latest work on Facebook

This has been one of the busiest years ever for me and it has been very hard trying to keep up with regular blogging...as you can see in the huge gaps between posts. I do not intend to abandon my blog but as I'm a working photographer I hope you will understand why the blog gets religate into second place. However, you can see and keep up with my most recent work and photographs by following my facebook page:
Philip Hawkins Photography Facebook

It's quicker and more convenient for me to post snippets from recent weddings and photo-shoots than it is to for me to blog them up. I am giving thought to perhaps giving a new direction to the blog in the new year so please keep an eye out. In the meantime I leave you with a promo photograph of Natalie and Billy and Melville Castle :)

Weddings at the Scotsman Hotel

It's a very busy time right now even though we're coming to the end of the traditional wedding season. I'm now doing a fair bit of commercial work alongside various wedding related photography as well. Last weekend was Kristen and Glenn's wedding at Norton House Hotel who's Engagement Shoot photos were featured in my last blog. A thoroughly enjoyable day even though it rained. Keep an eye out for some of there wedding pictures soon (although there is a sneak peek up on my facebook page).

We're also approaching the end of the autumn Edinburgh wedding fair season, too. As most of my work nowadays comes from recommendations and word of mouth I no longer do the larger wedding fairs, which are a bit of a free for all even though there not free! lol But I like to support some of the top venues where I'm recommended as their photographer and enjoy exhibiting at their shows. This Sunday I'm at The Scotsman Hotel wedding fair. So I thought it would be fitting to show some recent photos from this gorgeous venue.

The Scotsman Hotel booked me to come in last week to do a photo shoot for their new wedding brochure and wedding marketing. I was working alongside Zenith Events who had been brought in by the Hotel to decorate the rooms which would feature prominently in the brochure. We worked on three of the main suites decorating them as they would be for a wedding day and then photographing them from several angles. We also had a bride and groom come in for an hour in afternoon for some bride and groom photographs.

It's always nice working with professional models but for a wedding brochure I am very hesitant because usually the photos don't look authentic. I mean you pick the brochure up and you can tell straight away these are professional models rather than a real couple. So what I did was get on of my previous clients whose wedding I photographed a couple of years ago to come in for them. This is great for all of us. Natalie was thrilled to get the opportunity to wear her dress again and the hotel gave them a complimentary overnight stay and dinner for two in their award winning restaurant. And for me a I get a genuine, authentic married couple so the photos will be realistic.

The photos were completed and edited overnight as I had to get them into their design team down in London as they are aiming to have the brochure printed and ready for the wedding fayre on Sunday. The following day I was booked to photograph an award ceremony at the Roxburghe Hotel in Edinburgh and they were wanting their photos ready the next day, too, so a very busy week indeed! The Roxburghe Hotel also use me as their recommended Edinburgh wedding photographer so I'm happy to oblige.

As well as the company brochure and website, where I simply the photography, I'm also putting together a showround wedding album for the Hotel which is a bit more detailed and informative for couples interested in booking the venue for their own wedding. The design of this is very similar to one of bespoke real life wedding albums, although more tailored towards showcasing the hotel, but it does a view of how good the couples wedding photographs will be if they chose to marry here and of course pick me for their photography ;) I'm posting below some of the pages but if you're coming to the wedding fair Sunday I'll have the real thing together with a selection of sample albums and Storybooks.

If you click on any photo it will open a gallery style so you can see the pictures at a larger size...