“HIRE THIS MAN!!! 📸 As a camera-shy couple we were both pretty nervous about the photography aspect of our wedding day, but from the first video call John immediately put us at ease. He answered all of our questions but more importantly listened to our answers about what was and wasn’t important to us.
On the day his chill, confident, and upbeat attitude kept us both (and our guests) calm and comfortable. He was able to lead the timeline when needed and be flexible around the day and us. We could not have asked for anything more.
On top of all that the photos are just gorgeous, he’s captured the joy and magic of the day in such a genuine way. The candid interactions he caught between our loved ones are just priceless to us. Forever thankful to John for documenting our day and making us feel beautiful.
Thanks John ❤️”
EMILY & FRASER ⚡️⚡️
“John was our perfect wedding photographer; relaxed, kind and understanding. We had some difficult circumstances on the day and John dealt with last minute changes of plan so respectfully and flexibly, for instance, incorporating a first look with no issue.
He managed all the group photos in a professional, efficient and friendly way but the best thing about his photos are the candid moments he captures in his personal colourful and joyful style. Watching the sideshow for the first time was like being taken right back to the day and more because his photos showed moments we didn’t even know had happened! He made the most of the many funny moments through the day and captured some cheeky personalities perfectly.
We got so many amazing comments from our friends and family saying he was the coolest guy ever! He managed to capture so many angles of the ceremony, he must have been running around like crazy in the sun but nobody noticed a thing!
John came to survey the venue for many hours a few days before the wedding and put in the effort to advise us on the best locations for certain shots like the confetti throw. He was happy to guide us and made us feel comfortable and there was no pressure to do anything to posey or take time away from our family and friends.
We couldn’t be happier with our photos and have genuinely looked at them every day since we got them. They bring us so much joy!
He also has a really sweet dog.”
GINA & STEPHEN ⚡️⚡️
“John was a fantastic fit for us as a couple and on our wedding day!
He was supportive from the beginning of our wedding planning journey, he was quick to respond to all our questions and he was flexible around what we wanted and envisioned for our wedding photos. John had a nice balance between being professional and making us feel like we had a friend behind the camera. Being people who aren’t always keen on getting pictures this friendly balance made us feel really comfortable which made our final wedding photos beautiful candids we will admire forever.
Our wedding day has some unexpected weather warnings and on the afternoon of the wedding day John thought of quick problem solving solutions, we were so impressed and this made us feel at ease about the weather/plan changes. The pictures weren’t taken in the original planned spot but the pictures turned out just as beautiful, if not maybe even more beautiful!
We will recommend John to everyone we know because he was awesome in every way!”
EMMA & SAM ⚡️⚡️
“From our first zoom call with John we knew that he was going to be the right guy to capture our wedding day perfectly. We were initially drawn in by his website and his portfolio as we just loved the style of his photos. John maintained excellent communication with us throughout the planning process and in the lead up to the day. It was evident that John had done some preparation in the lead up to the day to suss out where we were getting married and the best locations for photos which meant that no time was wasted on the day.
We really appreciated John’s calming and upbeat nature that allowed us to feel at ease throughout the whole day. I think it is safe to say that we are not exactly naturals in front of the camera and we were a bit worried about feeling awkward but John made sure that we felt comfortable and, most importantly, had fun at all times.
As for the photos, we absolutely love them and felt like we were reliving the day all over again as we looked through them! John was with us for pretty much our whole wedding day and captured the whole timeline of events.
If you are looking for a friendly, chilled out photographer who blends in seamlessly with your day and creates other worldly images then STOP. You’ve found the photographer for you in John!”
SARAH & MATHEW ⚡️⚡️
“We hunted high and low for a photographer, we were looking for someone who thought outside the box, we didn’t want your bog standard wedding photos, we wanted someone who fit our style and on first meeting we knew it was John, we didn’t need to meet with anyone else we just knew he was perfect. Laid back, fun and no awkward posed shots for hours on end! From many rescheduled dates (cheers covid!) we knew we could count on him and every time he posted pictures of weddings he’d done on Instagram we were wowed and just couldnt wait for it to be our turn! Absolute pleasure to have him with us on the day and everybody loved him, especially us!
Nothing was too much trouble and he captured our day exactly as we wanted. The photos have completely blown us away and we have had so many comments on how amazing the photos are! I would recommend John to anyone who would listen, his pictures truly are a work of art. We wanted an alternative and fun day and he just captured it so beautifully so thank you John for making our vision a reality.
