LIA :: At the Old Mill Recording Studios

It was great to see some of the recording process with Lost in Audio at the weekend and we just about made it back ahead of the snow. This is probably the last shoot we'll do this year and it was a great way to sign off.

2010 is shaping up to be very busy, interesting and fun with lots in the pipeline - so keep an eye on the blog for the latest news.

This maybe the last blog entry before Christmas...So...HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all friends, customers and anyone else we've met over the last few months!

Best wishes,

Philip & Colleen.

The next few days :: Bands

We've got a packed weekend this weekend. First off we're meeting up with Lost in Audio at the Old Mill Recording Studio, as they start recording their latest release. We'll be taking lots of photo's, talking about how best to promote the band and oh, taking a big chocolate cake for Ewan...It's his birthday. And cake is Rock 'n' Roll....

Then 'Idiotcut' are coming to visit us for a brainstorm. Idiotcut were playing with LIA at the Mill in Edinburgh a few weeks back and we were really impressed with them.

I've probably said this before, but the talent and energy coming out of Scotland and particularly in and around Edinburgh is just amazing. It's a real pleasure to meet up with bands such as LIA and Idiotcut. Both are going to make it. Photo's later!

Latest Shoot :: Kerri

We had a great shoot with Kerri yesterday...The original plan was for a fabulous frock, a castle and a forest. Then it started to snow and the temperature was just above zero, so we switched to Plan B and went off to the studio which was warm and lovely.

What can I say? The camera loves Kelli and she looks just fantastic here.

Once global warming has taken a hold we'll actually do the shoot we had planned.

And one more.....

And No Photoshop!

Just us, a camera, a battery, some lights and patience....

Love the Dress

Here at 80eight we love location work and one of the many services we offer is a glamorous portrait shoot where you can get to wear your most fabulous dress in a wonderful location and be treated like a star. Our advert on Radio Borders explains all this, but here's a couple of example photographs that really show what we can do. These were taken today on the Berwickshire Coast.

Please call for more details.

Latest Shoot :: Ann Drury

Here's a few shots from our latest shoot - this time with Ann Drury who is a fabulous singer-songwriter from Yorkshire. Ann played at our opening party in October, so we returned the favour with a few photographs for her profile. Many thanks to Steph and Ann for traveling up to Scotland to see us, and also to Ewan for helping out....And for setting off the smoke alarms.

If you are in a band, or if you are a solo artist or an actor....Give 80eight a call and we can help to promote you with our photography, design and creativity.

Ann Drury - MySpace

Lost in Audio :: At the Mill

We went to see Lost in Audio at The Mill in Edinburgh last week and they were fabulous. They exploded onto to the stage in a riot of pent up energy and didn't stop for an hour - just tremendous. Ewan was even allowed a drum solo. Also on that night were a band called Idiotcut, who were also excellent. There's a lot of talent in and around Edinburgh. It's impressive and good to see. Shame we're so old!

New Radio Ad

Our new ad on Radio Borders will be airing from Tuesday the 1st of December! It's great so turn it up loud! Thanks to Jan and Paul at Radio Borders for all their help.

Keely in the Rain

We had a great shoot with Keely from Duns last week. It's the start of the flood season so we had to dodge the rain, but we got some great images nevertheless. This was taken around 2:30pm and we used lights to illuminate Keely and the bush. The colours are really vivid, Keely was great and you can't see the rain. A result! If you like the image and fancy something similar, please give us a call.

Say hello to :: Miranda

Miranda is from Duns and will be helping us out on various projects over the next few months. She's hard working and creative and it's great to have her on board. And of course, we took her photograph!

Out of the Office :: 12th November - 15th November

Hello! We're out of the office between 12/11 - 15/11 but will back on the 16th. We'll respond to any emails or messages then.

Thanks!

Philip & Colleen.

p.s. Martin from the Greenlaw papershop - I'll come and see you Monday morning - thanks, Philip.

Face to Face :: The People of Greenlaw 2010

Our new studio is wonderful and Greenlaw is a fabulous place to be based. We've been watching the reconstruction of the County Hall with great interest and it seems that Greenlaw is simply the place to be. So, in order to celebrate this fact we've launched 'Face to Face'.

