Alana Munro -

For those that have had a "Breathless" session lately, you will recognise this talented young lady

Alana has been doing a sterling job with complimentary make up sessions at the studio recently, her work is amazing. I am hoping to work more with Alana over the next few years; infact I am hoping that the first "Breathless" Marathon for 2008 will be including her work!

If you are interested in the current offer, the LAST DATE for "Breathless" sessions at the studio with complimentary make up by Alana Munro, please email me NOW on nmcleodphoto@aol.com

Happy holidays

from Jack and Daddy..............and from me too, for all the wonderful people that I have met, and yet to meet, in this amazing profession; 'arrae best for 2008!

Mary & John's "Bloodline" session

Mary & John came for a "Bloodline" session, after seeing my advert in the local 'Duloch Discovery' magazine. Local make-up artist Alana again weaved her magic and the results are fabulous!

Lyn (and James'!) Bump session

I recently met a couple who I am going to see a lot of, over the next year. Lyn and James booked me for a "bump2baby" package. Self explanatory really; I photograph the bump, I photograph the resulting newborn, I photograph the growing baby, and I photograph the birthday boy or girl, and Mum and Dad get a fantastic album showing all 4 sessions!

And this little one is going to have a fun life; Mum and Dad are just MAAAD!! I loved them, and they were so easy to photograph!! They even compared "bumps"!!

Very near to me is a neighbour who likes to go the whole hog with the Christmas decorations in their garden, so we decided at the end of the session, to sneak over and grab a couple of images in front of the festivities. Won't it be cool at this time next year to repeat the same shot but with the bump now nearly a one year old?!?

Can't wait to meet you in the New Year guys, with the new addition!

Susan and Hugh's wedding

It is that CRAZEEE time of year, dealing with the last minute Christmas rush.

But that's it, that's the lab's Christmas deadline passed for me, so no more; everything that needed to be ordered with the lab has been ordered; if you haven't ordered, then you have missed out for Christmas!

I have been so busy this past week, I haven't had time to blog at ALL! So when I get the chance, there is lots to blog from recently.

2007 started off for me with an Arnot Towers wedding, and 2007 finished with............ an Arnot Towers wedding! And how fitting that I should then be priviledged to shoot Susan and Hugh's wedding there, as their's was the last wedding before this beautiful venue "closed" to weddings. Such a pity, I truely hope it does open again in the future, as I shall miss the wonderful Helen!

The plan by the couple was to have an outdoor wedding...................... in December! And guess what?! It HAPPENED! I was glad to see all the guests had chosen their attire carefully for the weather, as it was cold and only started to drizzle towards the end of the ceremony! Unfortunately I cannot wear thick heavy coats and carry cameras and stuff, and shoot properly all at the same time, so I had to freeze for my art, but it was worth it! Helen makes the most amazing confetti for the guests to throw, even in the cold!

Congrats guys, on your wedding and the upcoming new addition to the family!

J'adore Paris!

More to come soon!

Grandad David's 90th birthday celebrations

What were you doing in 1917?!


How many people can say that they were actually around in 1917?!

Grandad David was born that year, therefore was celebrating his 90th birthday last weekend, and he did it in style with close family members, at the Queensferry Lodge in North Queensferry.

With grandchildren and great-granchildren as gorgeous as this...

and a great personality like this....
Grandad David has a lifetime of stories to tell, it was amazing to hear them from various family members.

The complete session from this party is now online at the Be Nosy part of the website, with the password ninety.

Happy birthday, my not so little baby!!

Three today!! Happy birthday Jack!

Jennifer and Neil's wedding

Yesterday's wedding was a combination of 2 fantastic Edinburgh hotels; the Norton House, and the Dalmahoy.

Jennifer and Neil chose to have their wedding ceremony and meal at the Norton with close family members. And then the party started with a bang at the Dalmahoy in the evening, with friends and family travelling from Hampshire, Fife and everywhere else in between!
As you can see, my problem was the extreme differences in height between the bride and groom! No problem!!
The beautiful interior of Dalmahoy led for more smooching at night! And this is taken in the pitch black at the front door of Dalmahoy, lit only by the amazing lighting of the front door!Gorgeous cake was cut too!
And a gorgeous first dance, thought I think this couple are going to have sore necks in later life!

Enjoy Hong Kong and Oz guys, I shall give you a shout when the images are online on your return!

Old Course Hotel St Andrews

It was lovely to meet up with Phylis today, the events co-ordinater at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews.