I just wish we could do it all again!!!”
DIANNE & KEVIN ⚡️⚡️
“OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPHER & ALL ROUND GREAT GUY!
We hired John for our wedding in November 2022. We were let down fairly last minute by another photographer and he was our hero in our hour of need! He instantly made us feel though we were in good/safe hands and his communication was excellent! He answered any questions or queries we had quickly and efficiently and put my nervous bride vibes at ease. John took time to get to know us as a couple and really understand our vision. He did thorough research on the venue and figured out how to use the space. On the day he was a great laugh and made everyone feel at ease. The photos … there are no words to describe how amazing they are. They truly capture the emotions of the day and really tell a story. His imagination in utilising the space made for some epic shots. We could never have dreamed that our pictures could capture our special day so well.”
LOUISE & HAUKE ⚡️⚡️
“We knew from the moment we met John at an open day that he was the Photographer for us. Throughout the whole wedding planning process he was the decision I knew we would never regret. The main things that we loved about John was how friendly and relaxed he was, we instantly felt like we had made a new friend but most of all was his style of photography. My now husband hates to get his photo taken but most of all hates the whole stand and pose process of them, you know, the really awkward stand and say cheese moments, and although John captured all the group shots brilliantly at our wedding the majority of our photos are natural, relaxed and candid. To be honest, I forgot he was there half the day. All of our guests commented on how lovely he was and how well he just slots in to the day. We are over the moon with our wedding photos and we can’t thank you enough John! Now we’re left with the hard decision of which ones to choose!! Thanks for being part of our day – I’ll never stop recommending your work.
Ps thank you for being so patient with us whilst we had to continually move our wedding date due to covid. You made a very stressed bride feel very relaxed about contacting you to change dates 🖤”
LEANNE & AARON ⚡️⚡️
“John was an exceptional photographer on our day. We conducted zoom calls with a number of photographers when planning our wedding, and instantly knew that John was the right fit for us as he put us at ease immediately with his relaxed demeanour and good humour. This translated into all of our photos, we wanted our day photographed in a non-formal, documentary style, which he captured perfectly. He brought the right balance of candid snaps and family portraits, which is exactly what we were after.
If you’re looking for a photographer you can naturally pose for, who you’d also like to go for a beer with, then book John!”
ROSIE & DAVID ⚡️⚡️
“John photographed our wedding in June and we are so happy with our pictures! He was super helpful with all the rearranging and changing venues etc that comes with a COVID wedding – nothing was too much trouble.
We were pretty apprehensive as we usually hate getting photographed but John was amazing at knowing exactly what would look great and kept us totally at ease. (He was also great at nudging two people who didn’t know where to start on the day with a plan haha!)
Everyone has commented on how natural our photos are and that you can feel the joy coming from then, which was exactly what we were looking for. We couldn’t recommend John enough! ⭐️”
LAURA & GORDON ⚡️⚡️
“We immediately loved John’s relaxed photography style and from the moment we started chatting to him before the wedding we knew he was the photographer for us! He was super quick to get back to us on any questions we had and gave us a great idea of what to expect on the day.
On the day of the wedding he did an amazing job! He managed to capture so many special moments that we didn’t realise he was around for and made us feel completely at ease. He’s also such a lovely guy, it was such a pleasure to have him play an important part of our day – so many of our wedding guests mentioned that they’d had some great chats with him!
We are absolutely delighted with our photos, the scenery and lighting is just perfect in the all! He took so much care to capture all the little moments, so the whole set of photos tells the story of the day so well.
Thank you so much John!!
Sam & Jo”
JO & SAM ⚡️⚡️
“John was the photographer at my sisters wedding, where he managed to capture the entire day perfectly, produce amazing shots and by the end of the day felt like he was one of the guests. So as soon as we got engaged John was the top of our suppliers list and we were absolutely delighted that he was free and willing to travel up to Aberdeenshire for our day.
Johns communication is excellent and always super quick to respond, having been a COVID bride he couldn’t have been anymore kind and helpful and reassuring for all our plans. When we decided to go for a micro wedding under COVID restrictions John couldn’t have been more accommodating. Our photos are amazing from the day, due to not being allowed a full reception we spent a few hours doing couple shots where it was super relaxed and we couldn’t stop smiling and laughing and having a great time which definitely put us both at ease instead of having to be too posed and is one of my favourite memories from our day.
