References for Gairm

Yoo Yoo

Gairm is a great photographer. The whole shoot is very artistic and nature and I really enjoy it . He and His wife are very friendly to me and we had good talk in his house . He is friendly and very knowledgeable. I am happy to have a nature and beautiful shoot in his home studio . Look forward a lot to the results! Highly recommended

Keira Lavelle

OMG... There's me being overjoyed that I'd managed to fit even one shoot in with the amazing Gairm in 2021 (the precarious year of things *just about* slowly getting back to some kind of normality in the creative industry!) but then the opportunity only arose for us to shoot for a SECOND time!?!? Flippin' heck, I was basically buzzing! 😊🤩😁🙏 If there was one thing I missed considerably when my work movements were restricted in the past couple of years - it's packing a battered suitcase full of goodies, brewing up my litre tea flasks at the ready and hitting the road to meet up with amazing people! Montrose is well over 300 miles away from me, but when mammoth tour vibes call - Keira is very happy when she can stop by the pretty East Coast town. ESPECIALLY when it means being able to see Harry and Catriona. ❤

In my view - here is a photographer who deserves the best possible grading of a reference that can be given on PurplePort. Why is that I hear you ask? Well, because he's part of the club! A proud disciple of the herbal tea revolution (Harry has THE BEST quality selection of teas for every flavour of the hour!) Further still: he is also magically expressive and visually driven in his art: with a sensitive eye for aesthetic beauty and story-telling subtlety... Of course he's the very definition of utterly professional right down to the core: making him one of the nicest photographers any model could ever hope to shoot with in this circle. But particularly very importantly: he is down with the Yorkshire clan as well! 😆 (The cool kids!) And everybody knows that Yorkshire is the centre of the universe... It's just one of those general knowledge facts of the world yano? 💁‍♀️

Truthfully speaking: Harry and his wife Catriona are some of the most genuine humans that you could meet in this industry! I just love coming to visit and nattering about all sorts when I do: they have also kindly put me up time and time again (same this time too) offering a safe accommodation haven to enable comfortable rest either the night before, or night following a shoot. It takes the strain off, making your travels a little less work-like and more like you're catching up with a couple of lovely friends who go above and beyond to ensure you're met with the nicest hospitality. When I arrived the evening before we were due to shoot this time; Harry and Catriona got fish and chips in from a terrific local place as we winded down for the evening. They will take every step to make sure models staying with them have everything they need, and are not going without. When you get used to living out of supermarkets and nibbling when you can: I cannot express enough how much a touring model appreciates this! With a comfortable private room for the stay/to change in during actual shooting time: everything is covered for you! So here is a paragraph just to give a massive recommendation for the kindness and generosity offered by Gairm for the hosting that I have been offered across many of our shoots. I really do appreciate it so much. 🥰

Now for the shooting... And WHOA did we have a productive time! Harry carefully worked towards a particular style this time in the space where he shoots his controlled light concepts. As usual: we chatted together about outfit possibilities - Harry has his own exceptionally stunning wardrobe provisions for models to often utilise when a brief suits. We subsequently used a mixture of mine and his things for the particular theme we were going for: Harry complimenting the looks to perfection with clever lighting tricks etc. 😀 Once we hit that vibe - oh we were off! On a roll! Smashing it into next week! Harry gave great encouragement with my posing repertoire, but continued to have a sharp eye for offering valuable direction and knowing what he was looking for in his photography. The teamwork game was strong this time- it felt very strong indeed as we transitioned from one look to the next. Most definitely a *high-five* kind of shoot with the results we were getting. Harry is a talented photographer though; and a joy to collaborate with on an artistic level.

I don't know where the session went to be honest! those hours flew by... I guess good company and positive prolific work flow have something to do with it. But there is definitely a reoccurring pattern in that our shoots always turn out so enjoyable, and the next minute you blink and we're taking the last shot! Endless chatter, lotsa brews, a relaxed/harmonious pace, a scrumptious lunch and all the laughs too. All boxes well and truly ticked. 😜

So the question is - how highly do I recommend Gairm? Well truthfully: I think my rating for him might actually break the scales! No exaggeration either. 😂

I'm just soooo happy I could manage a stop in sunny Montrose a second time this year as I say. Harry and Catriona are the prime example of top class people whose decent nature should set the absolute standard for humanity.💎

Thank you so very much - and I only hope you'll have this crazy Yorkshire tea-drinking nymph back again before too long! 😅