Face to Face is about Colleen and I meeting the people of Greenlaw and vice-versa, but it's also about  using the space of our studio to promote the local area, it's people and it's creativity. This is something both Colleen and I feel very strongly about and Face to Face will be the first of hopefully many events to be held at the studio.

So...Do you live in Greenlaw? Do you fancy having your photograph taken and displayed in a public exhibition?  If so, please come down to the 80eight Studio at No 6, The Square - right opposite the County Hall. If the 'Open' sign is up, we'll be happy to meet you, if it's not, please call or send an email.

Ewan & Sofia

Yesterday we had a fabulous shoot with Ewan and Sofia - in the studio and on location. The idea was to do something really fashion oriented, edgy and interesting. Colleen did a great job of dressing Sofia in the final part of the shoot, while both Ewan and Sofia looked just wonderful. So many thanks to them and also to Zuzana and Matthew for allowing us to use their home. We've only been in Greenlaw for a few days now, yet it feels as though something good is about to happen.

Lost In Audio

Lost in Audio are the best unsigned band in Edinburgh and we had a photo-shoot with them last month. We had planned to go on location but the weather was dreadful on the day so we stayed in the studio and went to a barn at Cheeklaw Farm - which we were kindly allowed to use by Sian and her father, David.

The photographs came out just great and Murray, Joe and Ewan were just great to work with. Here are a few examples.

www.myspace.com/lostinaudio

A Conspicuous Absence...

...But no longer....Hmmm....Of course I spend all my time behind the camera and try to avoid being photographed myself in the wild. Well, I got caught and hopefully it's not too offensive. The next photograph of yours truly will be on these pages in approximately 2027. I did try airbrushing myself but no amount of Photoshop would help.

Newly Launched & Newly Open

Well, after a fabulous Halloween launch party we are now open for business - and also we have a new dedicated studio and gallery in Greenlaw. The studio is in a great location and is just a perfect space. In addition to it being used as a studio, we hope to use the upstairs room as an occasional gallery for local artists, as a room for hosting courses and for any other type of event. We're very excited.

And finally - Thanks to everyone who came to the party - you made it a great night.

New brochure

Our new brochure has arrived! 'It all adds up' features our wonderful models Hannah, Steph, Tracy and Ewan, all looking fabulous!

Official Launch

Its nearly time to party.... 80eight official launch on Saturday 31st October 2009

Frock Swap

80eight had a lovely evening at Hurly Burly last night and met the vivacious Lesley. What could be better than a room full of ladies, rails of clothes, endless cupcakes and cocktails.... nothing! Lesley got the balance absolutely right! 80eight donated a raffle prize of a photoshoot and we can't wait to meet the lucky winner! Here's to the next Frock Swap!

We've Arrived!

Our first window display has just been placed in our home town of Duns - it's very exciting and it feels like we've finally arrived! Featuring Tracy, Hannah and Steph the window is in a prime location and looks just great.

Green 'n' Black

Green and black are kind of our colours now...So here's an example of our packaging.

Duns :: It all adds up...

Duns is just a great place to live - both Colleen and I really love it here. Even when the water gets cut off and gravel comes out of the tap!

Very soon we'll be filling some of the local windows with super size posters for our 'It all adds up' advertising campaign, so if you live in or around Duns, keep an eye out for them. They should be quite eye-catching! Here's one of the images that will feature in the campaign - this is Steph from Pencaitland.

Photography, Prints and Prices

Here at 80eight we simply want to deliver the highest quality, innovative and thoughtful photography we can. That's where our skill is and it's what you should come to us for.

Printing is another matter and in order to give you the best value for money, with each shoot we provide a CD of the selected full-size images which then allows you to print the images yourself either at home or using another supplier. This saves you money. Alternatively we will manage the printing ourselves at very competitive prices - this option is ideal if you are unsure of what printing service to use.

We don't keep the copyright on the images and hold you to ransom each time you want a print. Your photo is your photo and you simply pay us for our photography, skills and imagination. And we're flexible - if you have an idea, an event, a certain budget or just want to sound us out, just call.

