2020 - My Favourite Shots

2020… Enough has been said about 2020 and its many dark moments, this is time to focus on the lighter ones!

As we entered 2020 I was sooo excited about the many different Islay, and Jura weddings I had coming up: small elopements, big elopements, intimate family ceremonies and big island weddings. It was to be a very different to what we’d all imagined!

With five weddings to look back upon, I chose 5 images from each wedding to make up a little review of the year slideshow. I often find that couples’ fave pics are very different to the photographer’s, because photos are such a personal thing! Anyway, here’s my top picks! Maybe it’s the light, the look a couple give each other, or perhaps because it just sums up the day so perfectly!

P.S. 5 images just don’t do each of these weddings justice, but you can follow the links at the bottom of the page!

Beaches, whisky, and dogs… We’re all set for a 2020 review!

Beaches, whisky, and dogs… We’re all set for a 2020 review!

We started (before lockdown!) with the fantastic couple from the US, Kevin and Marguerite, a woman who in Kevin’s words, “brings sunshine everywhere she goes.” True to his words, a stormy Islay day saw the sun break minutes before the ceremony, conducted by Rachel. We took some shots inside at a Bruichladdich warehouse, while the hail hammered the building. We stepped out though to more sunshine, and when asked if they wanted to brave Saligo Bay in winds gusting about 70mph, “Let’s go for it!” was the reply. That led to one of my favourite shots of the year, the shot at Saligo with the happy couple walking towards the Smaull Rocks as the sea foam rises up out of the Bay.

The next wedding was one not on the books at the start of the year: Mel and Ian, due to marry in Cyprus, took advantage of their links to Islay to have a fantastic wedding the first for the Machrie since its renovation. Mel and and Ian were so much fun, and wonderful to work with. The sunset was amazing, and left us with some astonishing light,  all after a start to the day that left us wondering whether an outdoor ceremony was even going to happen.

Matt and Emily’s was another small family wedding that just blew me away, as did the weather! The sun shone down on that September day as if it was shining just for them. A couple who professed not to really enjoy having their pictures taken, but we had such great fun in the barley fields and at Saligo Bay we got some just amazing images, as well as having an amazing time!

Simon and Sheena’s wedding was one of those which looked radically different from their original plans. The huge Islay party and get together (after many variations, crossed fingers and avidly watching government updates) resulted in a beautiful family ceremony at Islay House. So they could concentrate on their friends and family, they chose to have their wedding images after their wedding day. They were rewarded with the clouds parting just as we met, you can see the storm clouds passing over in the rainbows and clouds that serve as a backdrop to many of the images, and finishing with a superb Islay sunset.

The final Islay wedding was a local, and very secret affair! Lynn and Mathew’s wedding was a surprise to most of the Island who knew them, we had a near perfect day for their wedding – for a photographer anyway! The rain stayed away, but low clouds meant for a beautiful light and a stunning backdrop. Read and view more here:

 And there you have it. I got throught the whole thing without mentioning the words COVID and pandemic – well, except for now, but that doesn’t really count, does it?

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Ben Shakespeare