Roddy Mackay

scottish winter wedding
 by Roddy Mackay

Scottish Winter Wedding – Jordan and Julie

I’m back in Aberdeenshire for my next wedding tomorrow. Ian and Christine are getting married at Meldrum House and I’m looking forward to being there to share the day with them, their family and friends.

I travelled through to Aberdeen earlier to make sure I’m here in plenty of time, and have spent some of the day editing my last wedding, also in Aberdeenshire of Julie and Jordan two weeks ago. Hopefully the weather is a little warmer tomorrow!

I have two spaces left in my wedding diary for this year, so if you are still planning, it isn’t too late to get in touch!

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bayble beach wedding western isles
 by Roddy Mackay

Stornoway Town Hall Wedding Fair

Stornoway Town Hall are planning their first wedding fair to be held on March 14th, and I’ll be exhibiting there on my first trip to Lewis of the year.

The fair is a charity fundraiser, with monies raised from the event going to support 3 charities on the island which are:

  • Lewis & Harris Breast Cancer Support Group
  • Hebridean Men’s Cancer Support Group
  • Action for Children Stornoway

As well as being a great opportunity to meet suppliers for your wedding planning, there will also be a fashion show and other events on the day. Ticket costs also cover a buffet lunch, tea and cakes + mocktails. You can order tickets through Third Sector Hebrides.

 

Eoropie Beach Engagement Session

Mairi and Tim’s Bernera Beach Wedding

I won’t be offering portrait sessions on this trip over due to availability (and waiting until the weather improves) but I’d be happy to advise on availability for upcoming holiday dates for both my portrait and wedding work.

 

I’ll also be showcasing some of my previous wedding work during the show from weddings either on the island, or off it. I should have some limited availability to meet with prospective couples on the evening of the 13th March also, should you want to get booked in before others take the available dates!

 

You can view some of my previous Lewis Portrait work here, or some of my previous Wedding content here.

 

Tickets for the show are available from Third Sector Hebrides – I look forward to meeting you there!

 

Want more info? Get in touch!

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glencoe winter wedding engagement photos
 by Roddy Mackay

Non wedding day Wedding Photos – time to do it again?

I love photographing weddings and trying to capture as much of the day as I possibly can on camera to give couples great memories for years to come.

There is however something even more satisfying about photographing couples before or after the wedding, where the time or weather constraints on a regular wedding day don’t apply and we can really make more of the surrounding landscape to find some really extra special shots to give you great memories.

It’s becoming increasingly popular now to plan a mini pre wedding shoot before the wedding to help give you a little time to get used to being in front of the camera, or even getting dressed up after the day and heading to a location that may be out of your reach on your wedding day.

Typically I’ll be happy to take some ideas from a couple on locations that are special to you – or give you some ideas as to where would work well – and what time of year may be a good option.

You don’t need to be getting married to get some great shots, and even if you have been for a long time – why not arrange a session to get back out to your favourite places and create some beautiful shots together?

 

Get in touch for more info!

in Uncategorized / Wedding Planning / Weddings 0 comments
aberdeenshire wedding photo
 by Roddy Mackay

An Aberdeenshire Wedding – Julie and Jordan

Today I had the distinct pleasure of shooting the fantastic Aberdeenshire wedding of Julie and Jordan on a magical roadtrip around Ballater, Aboyne, Crathie, Balmoral and the Lecht.

Their story is incredible, having been together for six months after meeting in Germany, going to Paris for their first date, Rome for their second and then coming to Scotland to get married!

As well as their photographer, I was honoured to be a witness to their marriage ceremony, and a chauffuer for the day. We made the most of what Aberdeenshire had to offer with a few stops along the way including smuggling ourselves on to the Balmoral Estate for a few photos at the Royal Family’s holiday home. If you can’t do that on your wedding day when else can you?

Thanks Julie and Jordan for being a fantastic couple to work with, I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the edit!

 

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 by Roddy Mackay

Win another Luxury Mini Break in Strathpeffer!

Love is definitely in the air.

It’s a busy wedding weekend with my first wedding of the year tomorrow. Julie and Jordan have come from Germany and Cambridge via the USA to get married and I’m looking forward to getting some great shots for them.

I’ll also be exhibiting at the MFR Wedding fair at the Mercure Hotel this weekend and to celebrate I’ve teamed up with MacKenzies’ in Strathpeffer again to offer a mini break in Strathpeffer.

The prize consists of:

– 1 night’s accomodation for two at Linnmhor House, a beautiful luxury Bed and Breakfast in the heart of the Highlands.

– Lunch for two the following day at MacKenzies in Strathpeffer.

– A mini Whisky tasting course at Celtic Spirits.

To enter you need to head to head to my Facebook Page here and like and comment on the post to nominate yourself or a friend!

The winning entry will be notified by Saturday 28th February.

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stornoway photographer
 by Roddy Mackay

Isle of Lewis Family Portraits

Are you looking for some beautiful family photographs on the Isle of Lewis?

From my base in Inverness I’m well placed to travel over to Lewis, and cover wedding, portrait and commercial photography assignments on the island on a regular basis, my mother was from Gravir, so it’s always good to be back!

I shoot most of my work in a relaxed and candid manner and can happily give you some advice on how to make the most of your session time. I can adapt my packages to incorporate coming to your favourite part of the island, or alternatively I can advise on some of the best parts if the island to work from.

Sessions can be a great way of capturing kids at their best, and while you still can – they don’t stay that size forever! Sessions can also be a great way to celebrate an anniversary or special occasion for family members, especially engagements!

Packages start from £95 and available dates tend to get booked up ahead, so it’s always good to enquire early! I next expect to be over in Lewis with available session times in the Easter Holidays.

