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Edinburgh Vacation Family Photo Shoots
A photo journalistic tour of the city, no cheesy posing, just have fun, explore and it'll be captured for you to look back on. All inclusive photo shoots for all the family.
Book an Edinburgh vacation family photo shoot and create a photographic journal of your Edinburgh adventure.
Edinburgh has an unbelievable number of beautiful buildings and vistas, I love taking people around the city and telling them the things I’ve learnt about the city over the years. I capture the adventures as we go and create a journalistic record of the day.
I’m not a tour guide but I share the things I know as we go around and I usually finish a family shoot near an ice cream shop or a playpark. I keep things moving and fun.
The Castle
Did you know the famous castle sits on a volcanic plug and has secret tunnels running beneath it?
It looks down at the city from it’s very impressive defensive position and looks different from each side.
I know a number of places where you can get a great view. One is near a playpark and the other is near some great pubs. Both have ice cream nearby so it’s a great place to finish your shoot whether you’re family group or an adult group.
The Edinburgh Festival
During the Edinburgh festival nothing surprises me, it’s bonkers.
There are street entertainers everywhere, performances in every space across the city and the whole city is just buzzing.
It’s crammed with people so it’s not a good time to try and get pictures without people in but it’s very fun to capture kids enjoying the atmosphere and a great time to visit.
The Royal Mile
The Royal Mile has some beautiful views up and down it and many of the most historic & famous buildings are on it or just off it.
At the top you have the castle and at the bottom you have the infamous Scottish Parliament which went hundred’s of millions over budget. It’s worth a visit, I think it’s like marmite, your either love it or hate it!
Beside the parliament you have Holyrood Palace, Dynamic Earth & you can trek up Arthur’s Seat to get some great views over the city.
St. Giles Cathedral
The crown of St. Giles is visible from much of Edinburgh.
If you stop to admire it, BEWARE!
There is a heart mosaic called the Hearth of Midlothian just outside and it’s traditional to spit on it for good luck. I’m not sure I get this tradition as it was actually a place people spat to show disdain for the executions that took place in the tollbooth which was demolished in 1817.
Unposed & All Inclusive
As you can probably tell I like people to have fun during my photo shoots, I don’t want it to feel like you’re being dragged around and made to pose.
I take lots of candid photos and encourage kids to explore and play.
My photo shoots are also all inclusive as I don’t like hidden costs so you get plenty time (2 hours), all the images as printable files and a voucher to buy prints if you wish.
For prices, click the link below.
I love to capture the city but I also want to capture you enjoying time together.
With Hiba & her family, we explored a park in the centre.
She was visiting from Dubai and she wanted some greenery in her photos to capture the greenery of Scotland. As a Scot I definitely take this for granted!
I’m open to your ideas so please get in touch if you have any questions, let me know what you would like to see and I can plan a route for you.
Edinburgh’s Spooky Graveyards
If you like Harry Potter, ghosts or stories of grave robbing you can explore some of Edinburgh’s many graveyards.
Greyfriars is the most famous and has many of the names from Harry Potter novels on the stones including; Tom Riddle, MacGonagall, Moody & Severus. This is also the site of the famous story of Greyfriars Bobby, the little Skye Terrier who guarded his owners grave for 14 years in the 1800’s.
My favourite is St. Cuthbert’s Kirkyard which sits below the castle and is full of stories of warfare and body snatching. These days it’s a pretty wildlife haven within the city centre.
Family Heirlooms
You can print your images yourself but you’ll also get a voucher towards prints so why not ask me to create a special book of memories in a beautiful fine art album. I can organise overseas shipping for you and they’ll be much better quality that you get on the high street.
Click the button to view the print brochure.
Get In Touch
If you’re interested in an Edinburgh Vacation Family Photo Shoot, fill in my wee form for more info :-)
Family Photo Shoot Elie
This family photo shoot in Elie was taken at dusk. We explored the ‘Lady Janet Anstruther’s Tower’. The shoot is full of adventure and I love the lovely dusk atmosphere.
Elie
Elie is one of the many beautiful towns which make up the stunning East Neuk of Fife.
Elie has lots of lovely walks including the Elie chain walk to the west and this walk to the east.
It’s also worth a visit on a nice day as the beach is gloriously big and sandy and there are some lovely pubs too.
Dusk Light
Scott and Jaimie moved from Canada to Kirkcaldy when Scott got a contract with the Fife Flyers Ice Hockey team.
This was the second family photo shoot I’d done with them and for both shoots they wanted a photo shoot to capture the beautiful Scottish landscape.
It was the first time I’ve done a family shoot at dusk but it was really nice to capture the photos as the night started to draw in and they cosied in together.
Max
This was my second shoot with Max and we enjoyed messing around and he thought it was great fun playing silly games with me.
Jaimie’s Words
It turns out Max just thought I was his friend which was a lovely thing to hear :-)
“We can’t say enough good things about Ali. Not only is she an amazing photographer, but she is also a wonderful person who makes you feel at ease while having your photos taken. She takes the experience of having your photos taken and turns it into an adventure. Our children loved her, our three year old actually asked why she wasn’t in the photos with us We absolutely love our photos and will always cherish them.” - Jaimie Aarssen
The Tower
The path we took was from the east side of Elie.
We walked along the path to explore the little tower called ‘Lady Janet Anstruther's Tower’.
The tower was bulit in the 1770’s as a changing room for Lady Anstruther.
She would use the tower for for her sea swims. It’s basically an ancient beach hut!
Kid Fun & Cuddles
As we explored the tower Jaimie and Scott hugged and played with Gracie and Max.
The tower also made a great for pirate ship lookout.
As the night drew in, Gracie cuddled into her mum and Max carried on exploring the lighthouse and rockpools.
This was a beautiful shoot and one I hope they will treasure as the kids grow up.
If you like this family photo shoot in Elie and you’re interested in your own shoot you can book one in or buy a gift voucher. All the information is over on my family page.
Newborn Photo Shoot with Sunshine Yoga
A gorgeous newborn photo shoot at home with Stephanie, Matt and Granny
When a new baby arrives your life is suddenly turned upside down and you are bound to your babies every need. It’s a beautiful time to get a shoot so it can be documented and remembered, as moment by moment your baby changes.
When I arrived for Jasmina’s shoot, she was needing a little clean, so I captured her having a little bath. Matt delicately washed Jasmina as she kicked so happily in the water.
I spent an hour or so with Stephanie, Matt, Jasmina and her grannies and observed all their little interactions and activities.
At home shoots are great. You don’t have the stress of getting everything ready and getting out the door and you capture your baby’s first home, their nursery and their first toys. When you look back in years to come, you’ll see their favourite toy all fluffy and new before the years of love wear it down to a fabulously floppy, loved looking rag.
Stephanie is from the Netherlands so I was offered a lovely beschuit. Giving a beschuit is a tradition in the Netherlands to celebrate the birth of a child. They are sprinkled with pink and white muisjes when a girl is born, and with blue and white muisjes when a boy is born. Muisjes are seeds from the anise plant which are covered in a sugary coating.
“The pictures are absolutely beautiful and we feel so blessed that her 7 day birthday got captured in such a wonderful way.”