If you have even had a quick peek at my website, you will know I shot a fabulous wedding at this hotel this year....
I was showing Phylis a sample album I had made for the hotel, they are having a revamp of their wedding co-ordination and are looking to have more exquisite weddings like Jen and Jon's there. So an album of this wedding to show potential clients was a must.

And now I am on their Preferred Suppliers list!

I am already booked for another wedding at the Old Course, in 2009, I would love to return there for more weddings; St Andrews is such an amazing photogenic place, I would love to shoot more weddings there and do more couples sessions around the town. So contact me if you are getting married there!

The OC, Riverside and Paris!

I am currently drowning in post processing "Breathless" sessions which are going well with the complimentary make up session (offer is still on till end of January!), designing albums and getting images to the lab! And yet the year is still not finished as far as weddings are concerned; I have Jennifer and Neil's intimate wedding at Norton House and Dalmahoy tomorrow, and Susan and Hugh booked me last week for their Arnot Towers wedding at the beginning of December.

It's approaching Christmas (in case you didn't notice!) and one thing I have done every year, is design a personal calender of Jack photos for the grandparents. This year, it's our trips to Atlanta, Jamaica, Italy, Canada and California that will be featured on the calender. Brings back amazing memories, piling through the personal images I have on this computer!

Our time in Laguna Beach with the amazing Jessica Claire have been blogged by the lovely lady, Jessica inspires me with every single blog she posts.

I came across an image that Judy in Riverside sent me, that her hubby took of the 2 of us just before I dashed off to meet with Jessica (in a way I am kinda glad we left Riverside at the time we did, or we would have been well and truely stuck in those wildfires...)

And you thought all my travelling was over and done with this year? NOT SO!

I found out last week that I have been picked from no doubt a long list of potentials, to go to PARIS to shoot a wedding in TWO WEEKS!! That's right, I am off to Paris for the weekend after next, to be a paid second shooter with Christa Hoffarth, yet antoher Californian photographer whose work I admire. I am already enrolled in Christa's seminar at a photographers conference in Florida in the New Year but it looks like I am going to meet her sooner than that! No doubt I will be blogging this amazing experience on my return, especially as Christa and I are getting over 2 hours with the couple alone in the city centre for portraits!

The Mackay family's "Bloodline" session

It is really nice to get previous bride and grooms back for family sessions and it seems to be happening more and more.

This time it was the turn of the MacKay family from Rosyth who were married at the King Malcolm Hotel in Dunfermline several years ago. Heather was pregnant at the time of the wedding with their second son and I was pregnant too, so I sympathised with her!

So it was a family session on the beach, and in the house ruins near the beach with the boys, with a couple of "Back Again" shots for heather in her tiara and veil. We had fun throwing stones into the water....

walking along the shoreline...........
throwing autumnal leaves and laughing at each other...........
making cute faces...........
and pulling funny ones..........

As you can see, a family "Bloodline" session with NMP is nothing plain and boring, you will not end up with a "school" photograph of your child; you will end up with photos that show your children as they are, having fun, being mischievious, being them!

There is an offer on at the moment, for a "Bloodline" session in November or beginning of December where you pay for your session and online proofing as normal prior to the session, and when your images go online for the month, you get your session back in credit to spend on prints, or put towards an album! That's right, a £120 credit! I only have ONE session left in this offer, so if you are interested, email me NOW to book your session, on nmcleodphoto@aol.com

And next springtime, watch out for the new type of "Bloodline" sessions..............

Fiona & Martin's "Bliss" session

Fiona & Martin returned from a hot and sunny Kenya safari to a cold and sunny Scotland for their "Bliss" session, following their wedding last month at Orocco Pier (which is now online with the password roadworks) It may look nice and sunny, but let me tell you, Martin certainly needed his beany hat after getting his hair all shaved off!

As their wedding was centred around the South Queensferry beach, I thought I would stray away from the St Davids Harbour beach, and try something different! Originally the couple were going to travel over from Edinburgh by train, so I thought we would use the train station as the backdrop for this session, even though in the end, they came over by car!

After almost getting run over by a train, we made our way to a playpark for a quick spin on the tyre swing, and a smooch on the slide, before returning to the studio for a warm cup of tea and a slideshow of their wedding photos!

The results of this "Bliss" session are now online, with the password scotrail!

DON'T DELAY - BOOK TODAY!

The following is a true story.

Bride A emails interested in booking me for a 2009 date for her wedding, I send her the information, she sounds really interested but I have been in this business long enough to know that until money and signed contracts have exchanged hands, there is no "done deal".