Latest Shoots

We've had a busy week shooting a fabulous band from Edinburgh called "Lost in Audio". They make interesting, thoughtful and uplifting music with great lyrics. Photo's to come shortly but in the meantime check them out at:

www.myspace.com/lostinaudio

The bands latest EP is also available on iTunes.

New Website Coming Soon

The website you see at the moment is our temporary blog site which will soon be replaced by our 'proper' site. Colleen has done the design work - it looks just fantastic and really shows off the photographs perfectly. It will be reached via the same address while the blog will continue to live on as an easy way of keeping a diary of what's going on. I can't wait to see it live!

Back to the Studio :: Now Complete

The studio is now complete - all the lights and accessories have arrived and we're good to go. One of the last items to arrive was a set of gels which give us the ability to change the colour of the background and to create interesting effects - all with the emphasis on creating impact and something a little different. Here's a taste.

A Couple of Landscapes

Although landscapes are not a core part of our business, we are looking to produce at some point in the future a range of prints and postcards. For now though, we're just enjoying the wonderful Scottish scenery and light. The two images shown here are of Dunnotar Castle just outside Stonehaven on the way to Aberdeen. We got up at 3am and were rewarded with a fantastic sunrise. The colours you see here are exactly as they were on the day, but they lasted only minutes. Dunnotar is a glorious place and well worth a visit.

Personal Favourites

Here's a couple of recent shots, which personally, I quite like. Shadows, atmosphere and a sense of subtle narrative.

New Toys :: The Smoke Machine

Colleen has been pining for a smoke machine for many weeks now, so we placed an order with an excellent company call 'Pea Soup' and last week it arrived in it's very own flight case looking for all the world like something 'Q' would give James Bond prior to his latest mission. We currently have family staying with us, so we roped in Hamish and Karen, dragged them off to the nearest castle and wafted smoke all around. Hamish seemed to quite naturally fall into character as the creature from the black lagoon while the ladies did what ladies do...Mainly talk about shoes...

Anyway, we'll be using the smoke machine on our outdoor shoots where we think it will add something to the mix. If this gets you interested - please call!

(p.s. the smoke is non toxic)

Steph :: Take 2

Last week we also had a return visit from Steph who was in the studio to help complete our portfolio of marketing images. We played with the lights and had a thousand or so costume changes until we got some very special photographs. Many thanks to Steph for being ever so patient and to Colleen for the make-up.

Family Shoot :: The Morris Family

We had Rob, Fiona, Lindsey and Kirsty in the studio last week and had a great time, despite one broken leg! I hasten to add the leg was broken while riding a scooter and nothing to do with us. We blew bubbles, squeezed everyone on one chair and got some great photographs. Here's a couple of shots of the wonderful Morris family...

Cute? :: You should see the havoc they cause

From a recent wedding shoot....More later!

Another Shoot With :: Hannah

Earlier this week we had a great studio shoot with Hannah and got some great photographs. A couple are shown above. Hannah is now off to University - so from both Colleen and myself, "Good Luck Hannah" and thanks for all your help and patience. Hannah will be featuring on our marketing material together with Tracy and Steph, so if you're in the Borders area, keep an eye out from the first couple of weeks in October....80eight is about to launch.

Note: The coat Hannah is wearing in the first shot, is Colleen's and the artwork was created by Jamie Avis. More on him later - but he's a very talented young man.

The Natural Studio :: Behind the Scenes

And this is what it looks like behind the scenes....It's probably also best to say that should anyone notice any mysterious flashes of light in and around the Duns area, don't be concerned - it's only us wondering what a hay bale looks like when lit up.

The Natural Studio :: Outside

The studio is now complete and taking orders! It's very exciting, interesting and above all fun for all concerned. We've had a couple of great shoots recently which we'll be showing here on the blog very soon, but in the meantime, what happens when you take the studio outside? Well, it stopped raining just long enough for us to find out, so armed with lights, batteries and Colleen in a blue dress we set to work and ended up with this.

I love this shot. If you love it, then we'd love you to give us a call.