one big picture photography

How do you decide who to marry? (written by kids)

2010-09-13T20:01:00.000+01:00

I thought you might all appreciate this little gem that's doing the rounds at the moment - originates from America.

How do you decide who to marry?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.

[Alan, age 10]

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before,and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
[Kristen, age 10]

What is the right age to get married?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
[Camille, age 10]

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
[Derrick, age 8]

What do you think your mom and dad have in common?
Both don't want any more kids.
[Lori, age 8]

What do most people do on a date?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
[Lynnette, age 8]

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
[Martin, age 10]

When is it okay to kiss someone?
When they're rich.
[Pam, age 7]

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
[Curt, age 7]

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
[Howard, age 8]

Is it better to be single or married?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
[Anita, age 9]

How would the world be different if people didn't get married?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
[Kelvin, age 8]

How would you make a marriage work?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.
[Ricky, age 10]

Ashley & Paul pre-wedding shoot

2010-09-06T20:59:00.000+01:00

I was delighted when Ashley and Paul suggested we do their pre-wedding shoot on the shores of Loch Lomond. Firkin Point was to be our location for the day and it was incredibly windy, but the sun was shining and the Loch looked blue as it reflected the blue sky, amazing scenery!

Whenever a couple turn up, they're incredibly nervous, I can tell. But after a bit of a chat and me explaining what's going to happen we crack on. Ironically, it was Paul who originally didn't even want to have a pre-wedding shoot until I talked them both in to it. So I was surprised when Paul was completely relaxed and raring to go whereas Ashley was a tad nervous!

After a while they both looked like they were enjoying themselves and we found a variety of locations complete with an absolutely stunning backdrop.

Here is a selection of my favourites for you to look at, hope you like them. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

David & Alison Wedding

2010-09-05T22:12:00.001+01:00

Wow, I've just realised it's been exactly one month since I last wrote a blog post. Oops. It's been such a busy month with August having two weddings and we're fully booked for September, but hoping to post a few more blogs to let you know what we've been up to!

Anyway, as the title would suggest, one of our August weddings was of David and Alison. They got married on 14 August at St Andrew's Church in Larkfield and their reception was at Gamble Halls in Gourock. We took them, along with their bridal party, to Gourock Park to do some of the more formal shots, but if you know me by now I don't really do 'formal'!

They had fantastic weather and the rain managed to stay away. We arrived at the house where we were met by a somewhat nervous bride to be! It was a fantastic atmosphere though as the girls got their make up and hair done and David and Alison's son Ross attempted to put his kilt on and lace up his shoes (a hard task when you've never done it before!). I offered to help him out, although I had only wore a kilt once before but together we managed.

We met the guys at the church and took a few shots of them walking about and generally having a laugh. David was taking it all in his stride but I'm sure he was nervous deep down whilst he waited for his bride to arrive. What made the ceremony even more special than usual was that David's brother conducted it!

It was then off to Gourock Park where the girls from Platinum Wedding Cars served up some champagne for the grown ups and lolli pops to the wee guys! As David and Alison had already had a pre-wedding shoot they knew exactly what was to come and took to the photography like ducks to water.

Finally we met everyone at Gamble Halls where we photographed the room and the wedding guests before they sat down for dinner. And I've got to say I've never seen Gamble Halls looking so good for a wedding and this is all down to Andrea Jenkins from Sew4u Chair Covers, she did an absolutely amazing job!

And here is a small selection of the photos from the day for you to cast your eyes over, hope you like them.

Lynne & Craig pre-wedding shoot

2010-08-03T23:32:00.000+01:00

Lynne and Craig will be my first ever Humanist Wedding and I can't wait. I'm intrigued at how the ceremony will unfold and aim to capture images that tell the story of what will be an amazing day!

But before that, I recently photographed Lynne and Craig for their pre-wedding shoot. Kelvingrove Park would be our venue for a second time this year. But we ended up with completely different shots to the last one.

Lynne and Craig were a little nervous as I began taking photos of them embracing each other, but who wouldn't be nervous?! It happens to absolutely every couple but as always, once we're well underway they started to relax. And that's when we end up with images of them both that nobody has ever seen before!