We are so lucky that we are having a part 2 wedding where we are going for the full celebration and cannot wait to have John take even more amazing shots and we feel like he is now coming as our best mate, not just as our photographer. Cannot recommended him enough.”
SARAH & RUARI ⚡️⚡️
“As a socially anxious and camera shy couple, John was just a dream to work with! We loved his style as soon as we saw it, very creative and had captured so many beautiful moments. We knew our venue was going to be trickier to shot due to it being underground in Edinburgh’s vaults but he was confident in handling the challenge.
On the day John was a delight to have as part of our wedding. He made us feel relaxed, even when I (the bride) was running stupid late in getting ready. His directions and good eye for composition have captured the most beautiful parts of our day, and he made us look amazing! His interactions with us and our guests were so warm and approachable, and this made everything so much more relaxing for us. John captured some real spur of the moment interactions that are so special. We were so happy with all the photos and the beautiful presentation of all the communication and USB stick. An absolute star to work with!”
SARAH & NEIL ⚡️⚡️
“Our florist told us about John and, after checking out some of his photos, we knew his style of photography was exactly what we were looking for. He took the time to go for a drink and get to know us before the wedding, which was perfect as we were both quite reluctant subjects.
On the day, he was discreet and mingled with us and our guests to get a great combination of relaxed photos from throughout the day as well as some slightly more formal shots – exactly what we wanted. He has his own style and we are absolutely delighted with the all the photos from our wedding!!
Absolutely first class. Thanks a million, John!”
Kirsty and Stuart xxx”
KIRSTY & STUART ⚡️⚡️
“What can I say about John? It’s taken me ages to write my thoughts – not because I couldn’t think of nice things to say but purely because it’s hard to put into words how great John is on so many levels.
We had been searching for a photographer for ages who could capture natural, candid moments of the day and came across Johns work and instantly fell in love with his photography and all round style. After speaking with him we felt he was the first photographer to actually “get” us as a couple, appreciate the fact we didn’t want too many staged photos and actually listened to our thoughts and wishes for the day. As soon as we got talking to him we knew he would be perfect for our day.
On the actual wedding day John was an absolute legend! He fitted in perfectly with our wedding. It was weird – you really don’t notice him taking photos until the moment that you actually need him and then he just seems to be there. He’s got a remarkable talent for blending into the back ground when he wants to but two seconds later he will be there, chatting and laughing with guests while still snapping away.
Nothing about John is forced – neither with him personally or his photography style. He makes you feel at ease and doesn’t make you do anything your not happy with. He has a knack of reading you as a couple and making the experience exactly how you want it to be.
The end results were insane! John managed to some how capture our entire wedding absolute perfectly and the photos were exactly how we pictured them before hand. What’s great about his style is that it gives you a little insight into little events that may have been going on during your wedding that you missed as you were doing something else. John manages to provide a wholesome, accurate, unforced, unposed and fun reflection of one of the best days of your life.
And he’s an absolute dude.”
LAURA & JASON ⚡️⚡️
“John was an absolute delight to be around and we’d known we would like him as our photographer when he came to our first meeting with his amazing wife, cutest wee baby and the funniest old-man puppy that’s not really a puppy anymore. We were so comfortable around him and he made our wedding photos feel like they were being taken by a longtime friend. Our families and friends have all come back to us about how amazing he was on the day and we still can’t get over how beautiful the photos look! ‘Till this time we fondly recall the absolutely incredulous positions that he would jump into for that perfect photo. He must be into that thing called yoga!”
PAULINA & TIM ⚡️⚡️
“John is just amazing! I first met him when he was photographer for one of my best friends wedding. I instantly liked him – friendly, easy-going and chilled out. I loved their wedding photos and so it was a no-brainer for us to book John for our wedding too.
From the beginning to end he was great and gave loads of support and guidance and kept in touch regularly. His candid style photographs instantly appealed to me, me and my husband are quite camera shy! On our big day he made us and all of our guests feel at ease and I’m absolutely delighted with the final photos! He captured the day perfectly and we couldn’t be happier! If you are thinking of booking John for your big day – do it! You won’t be disappointed.”
KIM & MARTEN ⚡️⚡️
“As soon as Charlie and I started planning our wedding the most prudent advice we were given was to find your wedding photographer!
