Forres photographer wins Scottish title

Contemporary wedding and portrait photographer, Scott Hogg, is the new British Institute of Professional Photography Scotland (BIPP), Photographer Of The Year.

He said: "I was really honoured to win. I've won several wedding photography awards in the past but this was truly special as it incorporated several different genres of photography."

Scott won the Master Photographers Association Scottish Reportage Wedding Photographer of the Year title earlier this year, and BIPP Scottish Wedding Photographer of the Year awards in 2014 and 2015.

His portrait of a Filipino sugar cane worker won the judges over in the most recent competition.

Scott explained: "They do very tough work for very little pay but they are very friendly and approachable.

"Several aspects to the image worked: the evening sunlight, the dirt and sweat, and the tired expression."

Fellow and national president of the BIPP, Kevin Wilson, was one of the judges assessing around 500 images.

He said: "It was pretty evident that Scott had an empathy with his subjects that few possess.

"He is always looking for something different from others – his handling of the subjects through exposure, lighting and mood, composition and final output to print, and presentation, was exemplary."

After leaving school, Scott worked at Ian Noble Chemist on Forres High Street where he initially found inspiration.

"I was the photo printer," he said. "I realised that this was the career path I wanted to go down so I moved to Aberdeen and studied photography at college."

Scott now lives in Ellon with his wife and daughter but returns to his home town every few weeks for wedding and portrait work.

"There are many great places around Forres for photography," he said. "I love Grant Park, Findhorn and Brodie Castle to name a few.

"My advice to locals who enjoy taking pictures is practice and experiment. Photography is an ever-learning process that can really open your eyes."