Here is a selection from the day:

The McLean Family Lifestyle shoot

2010-07-31T20:46:00.002+01:00

The Sunday I had the McLean family in my diary was a dull rainy day and extremely blustery. I remember this as I'd scouted out a venue I'm due to shoot a wedding at and hoped it wouldn't be the same weather on the big day! Fortunately, it brightened up an hour before I arrived at the McLean's! That meant there would be good light shining through the window. Phew.

I never really know what to expect when I arrive at a house where I'll be taking lots of photos. I'm always nervous, even though I've done it plenty of times. When I knocked on the door I was greeted with a really happy dad who seemed really pleased to see me. After that everything was fine. I had a lovely cuppa and chatted to the kids so they got used to the strange man with the camera!

It was a lovely house and you could just tell it was a really nice family home. I'm always amazed at other people's talents and the McLean family are all very musical. There were hit songs sung by choirs playing in the background, the piano was played and they all started singing. Quite magical really and something that really set the scene and helped us all to have a great time.

Here are a selection of my favourite images, hope you like them.

David & Lorraine pre-wedding shoot

2010-07-22T22:27:00.000+01:00

There are so many nice locations in Glasgow and Kelvingrove Park was to be the setting for my latest pre-wedding shoot with David and Lorraine. With long periods of hot and sunny weather followed by all of this wet weather, the park was so green it was a bit surreal! But it made for amazing scenery as David and Lorraine walked hand in hand through the park. And I was there to capture it all.

A pre-wedding shoot is a great opportunity for the kids inside of us to jump out. And this one was no exception. David just couldn't resist pushing Lorraine round on the roundabout, very fast! And as for the swings, well, need I say more?!

Here are a selection of the images from the day.

David & Alison pre-wedding shoot

2010-07-17T00:57:00.000+01:00

I finally got to photograph a couple on the beach! It may not have been a scorcher and the sun only showed its face a few times, but it was a beach nevertheless.

The best bit though, and even with David and Alison living literally five minutes away, was that I was able to show them a brand new place they had never been! How good is that to be able to not only show somebody a really nice new location, but to let them discover a small beach literally on their doorstep! Somewhere where we created memories. Somewhere they'll be able to keep on coming back to for the rest of their lives!

Every couple I photograph on their pre-wedding shoot are extremely sheepish and nervous. David and Alison were no exception. They had literally been dreading this moment. But as always after 10 minutes they almost forgot I was there!

Here's a few of my favourites.

Baby Beth

2010-07-06T21:34:00.000+01:00

It's not often you get a perfectly behaved baby to photograph, and by that I mean a baby who does exactly what you would like! Beth was certainly an exception to the rule and was such a smiley baby.

When I arrived at the Nichol family home I was greeted by two excited parents and one very smiley Beth. We all had a really nice chat and of course, Beth took centre stage! After having a drink we began by lying Beth on the sofa where she just lapped up having her photo taken.

I always like to involve mum and dad and try and get individual shots of them holding the baby. I always get dad to imagine they were having a father daughter moment as if nobody else was in the room. Easier said than done of course, but these are the moments that create memories to savour!

And so, on to a few of the photos I got from the day.

Helen & Ian's Wedding

2010-06-29T21:42:00.001+01:00

This has to be one of the best weddings I've ever photographed, and I'm not just saying that. I arrived at Helen's parents house to a lot of activity, both inside and out. There was make up being applied, hair being finished and lots of running around. So, best thing to do, get stuck in straight away with getting the details - dress, shoes, jewellery etc.

One of the best things about being a photographer is that you get to see every bit of the day, the getting ready, the ceremony and so on. The biggest thing I get out of photographing a wedding is meeting people. And this wedding was no exception. One person who really captured me was Peter, Helen's dad. You really know when you stumble across a genuinely nice person, and Peter was one of them.

Half way through photographing all the goings on around the house, Peter and I got talking in the back garden. This is the bit I always struggle with as I'm acutely aware of the time and am thinking about my next shot, but you have to take time out to talk to people sometimes, and I'm really glad I did.

All morning Peter hadn't known what to do with himself, he had offered me a cuppa at least three times! Then he struggled getting his tie on. But do you know what? He was emotional. He was about to give his daughter away. It was about to be the proudest day a dad could possibly have. And what Peter said to me that morning will stick with me forever. He told me about his life as a police officer, about how he never received a complaint from the public. About his neighbours and how nice they were. But most importantly, how nice Ian's parents were. He said any time they pop round for a cup of tea, it turns into a small party and they all always have a great time. I probably haven't written it exactly how it was said to me, but only Peter could do that. So thanks Peter, you really are a nice guy!

