When I heard the call on Twitter that a group were looking for a Fashion Photographer to help with their charity Fashion Show I couldn’t really stop myself stepping forward. I love photographing these events – they’re always great fun, exciting and it’s nice to be involved with the designers and other creatives. The event took place in Cargo and the outfits were provided by Kakao by K – Scandinavian fashion – and Molly Sugars Vintage Clothing . Hair by Chris and Kelly at Dickson Reid and Makeup by Hazel at Expert Touchh. There were 9 models, who were all superb; 2 guys and 7 girls. Photography by Leo Friel and Ian Taylor.

The chosen charity was MacMillan Cancer Support which is one close to my heart as is the case for most people in Scotland. The organising team were very professional and ran a tight ship – I even had an equipment inspection which I managed to pass by not using any electrickery. So it’s hats off (no pun intended) to Robbin, Rachel, Jordan, Roseanne and Siobhan and I look forward to reporting how much they raised. The images can be found here and I’ll be adding more over the next few days. Please note that the images may be downloaded but if you buy prints any profits will be donated to MacMillan Cancer Support.

Copyright: Images are copyright of Leo Friel Photography however you have permission to print, distribute or share online. Images may not be sold and may not be published without contacting Leo Friel in advance.

Back in March I photographed the wedding of Helen and Graham at the impressive Physicians Hall in Edinburgh. The guys were guests at another wedding I’d photographed and I was recommended to them – always the best way to meet new clients! We’d recently done a pre-wedding shoot at Arthur’s Seat so the big day had come around quickly and I was looking forward to see them in their wedding finery. As I stood outside the venue on Queen Street photographing guests arriving I had mixed feelings about the weather – a blanket of the Haar we seem to get blowing in from the North Sea; on one hand it creates a giant softbox of even light – but so chilly! We were thinking of heading into Queen St gardens during the day – so come on sunshine! When Helen arrived we took some photos outside the venue – especially of the two youngsters who were taking the lead going down the aisle. I love it when there are kids taking part in the ceremony – they add lots of cuteness, oohs and aahs. In the need we stayed in the Physicians Hall for the day – the rooms are incredibly grand and great for photography having lots of different features and good light. We finished off with my traditional “night shot” and this time the cool air was very much appreciated as a break from the dancing. The images can be found here and the password is Helens full (maiden) name.

Wedding Photography by Leo Friel Photography

Contemporary Wedding Photography by Leo Friel Photography

You’ll have heard me say it before, but pre-wedding shoots are a great way to prepare for your wedding; We all get to know each other, I get to see how you are with each other and with the camera, you get to see how I work, you’ll get to see some of my images of you and – perhaps best of all – it kick starts the countdown to your wedding! When I met Kristi and Kenny at Kelvingrove on an unseasonably cold April morning I could have hugged the lady who opened the cafe to give me my latte. You can probably tell from the images that it started off cold. When we set off Kristi and Kenny were so easy to photograph. What does that mean? Well they were so easy to get on with, they were happy and fun and, crucially, they just concentrated on each other. To get natural images of people it’s ideal if they can relax and be themselves. We took a walk around Glasgow University looking for interesting locations – there were loads so we got a good variety of scenes and shots and had a really lovely morning – see you at the wedding guys!!

Ready for wear...

Fetish

noun

1. an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency.
2. any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion: to make a fetish of high grades.
3. Psychology . any object or nongenital part of the body that causes a habitual erotic response or fixation.

It used to surprise me, when I reviewed the images from a wedding shoot, just how many photos of shoes I had. Now I can put a name on it I’m comfortable with it. So here goes… My name is Leo and I like ladies shoes. There, I said it.

It’s normal to photograph the details at a wedding; flowers, jewellery, shoes, dress, favours, you name it. The bride (usually) has put so much thought, (money!) and attention to detail into the day it would be a crime not to record it. So those Jimmy Choo’s get photographed and it’s one of the photographer’s tasks to create a mini product shoot to get great images of these details. Soon after, there you are standing outside the venue, photographing guests arriving and your eyes are increasingly drawn downwards. To ground level. And you find yourself smiling at the the guests shoes and thinking how lucky women are to have such amazing choice in shoes. So here is a collection of some of the more notable creations at recent weddings.

Now, whilst we’re talking about shoes I have to let you into a secret. There’s a new Shoe Boutique in Edinburgh called Shhh… and, having had the pleasure of being shown around, I don’t think you’ll experience a more jaw dropping shoe worshipping experience anywhere. The guys really know their shoes and I think the way they’ve created their boutique and approach is incredibly refreshing and exciting. All can say is – You have to see it!

