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Our Anniversary - Glen Coe, Scotland - 2019

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Jim and I had the pleasure of traveling to Scotland this past May; both a business and vacation. I was photographing a wedding in Errol, Scotland (click “here” to see the pictures) and after the wedding, our little adventure through Scotland would begin. We visited several places; Glen Coe being one of them. While planning this portion of our journey, I booked a portrait session for Jim and I to celebrate our upcoming wedding anniversary (29.07.19) with Neil Thomas Douglas!

As a photographer, I find it educational to put myself in the “shoes” of the client: to know what it’s like to be in front of the camera. As a client, I love looking back on Neil’s photos to also remember our amazing overall experience.

The brief backstory to our anniversary photo shoot is this: in March of 2018, I organized and photographed a stylized bridal portrait shoot in Glen Coe (click “here” for details). During this shoot, I worked with the infamous make-up artist, Clare Pearson. During this same trip, I attended Photography Farm, a wedding photographer workshop, and met Neil. From my experience in Scotland in March of 2018 - I reached out to Clare again to do my own make-up and for Neil to be our photographer.

Working with Clare again in 2019 was a nice reunion and we linked up again at Glen Coe House - our favorite “get away” spot in the Highlands! Clare did a wonderful job and I felt very relaxed while she did my hair and make-up. I didn’t have a “look” in mind, although I showed Clare the dress and just said, “go for it”. I trusted her artistic eye and knew the make-up and hairdo would look awesome. (If you’re ever debating having professional photos shot, I would highly recommend booking a make-up artist!)

What I love about Neil’s photography is that his style is a bit different from mine, which is exactly what we were looking for with this shoot. Jim and I admired his way of composing images, use of light, and color; his work has a nice sense of drama to it. When we got our pictures back from Neil, we were super stoked - to say the least! To sum it up - Neil was PERFECT!

If you find yourself looking for a photographer, be sure to consider the photographer’s overall brand and style: subject matter, color, hue, saturation, light, composition, focusing, motion, etc. What you will likely see on a professional photographer’s website and on their social media pages will likely be what you receive; meaning - your own images will be created and edited in a similar style to reflect their brand.

As a wedding photographer, I prefer being behind the camera (naturally) and I can be a little awkward in front of the camera. Jim, on the other hand, is very natural in front of the camera. This is probably because I’m always taking his photo! (Ha ha!) Neil made us both feel super comfortable in front of his lens which allowed us to look more “natural” in front of the camera… even when a Stag (Red Deer) walked into our photo!

Neil is well known in the Glen Coe area as a photographer and with this in mind, I knew he would know exactly where to go to “get the shot”. If you’ve been to Glen Coe, you’ll likely recognize a few of the spots: The Three Sisters, The Wee White House, and a few other locations along the side of A82. One of the benefits of working with a local photographer is that s/he already knows where the great spots are for the photos.

On the other hand, working with a destination photographer can also have benefits in terms of locations. I always make time to conduct a few location scouts, meaning - when I’m shooting a new location, I’ll arrive a few days early to check out some nice areas for photos. When destination photographers view a new location, inspiration “takes hold”, which leads to unique images!

We had such an amazing and enjoyable time working with both Clare and Neil! Special thanks to them both for the memories and the amazing photos!

Dress: LuoDanL on Etsy.com | Suit: JCrew

Jacket: Michael Kors | Boots: LL Bean & Hunter

Photographer: Neil Thomas Douglas | Make Up & Hair: Clare Pearson

Happy Couple, Clients, & “Models”: Melanie Fiander & Jim West

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Travel: Scotland - May 2019

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We flew over to Scotland to capture the wedding of Janine & Karl at Errol Park Estate (click “here” to view the wedding). Since we were already in Scotland… we figured, we’d make a little vacation out of the trip! A few days before the wedding, we arrived in Edinburgh, checked into the Salsibury Hotel Edinburgh, and immediately walked into the city with our Lonely Planet Book in hand. Our first few stops included the Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile, and the Greyfriars Kirkyard.

We continued our exploration around Edinburgh & Arthur’s Seat with a Vacation Photo Shoot with Inga from Glitter & Twigs! As a photographer - I’m always behind the camera; constantly taking pictures of whatever Jim and I come across. With this - we wanted to make sure there were professional photos with me in them as well; Inga captured us perfectly! If you’re debating booking a vacation photo shoot - go for it! I know we’ll treasure our images Inga shot forever.