So, enough about Peter and more importantly on to Helen and Ian! I've never met such a nervous groom as was Ian before he got married. But he held it together perfectly and he literally had the perfect best man at his side Graeme. But never mind that, Helen decided to turn up at the church nearly 20 minutes early! That's a first. Unfortunately we weren't able to take any photos during the ceremony, but we were ready to capture them walking up the aisle, and how happy they both were.

The sun shone the whole day and it was amazingly hot. But we managed to get through all the formal shots really quickly before leaving for the hotel. And this is the first time I've ever photographed the bridal party in a field full of lambs, oh and lamb poo! But it all added to the occasion and everybody had a great time.

Oh, and congratulations to Helen and Ian, you're an amazing couple and I truly was very privileged to be a part of one of the best days of your lives.

And that's it really, I could go on all day, but what you really want is to see some of the photos, right? Here are a selection of some of the best, hope you like them.

Grease Lightnin'

2010-06-22T23:06:00.002+01:00

Embarrassingly it's been nearly two months since I last updated my blog, not good! But I'm pleased to say I'm back with an exciting post for you!

Last week saw me photograph a production of Grease the musical at St Andrew's Academy in Paisley. I had photographed a fashion show there a few months ago and was delighted to be asked back to capture some amazing talent!

We all know and (most of us) love the classic musical Grease. And to see it on stage is pretty impressive. But to see a high school perform with so much gusto and passion was simply breathtaking.

Young people generally get a bad press in this country and so it was quite heart-warming to see them put so much effort into performing on stage. They truly were an amazing group. Even when the lead actors in each scene were prominent at the front of the stage, those in the background put an equal amount of effort into their part.

Just being backstage with them all beforehand and during the interval, you could feel the excitement and nerves, and that was just the teachers! hee hee. It's worth noting that the teachers put just as much effort into this, both those who had a role on stage and those behind the scenes. So much work went into it and it was hugely apparent.

And so, enough of what I thought about it, here's some of the best images from the night.

Baby Jamie

2010-04-17T23:19:00.000+01:00

I was absolutely privileged to photograph a gorgeous new baby boy the other week. His older brother simply dotes on him and I saw this immediately as I sat and chatted to the family. So, without further ado I wanted to capture that brotherly love and I think I cracked it! Although they wanted just the two brothers to be captured, there was still time to get a few of baby with mum and dad.

Glasgow Twestival goes down a storm!

2010-03-30T12:34:00.000+01:00

Thursday 25 March saw Twestival Global happen in cities across the world. In Scotland we had four including right here in Glasgow. It took place at the amazing Lansdowne Bar & Kitchen in the West End of Glasgow and was a perfect venue.

Twestival's happen twice a year, this one was a global event with Twestival's worldwide fundraising for just one charity, Concern Worldwide. They'll happen again later in the year around September time when they'll fundraise for a local charity chosen by the public.

Glasgow Twestival set themselves a target of £2500 which was a tall order by anyone's standards. However, we beat it by more than double and at the last count it was sitting just short of £6500! Amazing.

If you didn't make it along this time make sure you don't miss the next one. Glasgow Twestival is always great fun and this one was a packed evening of entertainment. It showcased three bands - Epic 26, 100 Paper Boats and Kessel Music, a raffle, an auction and a DJ set. The prize of the evening was an Apple iPad which went for the bargain price of £350! And one lucky bidder is even getting their very own song written and performed by 100 Paper Boats!

So that's the Twestival. And if you've read earlier posts, you'll know that I was the official photographer. I'm pleased to say we ended up with some fantastic shots and I've included a few of them here for you to ponder over!

If you're on Twitter come and follow me @marcbowker or @onebigpicture or both!

Official photographer for Glasgow Twestival!

2010-03-11T10:56:00.002Z

That's right, One Big Picture Photography will be the official photographer for the Glasgow Twestival! I can't quite believe it myself and am absolutely flattered to have even been asked. I've already had some really supportive tweets so thank you all, you know who you are!

Some of you may be reading this and asking yourself 'who is this guy?'. Well, although the name may give the appearance that I'm a large company or something, I don't hide behind a name. I'm just me and I'm absolutely passionate about photographing people. Simple. Nothing more nothing less.

