Iska Birnie Photography

26/10/2026

Things nobody tells you about being a commercial photographer...

When I first started my photography business, I knew I'd be photographing people, businesses, events, and all sorts of interesting things.

What I probably didn't appreciate as much was how many other jobs would come with it!

Over the years, I've become quite experienced at moving office furniture, finding creative ways to hide things that don't belong in the background of a photograph, and squeezing myself into some rather interesting positions to get the right angle. I've worn my fair share of hard hats, hi-vis jackets, and safety boots, and I've learned more about different industries than I ever imagined I would.

I've learned to keep an eye on the weather forecast, although living in Scotland I'm not entirely sure why, as more often than not the forecast isn't very accurate anyway.

And then there are my clients themselves. I've been lucky enough to photograph some really interesting and inspiring individuals. And usually, some encouragement, friendly conversation, and occasionally a terrible joke can make all the difference when someone is a little camera shy.

And of course, there's always a bit of improv as well. If you know me, you will know that I love a plan. But no matter how well you plan a photo session, something unexpected is bound to happen.

That's one of the things I really enjoy about my job. I get to meet so many different people, see what goes on behind the scenes of their businesses, and visit places I would probably never get to see otherwise.

It's certainly never boring!

23/10/2026

Congratulations to Leonardo Helicopters and Bristow Group on the opening of their new Leonardo AW139 helicopter simulator.

Having grown up around planes and airfields, I've always had a fascination with aviation, so I was excited when I was asked to photograph the official opening of the new simulator at Bristow's training centre in Dyce.

I've always enjoyed the more technical side of things too. I love finding out how things work and getting a look behind the scenes of industries I wouldn't normally have access to. And this was certainly an interesting one!

Not only did I get to photograph the opening ceremony, I also had the opportunity to see the simulator in action and take some photographs from inside. Standing in a moving flight simulator, trying to concentrate on taking photographs while your brain is telling you that you're moving, is a strange experience.

It's one of the things I enjoy most about being a photographer. I get to photograph a huge variety of things, meet interesting people, and learn a little about what they do.

A big thank you to everyone involved for making me feel so welcome. I really enjoyed this one!

19/10/2026

I first met Jason Hare back in 2021 when I was photographing a wedding. Jay's story always stuck with me, and when I started working on my 100 Faces, 100 Stories project, he was one of the people I really wanted to photograph.

I got back in touch with him, and he was more than happy to be involved. So last year, I headed out to HorseBack UK to photograph him and hear more about his story. Little did I know what that would lead to!

Following our photo session, I was contacted by a filmmaker who was working on a documentary about Jay's life and asked whether I'd be interested in coming along to capture some behind-the-scenes photographs and hero images of Jay during filming.

Of course I said yes!

The documentary, 'Unmasked: The Face I Found', explores Jay's experiences as a former Royal Marines Commando, his life-changing injuries, Complex PTSD and his journey through adversity.

It's been such a privilege to be involved in telling a small part of his story through my photography. And now Jay has even bigger plans!

A music festival bringing together veterans, serving personnel, families and friends for three days of live music, camaraderie and connection, while raising money and awareness for HorseBack UK and The Royal Marines Charity.

Have a watch of the teaser to find out more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COA8ganQ1KM

Save the date for Glastonberet 2027, 11–13 June, Clennell Hall, Northumberland

13/10/2026

The proof that networking works!

Jillian Watt and I met through BWCAberdeen and first worked together a couple of years ago.

She’s a personal development and executive coach, and brilliant at what she does. I’ve been to her Managing You workshop myself, and came away with a toolkit for self-management that I still use.

This time, the brief was a website refresh, plus images of Jill in her element running workshops. We also had Joanna Fraser of Hoolet with us (Joanna and I also know each other through networking), filming video footage. We spent three hours around different areas of the lovely Hilton Aberdeen TECA, setting up different scenes, and changing outfits.

We had planned Jill's outfits in a lot of detail in advance of the shoot. Jill brought all the outfits we spoke about, plus a whole suitcase of other options. Which was more than we needed but handy as well, as we did use some additional outfits.

The bold colours looked brilliant against the different backdrops, and I think the images show both her warmth and her expertise. Working with Joanne was great fun too. We complemented each other well and had a great morning.

It’s always lovely to work with a client again.