Our time in Edinburgh came to a close and we made our way north to the small village of Falkland. Below are some fun iPhone photos to share our experience at the Falkland Palace & Gardens. It was roughly 17° C (62.6° F) when we arrived and I can safely say - for us tropical island dwellers - being in the sunshine was a treat!

After a nice stroll through the gardens at Falkland Palace, we hopped back in the car and continued towards Errol. We stayed at the cutest BnB called The Nest, hosted by a lovely couple named Fiona & Ray! Their BnB was spotless and they had graciously laid out a welcome basket with homemade bread and wine along with a slew of pamphlets regarding things to do and see.

After we settled in, we took a little walk around the town of Errol and explored the wedding venue, Errol Park Estate. If you want to see the highlights of the wedding we shot at Errol Park Estate, please click “here”… and on a side note - if you’re looking for an amazing wedding venue in Scotland - this is a great one!

We really enjoyed our time in Errol, although it was time to hop back in our rental car and continue on our way - west to Glen Coe - back to where I had put together a Stylized Bridal Shoot with local Scottish vendors. To check out the Stylized Bridal Photo Shoot at Glencoe House - which is another stunning venue for weddings - please click “here”. This go around, our time in Glencoe was for fun and to simply enjoy the landscape:

While we were in Glencoe, we had the pleasure of working with Neil Thomas Douglass Photography. Neil and I had met in 2018 at Photography Farm when I took a kick ass workshop with him (please click “here” to view shots from that workshop). We got all “dolled up” - with the help of Clare Pearson Hair & Make-up. Jim even sported a new “Scotland Forever” tartan tie - and - had the opportunity to feed a red tail deer during our epic session. The pictures below are a brief selection; click “here” to view the whole session:

On our last free day in Glencoe, we decided to drive all de way to the Isle of Skye. When you live on an island that is 21 square miles, a road trip is the essence of freedom. We took the A82 to A87 and made our way further west - stopping along the way to take photos. Prior to entering the Isle of Skye, we stopped at the Eilean Donan Castle. Jim and I were both in awe of this historic castle - particularly since we could hear the call of the bagpipes from our car as we made our way down the road.

After visiting Eilean Donan, we continued on and crossed over into the Isle of Skye. We knew we didn’t have too much time to explore - and this would only be a taste of what Skye had to offer. But - never the less, we were determined to spend a little time there. It was a whirlwind of a day but we made it back to Glen Coe in the evening for our last night at Glencoe House.

Our last morning in Glen Coe, we explored the loch behind our hotel. From there, we made the drive back to Edinburgh.

Before we made our way back to Edinburgh… we had two more castles we wanted to check out: Blackness & Midhope Castle.

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Travel: Bocabec - New Brunswick, Canada - 2018

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“We need the tonic of wildness... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” - Henry David Thoreau, Walden Pond

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Jim and I took a little trip north to my dad’s family cottage, which sits on the mouth of the Bocabec River off of Fiander Road. The road was appropriately named as it used to be inhabited by my Fiander relatives; there are a few still there year-round. This little blog post is dedicated to my dad, Joe, on his 70th birthday. Thanks for opening me up to the wilderness and all the “life lessons” that went with it while crawling around on the rocks, exploring tidepools, and slipping on seaweed.

Just a little trip to Minister’s Island

We took a trip into St. Andrews to meet up with cousin Allan for a little boat ride.

Exploring the shoreline back at the cottage…

It was cloudy the day we left the cottage. The gray weather matched our somber moods; we were bummed to go knowing we’d miss our family & friends.

Until next time!

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Travel: Peaks Island, Maine - 2016

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Jim and I had a lovely trip north to the great state of Maine, where I used to live - way back in the day! Departing on Casco Bay Lines from Portland, we made our way over to Peaks Island. We stayed at the sweetest little VRBO and had an opportunity to visit with family and friends.

Day 1: Settle in, sunset and moon rise, and throw a wee gathering.

 

Day 2 - Walk, Bike, Relax, Repeat

Day 3: Back to the Mainland for a trip to New Gloucester to visit friends!

Day 4: A little more exploring and dinner with my folks - who happen to swing through on their way to Canada!

 

Another fun filled vacation with my love, Jim ~ traveling together is so much better.