And I intend to do the best I can at the Twestival. No touching up, no after effects added, just pure simple photography that I hope will capture the essence of a Twestival. That means capturing all you Tweegies doing what you do, tweeting, networking, chatting and generally having a good time in the name of charity!

And, for those of you who have absolutely no idea what I'm going on about, well let me try and explain. You may or may not have heard of a Twestival before. Basically, they happen in cities across the world including right here in Glasgow. They bring together people who are on Twitter who turn up and meet those people they've been sending tweets to in the flesh. There's also a charity that benefits from it all too, in this case Concern Worldwide, an international charity. Twestival's usually happen twice a year, the first raising cash for just one international charity and the second raising money for a more local charity. I could go on all night!!

It's not essential that you're on Twitter, but it does help and if you're not on Twitter, why not have a go!

Anyway, here's the details. The Glasgow Twestival will take place at the Lansdowne Bar & Kitchen in the West End of Glasgow on Thursday 25 March. Full details can be found on the Glasgow Twestival site. It's a fantastic night out with bands, DJs and a chance to win some fab prizes in the raffle and bid for some even more fab prizes in the auction!

If you are on Twitter or fancy a dabble, then you can follow me @marcbowker or @onebigpicture

The boys are back in town!

2010-03-06T22:18:00.001Z

My wife's cousin David is a very talented guy and last summer he set up a band, now called 100 Paper Boats. Recently he asked me if I would photograph the band so they had some decent images to put on their Facebook site. I was flattered they wanted me to do it to be honest and delighted at the same time as I'd always wanted to photograph a band!

So a date was set and a venue selected. The Sugar Warehouse in Greenock is a huge building which would provide us a perfect backdrop. The day was perfect, bright and dry. But it was freezing and my fingers almost stopped working by the time we were finished!

I've posted a brief selection of the images for you to see here, once you've looked at them please go and listen to some of their tracks which you can do on their Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/100paperboats).

How much do you love your mum?

2010-02-24T12:10:00.000Z

Mothers Day is fast approaching, 14 March to be precise but I'm sure you don't need reminding! So, just how much do you love your mum?

What do you usually get the perfect mum? Chocolates? Flowers? Well how about something a bit different this year like a Lifestyle photography shoot perhaps? When was the last time you gave your mum a nice picture of the family to hang on her wall? Well now's your chance.

We'll spend up to two hours with you and your family or whoever you want us to photograph. Your mum could even be a part of it! We offer a really informal and relaxed photography session in your favourite place. It could be the local woods, a park or a beach, wherever you enjoy spending your time. That way, if you're in a place you love, you'll feel relaxed getting your photos taken.

We'll then put them on our website which can be accessed only via a password which we'll give you. You can order a print package of your chosen images of which there's four available, and if you like you can also order other products such as canvasses, framed prints, coffee table books etc.

But it doesn't stop there, we thought we would save the best till last. How about three great reasons to book a Lifestyle session with us? When you book, we'll give you:

A FREE £10 Marks and Spencer Gift Card
A FREE 10" x 8" print of your choice
And, only pay £50 for your Lifestyle photography session (usually £65)

So get in touch and we can have a chat and get a date in the diary! All ready to tell your mum this Mother's Day!

Get in touch through our website: www.onebigpicture.co.uk

Email us: info@onebigpicture.co.uk
Call us: 01475 795633

The small print: This offer applies to Lifestyle sessions booked on or before Sunday 14 March 2010. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion.

The Catwalk

2010-02-12T22:33:00.000Z

A few weeks ago I had a challenge put before me. My sister-in-law is an English teacher at St Andrew's Academy in Paisley and had organised a school fashion show. She duly called me to ask if I would like to photograph it and I jumped at the chance. However, I had to do a bit of research as shooting indoors with extremely low light and fast action was something I hadn't really done before!

The girls and the guys did themselves proud as they showed off their amazing dresses and superb kilts and as they strutted their stuff and walked towards me at the end of the catwalk, I was there to capture it all! Below is a selection of the best images including some of professional dance troupe Siamsoir.

Get £150 off your wedding photography!

2010-02-02T11:05:00.000Z

Here's something you don't see every day, you can get £150 off the cost of your wedding photography simply by becoming a fan of our Facebook fan page. What could be easier than that?