08/10/2026

I do love a bit of CPD. 📷

Last week, I was in Germany for a brilliant photography course. The course focused on photographing animals in a studio setting.

While I am comfortable with photographing humans in the studio, doing the same with animals is a different story. So far, I've only worked with dogs and horses outdoors in their natural habitat, which has always been my preference. But my creativity has been calling for more the last little while, so when I saw this course pop up, I knew I needed to go.

We had some amazing dogs and horses to work with and learnt loads about the safety aspect, how to get the animal introduced to and comfortable in the studio, and of course also a bit of the technical skills needed.

This is one of my favourite shots with a Sheltie Collie who was a superstar in the studio.

24/09/2026

I’ve been a little quiet on the good old social media recently, so I thought it might be time to reintroduce myself.

Hi, I’m Iska! I’m a professional photographer based in Aberdeenshire.

The biggest part of my work is with businesses, from larger companies needing headshots, commercial photography, PR and event coverage, to sole traders who need images that tell their brand story.

Most conversations with clients start with some version of, 'I hate having my photo taken.' So, no, you don't need to be comfortable being photographed before you book me.

That’s probably the part of my job I enjoy most. Taking away the awkwardness, planning the session, and helping my clients relax enough that they end up enjoying the experience and love their photos.

Outside of working with businesses, I also photograph dogs and horses, which is where my photography journey started.

So, if we’ve recently connected, hello! And if we’ve known each other for years, perhaps this is just a little reminder of what I actually do.

And since social media is supposed to be social! Tell me something about you or your business that I perhaps don’t know yet.

21/09/2026

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of working with fellow Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce members Jonathan Tebbutt and Paul Brown from OES Group again.

This time, the brief was to capture some of their hose solutions in action. Creating images they could use across their marketing, PR and wider communications. It’s always great to see those images being used and put to work.

OES Group have recently achieved BFPA Level 4 approval, strengthening their global hose capabilities, and the Chamber has shared more about it:
https://www.agcc.co.uk/news-article/oes-group-achieves-bfpa-level-4-approval-strengthening-its-global-hose-capabilities

OES Group, a leading provider of integrated Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC), engineering, asset integrity and specialist industrial services, has announced a major milestone having achieved Level 4 approval under the British Fluid Power Association’s (BFPA) Approved Hose Assemblies Sch...

14/09/2026

Last month I had the pleasure of working with the fabulous Ines Sadoc Pereira of Wound Wellbeing Limited.

Ines is a nurse consultant in wound and scar care and is really passionate about what she does. She cares deeply about her clients and wants to make a real difference in their lives.

In her brand photo session, we wanted to position her as the expert in her field, while also coming across as friendly and approachable. We took a mixure of images in her clinic space and outdoors, showing a few different aspects of her work.

Ines has not only started her own business, but she is also writing a book and organising a big conference at P&J Live on the 3rd of October. Get in touch with Ines if you would like to find out more about the 'From Skin to Scar Care Conference'.

10/09/2026

This one is for the men in my network. I need your help!

I’m looking for a man aged roughly 35–55 to take part in a brand photo session on Friday 18th September around the TECA area in Aberdeen.

My client is a business and executive coach, and we’re looking for someone to feature in some of the images as a client during a coaching session. No modelling experience required. In return, I’ll take a couple of professional headshots for you while you’re there.

If you’re free on Friday 18th September and fancy helping out, please drop me a message.

21/08/2026

What can you actually expect when you book a photo session with me?

Obviously, good photos. That’s a given. But there’s a lot more to a photo session than me turning up with a camera.

Pretty much all of my clients (with the rare exception) tell me how much they hate being photographed. I get it, I'm not a big fan of being in front of the camera either.

My goal is to help you to feel comfortable. I want you to know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. And I want you to leave the session thinking, 'That was actually fun!'

To me, that all starts with planning. We talk about your business, what you want people to see and understand about you, where the images will be used, and how you want to be portrayed.

The photo session itself is easy once we've done the planning. I'll guide you through every step, where to stand/sit, what to do, how to move, and I'll keep taking and asking questions to distract you.

When we’re finished, I want you to leave with three things:

A little more confidence in front of the camera. The feeling that you actually enjoyed your photo session. And of course, images that actually work for you and your business.

Give me a shout if you'd like to have a chat about your next photo session.