Meanwhile Bride B, who was a bridesmaid at a wedding I shot several years ago, gets engaged, the previous bride texts me to warn me of the engagement and the new bride-to-be's heavy interest in booking me for her wedding. Bride B looks to book her venue but straight off she says to her fiance "I want Nikki to photograph it". Groom B says "We don't get married for 2 years, no need to contact Nikki just now", Bride B takes his word for it and leaves it a couple of weeks.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and I come home to Bride A provisionally booking me for her wedding in August 2009, on the same day Bride B phones me to book me for her wedding.................... ON THE SAME DAY!!

I do say in my emails and paperwork and on the phone that it is a 'first come, first served' basis, and provisional bookings can be taken for 5 working days only. So Bride B is now KICKING herself for not phoning me 3 weeks earlier to book as she could have put in her provisional booking first! She texts me almost daily to ask if Bride A has confirmed her booking. Bride A (and Groom A!) come to the studio at the end of the provisional booking period, and book immediately!

I then have to phone Bride B and say "Sorry, I am no longer available to shoot your wedding on your chosen wedding date!" One disappointed bride!

I too would have said that 2 years in advance to book a photographer may be OTT, but this very true story really does prove that if you want me, and you have your date and venue, BOOK ME, don't hang about! I am sure Groom B was getting grief that night from Bride B!

But to end on a happy note, Bride B had not confirmed with her venue her date, so she asked me if I was available for the following weekend of her original wedding date, I was. But her venue wasn't! She then checked if I was available for 2 weeks after her original date, I was and so was the venue!! So Bride B booked me and the venue at the same time!!

So, I ended up with both bookings, and for the first time in my career, a couple willing to change their wedding date in order to book me, which is SO nice to know that I am so wanted!

I do advise..........Don't be like Bride B, book ASAP!

Lisa and Leslie's wedding celebration ball

Lisa and Leslie invited family and friends to Garvock House to celebrate their wedding anniversary. It was a ballgown affair, with Lisa looking the most elegant of them all.

After 2 hours of formal groups (not something I advise, infact something I actively discourage and after 2 hours and 108 different formal shots, Lisa agreed with me and called it quits), there was fun, clowning around, magic, a toastmaster, bagpies, eating, dancing, flowers, and a 10 piece pipe band that brought tears to my eyes!

Lisa really put a lot of effort into making this family event fun, and personal, even providing all the family with buttonholes for the men, and personalised bracelets for the ladies.

All the photos will be online, once the couple return from Madeira. Talking of online proofing, Fiona & Martin's wedding (passwrod roadworks) and Fiona & Steven's wedding (password balbirnie) are now online at the Be Nosy part of the website.

Prints for Christmas??

Just reminding you all -

If you require any prints for Christmas, the closing date for ordering these is November 30th.

Blog stalkers come out!

Now before I go onto stuff I have done since back home, I want all those blog stalkers to come out of the woodwork and say "HELLO"; please leave me a comment down here
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Canada/California trip part 7 - The McLeods on Vancouver Island

The last part of our trip was to get back to Vancouver, then get on a ferry over to Vancouver Island, and then travel to the West Coast of the island and stay at a 5 star hotel and spa that I have ALWAYS wanted to stay at. And the Wickinninnish Inn did not disappoint.......

Jack enjoyed the ferry ride over

The scenery on the way to Tofino was amazing, I was taking pictures from the car (I wasn't driving!) but I did have to stop occasionally, to get right into the scenery..

We all thought the drive over was pretty tough going..

But soooo worth it when we got there!

Jack and I had an amazing time on Chesterman Beach while Daddy went for a massage in the Spa.

We even had a little impromtu portrait session in the hotel lobby when the rain suddenly rolled in for a minute or two.

But the rain didn't last for long, and we were soon back out onto the amazing beaches.

Daddy then took over the Jack-watching, while I had a hydro elixir in the Spa. Sitting in a dressing gown outside with your feet in a warm foot bath, listening to the water crashing against the rocks just feet from you, as the sun goes down, before being totally pampered............... heaven.

Again if you are bored, here is a slideshow of some of the shots I took during our time on Vancouver Island.

All in all, we had the most amazing trip. We saw so many wonderful sights, met so many amazing people, and I took too many photographs!!

My thanks go to all those wonderful photographers I met on the trip, please keep in touch all of you.

And to finish with, two of my favourite shots taken on the trip by myself; first Jack on the Vancouver Island ferry

and secondly the view from Lonsdale Quay of the Vancouver skyline. Until next time, Vancouver.....