 

Would you like more info?

in Family Portraits / Kids Portraits 0 comments
stornoway photographer
 by Roddy Mackay

Pre Wedding Photos – Stornoway Photographer

With so much of a beautiful island to work with there is no better way to get great wedding photographs in Stornoway than fitting in a pre wedding session to make the most of what the island has to offer.

In addition to your wedding day itself a pre wedding session allows you to make the most of part of the island that you might not have time to visit on the day, or visit at a time of day or year when the light is that bit more beautiful to work with.

If you feel a little nervous about having a camera around on your wedding day, a pre wedding shoot also helps to put you at ease and get used to having a camera pointing your way.

Would you like to know more? Get in touch!

 

Send me an e-mail

in Engagement / Weddings 0 comments
 by Roddy Mackay

How to pick a wedding photographer

Getting married? Congratulations!

If there’s one thing guaranteed about your wedding day, it’s that it will fly by.  So getting some great wedding photographs to make the most of your memories is highly recommended.  There’s a lot of options out there when it comes to photographers, so here’s 4 points to consider when making your selection:

 

1. You like their portfolio

It may sound obvious but you need to love the style of photographs that your photographer takes and understand what’s involved in shooting to that style.  ‘Documentary’, ‘reportage’, ‘traditional’: there’s a lot of buzz words in wedding photography – ask your potential photographer what they mean to help you decide what you are looking for.

 

2. You like them

Your photographer will be around you and your guests for a lot, if not all, of your wedding day – you want to make sure that you can enjoy their company.  A good photographer should have the equivalent of a doctor’s bedside manner and be able to get alongside you, your friends and family, and know how to help you make the most of your wedding day. It’s not just what they do, but it’s how they do it!

 

3. They have the right kit

The photography (and videography) market is swamped with amateurs and hobbyists.  While they might be able to take some good pictures, you need to know that they can shoot a job from start to finish.  Photography equipment is very expensive but a full-time professional photographer will have invested well to make sure they have the full range of kit required to give you the best possible photographs.
Do they have back up lenses, back up cameras? Can they provide a set of studio lights to shoot indoors should the weather not be as you hoped?

 

4. They’ve got experience

We’ve all got to start somewhere but a photographer with experience of wedding environments and timetables is a huge benefit.  They will be able to give you plenty ideas as to how to make even more of your schedule, the weather on the day, and the photographs that you hope they can capture for you.

 

Want more information?

I’ve been shooting weddings for 10 years and still love the excitement of getting great images that make the most of your wedding memories. If you would like more information, get in touch – I’d love to hear from you.

Send me an e-mail
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strathpeffer pavilion wedding group
 by Roddy Mackay

Strathpeffer Pavilion Wedding Fair

I’ll be exhibiting at the Strathpeffer Pavilion Wedding fair tomorrow and to celebrate I’ve teamed up with MacKenzies’ to offer a mini break in Strathpeffer. It’s technically aimed at newly engaged couples but we’re generous, anyone can enter.

The prize consists of:

– 1 night’s accomodation for two at Linnmhor House, a beautiful luxury Bed and Breakfast in the heart of the Highlands.

– Lunch for two the following day at MacKenzies in Strathpeffer.

– A mini Whisky tasting course at Celtic Spirits.

To enter you need to head to head to my Facebook Page here and like and comment on the post to nominate yourself or a friend!

The winning entry will be notified by Friday 09th January.

And if you’re recently engaged then why not come along to the Pavilion between 12 – 4pm tomorrow to see what they, and I can offer for your wedding plans!

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vietnam travel photo
 by Roddy Mackay

My two favourite photos of 2014

I get asked often as a photographer what my favourite image is and it’s normally a pretty impossible one to choose.

I did managed to narrow my choices down a little to pick out my favourite image of 2014 but felt I needed to choose two, partly because of the stories associated with where and how they were shot!

 

The Lady on the Road to Ba Be Lake

vietnam travel photo

I shot this first image of the Lady on the Road to Ba Be Lake of the first of my two trips into Vietnam in April of this year. I was travelling down to Ba Be Lake to shoot for one of my NGO clients along with a guide and the driver who had collected us from Hanoi. We decided to stop for lunch on the road on the way down, and taking a little wander around the few houses we had stopped by, I came across this lady and her family. It was one of those great experiences you have when travelling when you don’t quite know what to expect but you find little moments of magic in the most unexpected of places. I loved shooting some images of this lady, and interacting with her and her family. We couldn’t speak the same language but we shared plenty of smiles!

 

Richard and Kelly – A Heathy Lea Wedding

heathy lea wedding photo

Richard and Kelly were married in August and had wedding reception at Heathy Lea, a beautiful venue on the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire.

I had first met Richard and Kelly briefly the year below when they were guests at the wedding of Sian and Shankar at Cameron House in Loch Lomond. They had got engaged the day before, and I was delighted when they got in touch a few months later to ask if I would be able to come and capture their wedding photos for them!

They had done an incredible job of styling their wedding, which as a photographer makes the day so much fun to photograph, and they also had a lot happening throughout the day, meaning there was plenty for guests to do and for me to see!

The tree in the photo sits on the Chatsworth Estate just in front of Heathy Lea, and the rope swing in the photo was well visited by their guests throughout the day.  This frame was shot with the very last light of the day when the moon was out (top right of the frame), and it was a shot I was delighted to get.

2015 should be an exciting year, as we look to get settled into Inverness as a family, and I’m looking forward to being out and about photographing new projects and finding some new spaces to work in. If you’re in need of a photographer then I’d be delighted to hear from you, and in the meantime, Happy New Year!

in Travel / Weddings 0 comments