Susan & Derrick

Sue and Derrick chose the spectacular venue of Matfen Hall for their wedding. The weather was a bit cloudy but the day was so much fun that it felt like the sun was shining...

Derrick's TVR Sagaris looked excellent just sitting outside the hall...

...and once it was joined by 3 other TVR's it was a petrol head's heaven!

Back to more tradional wedding features. The interior of Matfen Hall is sumptious luxury and the cake had pride of place at the top of the room.

Derrick and Mark get some last minute advice from the registrar. They seem pretty relaxed.

The ceremony was a mix of emotions and was very moving.

After all the emotion it was great fun to walk back down the aisle to "You're the One That I Want" from Grease. Definitely a first for me at a wedding.

The TVR seemed to creep into a few photos...

The speeches were kept short but very heartfelt and emotional.

Derrick and his Brother Mark were a good foil for each other's humour all day.

The first dance, down in The Vault Room which is a very atmospheric place for a twirl around the floor.

Let's not forget Sue's other man - Jamie.

Thanks to Sue and Derrick for a great day. It was really enjoyable and I look forward to sharing the full set of photos with you soon.

Andy

Daisy at 10 weeks

A few photos of Daisy at 10 weeks old. Still another 3 weeks until her vaccinations are complete and we can go out for a proper walk. It seems like a long time. She's so much bigger than she was 3 weeks ago when we got her....but still got more growing to do.

Training Courses

I've been running my training courses for a few weeks now and I'm really enjoying them. It's great to meet the photographers who come along and it's exciting to see the photographs that they send me. Here are 3 from recent courses...

Gareth Kewell took this shot the day after his course having returned to the same area but much earlier in the morning. Gareth says "I like that shot of the castle with the sheep - it's as if he's assumed some kind of sentry duty & is happily guarding the ruin."

I love that Gareth has used a sheep as the foreground interest in this shot it adds life to the picture and shows great imagination.

Panganai Svotwa joined me for a half day which, unfortunately, started wet and dull. I'm delighted with the way Panganai has made the most of the weather and caught the beauty in the clouds.

Like Gareth, Stuart Thompson returned for sunrise on the day after his course.

"I was there early, at dawn with one exception, which is a special time of the day for photography as I am sure you have found. It would not have surprised me if some of your other course attendees were there also!

I did use a polariser as I like the effect that it creates. As I think I may have said before one of the main things that I learnt from your course is the importance of good composition. I had never seen the castle from the beach location that you showed us, only from the well used location on the rocky shore close to the castle."

Stuart's compositions are very strong. The polariser filter makes the water reflection free and reveals the sand beneath which is the highlight of this image for me. I also admire the composition that uses the seaweed and the sand to draw the eye towards the distant castle. Great work.

Meet Daisy

After losing our dear old friend Trooper 3 weeks ago, we heard of a litter of lurcher pups needing homes in the next village to us. Egged on by others in the village, Daisy came home to us today. So far (about 3 hours!) she's played for a bit and slept for a bit.

I'm sure you'll agree she's gorgeous...

Caroline & Paul

My first wedding for ages and my last in Scotland for a while. I'm glad to say that Caroline and Paul's wedding at Napier University's Craighouse campus was a great way for me to celebrate these two minor milestones.

Paul and Ecky were cool, calm and collected as they greeted family and friends. Looking good too!

A few last minute calls for Paul...

...but Caroline turned up on time and looked amazing .

Paul's first glimpse of his soon-to-be bride.

A candle lit specially for Caroline's Mum. This was a beatiful touch and was amongst several things that made the service very personal and unique.

The sun shone and all were able to enjoy drinks on the terrace with a stunning view of Edinburgh.

A quick walk round the gardens for a few photos and a bit of quiet time together as a newly married couple.

and so back indoors for the speeches. Caroline's Dad spoke very well ...

Even the younger members of the congregation woke up to enjoy the speeches.

Some humiliation is part and parcel of the best man's speech which was very well delivered.

The first dance closed the evening for me but was just the start of the party for Caroline and Paul's friends and families. It looked like it was warming up to be a great night.

Caroline and Paul, Thanks for having me at your wedding. I really enjoyed being in the company of you both and all your guests. Have a great Honeymoon and I'll be in touch soon after you're back.

Best wishes

Andy

Local Landscapes

I've been working through the archive of landscape photographs generated by my other blog Northumberland360.com. To support my photo training venture which has started this summer, I'm putting together a small exhibition to put in a local gallery. Here are a few I've chosen so far.

You can find lots more of my favourites here.