On the hoof

A Christmas wedding in the centre of Edinburgh, what could be more romantic than that? Louise and Colin chose a wonderful time of year to get married and chose a lovely location in the Hub, situated in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. From the pre-wedding shoot I knew that the couple would be easy to photograph and fun to work with and we got on famously. This was one of those lovely wedding’s where the family are so kind and welcoming that I feel like one of the guests, albeit with a bit of a job to do! The weather was cold but dry so there was lovely light to photograph the guests arriving and, being in a prime tourist location, the boys caused quite a stir in their kilts and had to keep the tourists happy – I think they were loving it really! When the girls arrived we took some shots in the lovely vibrant blue staircase of the Hub – very dramatic! This is one of the benefits of this venue – some lovely saturated colours to work with and some dramatic scenes too; staircases, large windows and vibrant decor. After the ceremony there was still some light and it wasn’t too cold so we got some shots at the front of the building, much to the delight of more tourists. Later on, after some dancing, we ventured out for my signature night shot and decided to use the High St outside the Witchery – the lights were creating a beautiful “Christmassy” scene which we used as a backdrop and I was thrilled by the result. The full set of images can be found here and can be accessed using a password – [Louise's full name]

http://www.thehub-edinburgh.com/

I’ve been wanting to blog about this wedding for some time but, for reasons I’ll explain later, I held off until now. This was the wedding of Simona and Marius, a young couple from Lithuania who came over to Edinburgh to get Married. Simona originally contacted me from Lithuania, specifically because of my fashion photography influence; she wanted the shots to have a “fashion feel” to them and this is something I bring to my photography from the fashion work I do. Not always appropriate for some weddings but I was relishing the chance to work with this handsome young couple! It’s a very romantic story; The guys originally met in Edinburgh and decided to head back here to become wed in secret. Their way of announcing their news was to present their family with the wedding album – a gorgeous little Queensberry album in midnight blue contemporary leather. We met on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and headed off to a secret little garden which I’ve often used for photography. Then we walked up to the Edinburgh Registrar’s office and Simona was thrilled by all the calls of “Good Luck!” and “Congratulations!” being offered by the public as we passed. After the ceremony the couple and their two witnesses headed off for their wedding breakfast. We met once again later that night as the couple were keen to have a night photograph (which is a sort of signature of mine) by Edinburgh Castle. We met in Castle Street, where there’s a nice backdrop of the North face of the famous landmark. I decided to go mad and use the studio flash heads. So Marius and Simona huddled together in my car while I set up the lights and then we got a few shots of this scene – a lovely way to finish the storybook of the wedding album.

Last month I photographed the wedding of Andy and Caroline at Edinburgh’s beautiful Signet Library. Being November there was potential for any sort of weather but it was surprisingly mild and dry – as good as we can hope for in Edinburgh really. As it was the afternoon the daylight was fading just as Caroline was arriving so artificial light was the order of the day. The library is incredibly grand inside but it was nice how Andy and Caroline broke through the grandeur by having an informal ceremony and everyone seemed so involved.We took some group photos by the staircase and popped outside to the Court of Session which has a lovely covered ‘cloister’ which I’ve often used. The images can be found here and the password is Andy’s surname.

Today I did a portrait session with the lovely Annika and her parents. It’s over a year since I last photographed them and it’s lovely to see the little ones growing up into little people with their character coming through. I’d forgotten about the big dog and how friendly he is with little Annika. We took some individual portraits and the family group and the images can be found here. The password is Annika’s surname. When I saw the wooden staircase I thought it would make a lovely composition for a little girl. Let me know what you think.

Today I did a Christmas portrait shoot in Dalkeith park. We had 3 children to photograph to get some suitable images for Christmas presents. It was a gorgeous crisp November afternoon and the sun was bright and low in the sky. The great thing about this time of year is the autumn colour and the park was covered in a carpet of auburn leaves – a lovely backdrop for portraits of children. The boys were well up for a bit of fun but Amy the toddler was a bit overwhelmed by it all. Not to worry, as is often the case, everyone relaxes as the shoot goes on and we got some gorgeous shots of all the kids. Over to you now Santa! The images can be found here and the password is Belinda’s surname.

Last Sunday (6th) I went along to photograph the models at a fashion show in aid of the charity ItsGood2Give – a children’s cancer charity. The event took place at George Heriots school and was compered by the tireless Grant Stott. There were some 50 models from young to old, and a huge range of clothing to be shown. Some of the models seemed to be pretty clued up but there were also quite a few doing it for the first time, however they carried it off superbly and they really looked the part. In particular some of the young kids were incredibly confident. I photographed some of the catwalk and also set up a mini studio to get some close ups of the models. The images can be found here . There are still lots to be added. Proceeds from print sales will be donated to ItsGoodToGive.