You'll see our advert above in the forthcoming Simply Bridal magazine if you live in the Inverclyde area. They're available from most supermarkets and will be distributed at the local wedding shows in Greenock, Port Glasgow and Largs.

Please tell your friends and family about this fantastic offer.

If you haven't yet made your mind up on which photographer to book don't worry. I'm more than happy to come out to your house and have an informal chat about it all. I'll show you some of the latest wedding images and talk you through exactly how we achieve them, what our approach is and a general idea of what we'll do on your big day.

Get in touch:
Website: www.onebigpicture.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/onebigpicture
Phone: 01475 795633
Email: info@onebigpicture.co.uk (at time of writing, my email is down and I'm waiting for it to be fixed so please try and contact me through the above routes in the meantime)

The small print: This offer applies to bookings made on or before 30 June 2010. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Just carry on as if nothing happened!

2010-01-17T13:02:00.000Z

Welcome to the first blog post of 2010! I hope the new year isn't getting you down just yet and that your new year resolutions are being realised. At least I can say that my only resolution is going well so far in that I'm updating the blog!

I thought I'd update you on a little job I did in between Christmas and New Year. It all started with an epic drive down south to Nottingham, via Liverpool (my home town). I had planned a photo shoot of a family I know at one of the local parks. It all came about from an image displaying a member of the family with his ex-girlfriend and therefore the family wanting to replace it with an updated image of said member of family with his new girlfriend!

Off we all went to the park. As you all know, we've just come out of one of the coldest periods in this country since the early 1980s and as such, everything in the park was frozen! The lake was a sheet of solid ice, which wasn't a problem as we were not going to be walking on it. However, all the footpaths and grassy slopes were also sheets of ice. The problem? A member of the family had just had an operation on her knee and so asking them to walk up the hill was going to be a problem. You can imagine the hilarity of the situation which was great as there were smiles all round!

So, on to the first location. The sun was a bit of a nightmare, very low and very bright! But a gorgeous day nevertheless. I have a habit of finding unusually shaped trees for families to cling on to, hide behind or lean against and so it wasn't long before I spotted 'the' tree which we would initially use. It had a really think base and a huge section of it bent outwards. So I positioned each family member along it's sloping side when 'BANG'!!! Can you guess what happened? That's right, being 6 foot 5 tall I'm used to ducking and diving, but I was so engrossed in looking at my camera settings I walked straight into the adjacent part of this tree! I near knocked myself out as well as cutting my head open, which I didn't realise until later on! But, in true professional style I just carried on as if nothing happened!

So for all of you waiting for the 'tree incident' there you are, I hope you're not disappointed.

As for the shoot itself, well it's quite a challenge when you have a family who are not very touchy feely. Well, it's not everyone's cup of tea is it. The answer is to just have fun together. As it was so soon after Christmas I simply got each of them to shout out their favourite Christmas present they had received. Some were really enthusiastic, others still a little bit shy. So I then got them to shout out again but this time to punch their arms in the air and even jump up and shout as loud as they could! It all sounds a bit silly doesn't it, but I guarantee that it brings people out of themselves a bit and you can't help but laugh about it.

And that's what I like about photographing people. All people are different and you can plan a shoot as much as possible, but you can never plan for what mood people will be in or what personalities you will be faced with. So much of a family shoot is about just going with it on the day and seeing what you have to work with, both people and location (although usually I will research a location by visiting it beforehand. Luckily I had been to their chosen park earlier that year).

So there you are, a fun tale of a recent family shoot and a funny incident too! And here are some of the shots I got on the shoot for you to see. Enjoy!

2009 - The Highlights

2009-12-21T22:21:00.000Z

Well, 2009 is nearly over and I've got to admit, the writing of this blog nearly was too! I started it earlier this year with every intention to update it on a regular basis. Those of you who clicked through to read something new probably were a little disappointed in that the last post was several months ago! I blame having two very young children amongst other things, but no excuse.

As 2010 beckons I thought I'd make a New Year's Resolution (which I rarely do) to keep this blog up to date.

So, without further ado, I thought I'd show you a few highlights of the year at One Big Picture Photography. The images below to me tell a story and remind me of some really nice people who I've had real pleasure in working with this year. I hope you like them!

Nuns on the run!

2009-05-05T22:00:00.009+01:00

I've done some unusual shoots in my time from photographing over 350 dog grooming products for a catalogue to a 70s disco night where everyone was trying to dance with me whilst I was trying to take their photo, very bizarre!