We first met John and his wife Emma on our quest to find a wedding venue in Scotland. After a quick Google search I came across John’s website and as soon as I saw his work I just knew we needed to meet him. Sadly, as with all weddings, some plans inevitably change and in our case it was the location. However, the one thing we were absolutely certain of was that no matter what happened, wherever we decided to get married, John was undoubtedly the right person for such an important job.
John was incredibly professional from start to finish; he took on board our ideas and kept in constant communication. John also explained his style of photography and clearly laid out what we could expect from him. As someone who hates having their photo taken I can’t tell you the relief I felt knowing that John wasn’t the type of photographer that would make you pose nor force you to smile. John’s style of photography isn’t about capturing the formulaic or the staged, but rather the small, seemingly unnoticeable moments; all of which are perfectly crafted and pieced together to create something truly beautiful.
We loved having John as our photographer and received so many compliments regarding his professionalism and of course the final product. John has an extraordinary ability to capture a true and candid reflection of your day; the good, bad and the beautiful.
Lastly, you know that somebody is good at what they do when your guests comment that your favourite wedding pictures looks like something from a magazine!”
Love, KAMMILLA & CHARLIE – Oxfordshire ⚡️⚡️
“From the first email to the last, John was just amazing. When planning our wedding, we knew we wanted someone a little different to capture our day, and when we came across Johns page, we knew we had struck photography gold!
John and his lovely wife Emma took the time to meet us for coffee, before we had even booked him. This small kind act spoke volumes with us, and from then on knew we had made the right choice! As a nervous couple, John put us completely at ease. He soon began to feel like someone we had known for years, not just a cool guy shooting our wedding.
On the actual day of our wedding, John blended in completely. It’s wasn’t until we received our pictures we realized how much hiding and sneaking around to get shots he must have been doing! John really does capture every single little detail and 100% took on board any shots we wanted. And as for his wonderful wife Emma, even while pregnant at our wedding she was on hand whenever I needed her – I’ll always remember when she just appeared with fresh heel protectors out of nowhere!
John very quickly got some pictures ready for us while on our Honeymoon and the rest came not long after. The results really were incredible and better than we could ever have imagined!Johns attention to detail is totally unreal. When we look at our pictures we feel like we are reliving the day and seeing all the little moments we didn’t necessarily take in before makes it all sweeter. My favorite shots are the little candid moments most photographers would miss – but not John!
We will never be able to thank John enough – It’s hard to put into words just how amazing he is! John you really are a Legend! If you are thinking of booking John, you will not be disappointed!“
CHARLOTTE & SAM ⚡️⚡️
“From the moment we met John and his lovely little family for a coffee, we knew we had found the right guy to photograph the big day! As a couple who are not so keen to get in front of the camera, it was important we found someone as laid back as we are but equally would be able to capture all the little moments that we knew we wanted documented for life. And John did just that.
In the lead up to the wedding his communication was brilliant, and his organisation made us feel at ease. He was also brilliant at listening to any suggestions we had about images we would like or parts of the venue we felt we wanted to use. We felt super comfortable on the wedding day and John was full of ideas and suggestions which made us feel very relaxed in front of the camera. His attention to detail and ability to capture those little special moments even when you and your guests are completely unaware of his presence shows his skill as a wedding photographer. And with two brides – it was certainly no easy task!!
His candid photography will make us smile for many years to come, as we’ve been spoilt with an array of images encompassing the best day of our lives in the most perfect way. We now understand when married couples tell you ‘the day just flies by’, and now, thanks to John, he has ensured there wasn’t a second of our wedding that we missed!”
ABBI & ANNETTE ⚡️⚡️
“Choosing a photographer for our wedding was a big deal!! Like most couples we trawled the internet looking for that perfect photo…that shot we pictured in our minds to help us decide…then we stumbled across this cool looking dude by the name of John Elphinstone Stirling…his work speaks for itself!
From start to finish John impressed the hell out of us…from an engagement shoot on our local beach…winter meets showing us some amazing albums…emailing over some previews on our honeymoon…our huge array of incredible shots capturing the best day of our lives so far…to our 1st anniversary print! Nothing is ever too much to ask and he makes you feel completely at ease!
John absolutely delivered and more…most of our guests thought he was just a cool guy with a big beard who wore shorts and had a good camera…he is an absolute pro and makes it look effortless.”