However, Saturday saw much hilarity as I turned up to photograph three ladies dressed up as nuns! Yes, nuns! They're part of a cast about to appear in a show called Nunsense and a local article is about to appear in the local paper (East Kilbride News).

The setting was a house that used to be run by nuns and was a place where they received visitors, although you wouldn't know it these days. So the aim was to try and get the nuns pulling silly faces and turning up on the doorstep of said house. As you can see, great fun was had and we ended up with some comical pictures for the local rag.

Nunsense will be appearing at the East Kilbride Arts Centre from 4-6 June. For more information on this comedy production visit their website.

The wedding that had everything

2009-03-04T16:11:00.006Z

The last wedding I photographed was of William and Annmarie who were an absolutely amazing couple. They were very laid back (on the surface anyway) and I really enjoyed mingling with their families and friends whilst getting natural smiles throughout.

The pre-wedding shoot took place in Pollok park in Glasgow as it had amazing woodland for us to play about in! Great fun was had as William and Annmarie tried to act as if I wasn't there! And that included the odd kiss here and there, holding hands and simply just 'being in love'!! Not an easy task when you have a photographer trying to capture it all, but it was well worth it and we ended up with some fantastic shots of the two of them.

The actual wedding ceremony and reception took place at the Burnhouse Manor Hotel near Beith. This was the first wedding I'd been to where the groom had forgotten the rings! So my plan of capturing 'the boys' before the ceremony went out of the window as the groom and his brother-in-law to be dashed all the way back to Paisley to get the rings! All this happened with only 20 minutes to go until the ceremony took place. Needless to say, the bridal car was sent around the block a few times before the rings appeared!

The room where the ceremony took place was an amazing setting, although there wasn't much room (I was neatly tooked away in a tiny corner between the alter and the first row of guests) but I managed to get a few shots. The biggest challenge was picking my time to quickly dash back up the aisle before William and Annmarie turned to walk out! I had no other way to get out of that corner.

It was then a case of capturing the guests sipping on their champers and having the odd laugh here and there. Once they were all suitably relaxed, it was time for the 'group' photo! Always met with 'oh no do we have to'! Oh yes you do. So I ran up to my perch on the first floor of the hotel and peered out of a tiny window whilst carefully directing where I wanted everyone to stand below.

As soon as that was over, it was time to make good use of the beautiful hotel grounds as I disappeared with William and Annmarie and their two bridesmaids. Ten minutes with the bride and bridesmaids and then on to the newly weds themselves.

A fantastic day had by all and certainly a wedding I'll remember for a long time.

A day in the life of photographing kids!

2009-02-26T12:07:00.009Z

One of my most recent Lifestyle shoots was photographing all the Docherty grandchildren as a surprise for their grandparents.

One of the best places to take kids to is the local park as you can let them loose to run about and have fun. This particular park also had animals such as rabbits, pigs, a billy goat and lots of birds in an avery. Plus there was the usual set up of swings, a slide and a roundabout. So plenty to keep the kids occupied before and after the shoot to keep them in a good mood.

The biggest challenge I had was that there were six children aged between 18 months and 18 years old! The way I got round this was to shoot them all as a family of kids to get the kind of formal shot out of the way. Then the 14 and 18 year old were allowed to go off and wander for a bit. In the meantime, I followed the younger kids around and photographed them running about and playing naturally.

So, then to the two older kids who happened to be brothers. The 14 year old was really shy, but I kept encouraging him saying I was going to take some photos and make him look cool! The 18 year old thought he did look cool so I did some fun shots with him against an old building, anybody passing would have thought I was doing a fashion shoot!

So all in all, a lot of patience but it paid off and I ended up with over 50 good shots and the Docherty family were really pleased too. Another good days work.

One Big Picture launches a blog!

2009-02-26T11:57:00.002Z

Thursday 26 February saw the launch of my blog! Although you may have seen my photography on my website you will only have read about what I offer. However, the blog will offer you so much more as you'll be able to read about real people who I've photographed and how the day went.

Within each post, I'll include two or three images from that particular shoot so you can see the results as well as read all about it.

I'll be keeping the blog up to date as regular as possible and although I won't post up every single job I do, I'll talk about the pick of the bunch and the latest shoots.

Enjoy.