EMMA & DAVID ⚡️⚡️
“John was the perfect choice for our wedding day. He took the time to get to know us first and to really understand what we were looking for. After that he was a complete pro. He was discreet on the day (just another one of our guests) but he still worked with us to get all the shots in at the right moments. He has a great combination of objective documentary style, but with his own artistic flair. John was great fun to have at our wedding and simply excellent at capturing everyone at their very best. Our guests also loved him! Thank you John.”
JIN & MARTIN ⚡️⚡️
“Having heard great things of John through family we were greatly impressed by his work. This feeling only strengthened as we spoke with John about our plans for our wedding and what we wanted from the photography.
From the start it became clear that John is passionate about his business and puts real love into it. This was no better exemplified than on our wedding day. John’s approach and skill really shone through as the day went on, capturing the story of our day and details that we still look back on now.
Most importantly John put us at ease and really made the experience so fun and relaxed. One of our favourite parts of our day was shooting images just us and John. We fully trusted his creativity and this really helped to get the best images of our wedding.
On receipt of our images, we were delighted. The presentation was epic and needless to say there were tears as we looked back on our day.”
LYNSAY & ANDY ⚡️⚡️
“John was recommended to us by a mutual friend and photographer, and we knew as soon as we looked at his portfolio that his style was right for our wedding. A FaceTime conversation with John and his lovely wife then sealed the deal. We were so busy on the day of the wedding that we were just going with the flow and often forgot John was around, snapping photos of intimate, candid moments that we now get to look back on and make us feel like we’re living them all over again. He was professional but always laid-back, putting us at ease when we were stressed or overthinking, and when directing us for group shots managed to get everyone not only to cooperate but look completely natural. Our wedding album takes pride of place in our home and we love looking through our photos. We will treasure them for decades and for that, we have John to thank.”
CLEM & SEAN ⚡️⚡️
“John was the most chilled guy! We met him for a pint before the wedding and this meant that on the day he felt like an old friend. He really captured the day with beautiful shots and managed to make us feel very relaxed. My husband was dreading the photographs but actually we spent most of the time laughing (and in my case tripping over tree roots). We love our photos and can’t recommend enough having John be a part of your big day!”
HANNAH & JAMIE ⚡️⚡️
“November’s cold wet and windy meeting with John didn’t quell the enthusiasm that shone from the moment we met him – John in his shorts of course, despite the freezing weather – we both knew within moments of meeting that we HAD to have this guy as part of our Wedding Day – relaxed humorous and incongruous – John totally got ‘us’ and our plans for a relaxed nature-filled day. We didn’t want posed shots, more those stolen moments that only a very sharp eyed and skilful photographer could capture. Talented, funny, and discrete, we are so in awe of what he has created for us.
Its said that ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’ – in John’s case we’d say that its a million words….. every tiny detail subtly captured, every smile, every tear, every raindrop and every sunbeam oh and the odd chicken to boot too !
We love you, thank-you will never feel enough but its all that we have – Nix & Craig x”
NIX & CRAIG ⚡️⚡️
“John shot our wedding back in September on the beach overlooking the Isle of Arran and although the weather wasn’t perfect, our resultant photographs were still truly fantastic! We really felt that his work encapsulated the whole atmosphere of our day, which was laid back (apart from when the dog escaped) and full of laughter. The biggest compliment I can pay John however isn’t really to do with the photos, but to do quite simply with the person he is. From the first five minutes that I’d spoken to him on the day, I felt like I had known him five years; you don’t find that type of quality in every person, and in a wedding photographer it really is ideal as it puts you at ease from the off. Even when our time keeping for photo’s went seriously awry, John always kept a sunny disposition and never seemed fussed by our poor attempts to wrangle family members together. I couldn’t recommend John highly enough; a hugely talented photographer and just an all-round great guy!”
KIRSTY & GRAEME ⚡️⚡️
“Choosing a photographer to capture your wedding is (in my opinion) one of the most important decisions that you will make during the planning of your wedding. After all, it’s the only thing that is going to last forever.
We met up with John a few times before the wedding and we immediately knew that we wanted him to photograph our wedding!
My wife and I are not formal at all and don’t take ourselves too serious, and John totally got this.
He was super accommodating on the day and was happy to try stuff and was jumping over fences to get cool shots. He was also really patient with all the oldies.
My wife and I are so happy that we chose John to photograph our wedding. He is lovely and super professional. Thank you!”
MAX & LOUISE ⚡️⚡️