Keira

Keira Lavelle

I’m ridiculously late leaving this amazing photographer a reference - with a period of chaos following my latest big tour of Scotland I got really behind on this front! Which can only mean that an extra-specially long ramble about just how big a recommendation is due is the only solution! 😂

Not only a very credible photographer/artist and creative eye with a sublime personal identity in the sense of art and expression in his work... But Harry (and his lovely wife Catriona) are also the worlds nicest hosts who so kindly offered me the best hospitality imaginable once again on my first (lengthy) tour of Scotland since the madness in the years previous had subsided to allow such. In a way; it was like learning all over again how to pin all the aspects of long tours together again! 😅 We models had been really out of practice in all this stuff we would normally do, Harry himself had not done a massive amount either - but everything fell into place so beautifully and for that: I cannot thank Harry and Catriona enough. 🥰 It makes it just a little bit less daunting getting on that mega-tour train again when you have such amazing people look after you, and to team up with making stunning imagery. I also just come for the herbal tea fest! 😆 And to hang out with one of the last remaining of my clan who still call those bread things from chip shops “teacakes” as the rest of the world has cast us aside as weirdos, and we must stand our ground for the greater good! 🍞 💪 (Harry’s originally from my neck of the woods! 🤪)

So yahhh - models if you’re staying, expect comfort/fabulous social value with the loveliest people/lots of chatter/curry... Ooh! And even goof movie suggestions too! 👀

But what about the shoot?!

Harry has his definite skilled photography eye which shines through without fail every time! He is looking at the light yes... The setting and environment - but he sees beyond that! He sees a moment of story telling emotion that you simply cannot describe/teach! He knows exactly what he’s looking for in his work and forms a phenomenal rapport with the model to achieve this - with a very sensitive eye for direction and subtle details which make alllllll the difference. Predominantly using natural light where he can: he’s got the settings and everything perfect to the last pixel in camera... He works hard for his art THAT’S FOR SURE! And when you see it in the back of the camera upon completion of each set, you feel that tidal wave of passion which Harry evidently injects into his shoots. TOP NOTCH! And totally different things to what we’ve done previously, as well as some overlaps in ideas to improvise and invent. 🙂

Professional to the core - honouring the code of respect entirely and simply doing everything he can to ensure the model is happy on their shoots with him... Harry is a good un’ alright! Check out his other references past and present and they will likely be saying something very similar worded different. He deserves all the recommendations in the world! 🌟🌟

I love visiting you guys, and always look forward to doing so again soon! 🥰

Thanks for everything!

Keira

Cariad Celis

I just had the pleasure of returning to Montrose to shoot with Gairm in his home studio for two days.

Harry and his wife, Catriona, welcomed myself and my partner (Kieran Dahl) into their beautiful home with open arms, lovely food and plenty of tea. They are two of the most interesting and intellectual people I have ever met and their house felt like a home from home.

I love the way Harry shoots, using a variety of constant and natural light in a casual and relaxed setting. He has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve and the mood he wants to convey, giving direction to 'un-pose' you, making for fantastic natural images, which I cannot wait to add to my portfolio.

Harry is an artist and to have collaborated with him on more than one occasion has been an honour and a pleasure.

I cannot wait to return to Scotland and visit Harry and Catriona again, be it for a shoot or just a chinwag.

Thank you for hosting us both :)

Highly recommended!

tigerbelle

My fourth time working and staying with Harry and Catriona on my recent Scottish tour!

As always, it was an absolute delight to return as they are both so warm and welcoming which makes being so far from home much more bearable.

Harry is lovely to work with, he thinks carefully about the light whether it is natural or studio lighting and aims towards natural poses rather than staged.

I think we achieved some beautiful work that day.

Thank-you so much, definitely recommended! :D

Scarlot Rose

I have no idea where to begin, I don't think I have the eloquence to say just how great Gairm is in words!

We have worked together on a few occasions now and I was so thrilled when he booked me again this year. As per previous times, I stayed with Gairm and his partner for a few days during my trip and felt very at home whilst there. They are both so accommodating and thoughtful! And I have to admit that I love drinking specifically chosen teas with Gairm almost as much as I love shooting together!

But onto the actual shoot, I don't think I've met a photographer/artist that is so self critical as Gairm when it comes to really thinking about what he wants to capture, how and why. Our shoots often turn into very long intellectual discussions which in turn create a relaxed, unposed setting in which some interesting work can be created. I always feel inspired shooting with Gairm and come away from each shoot with so much to think about and consider as well as having created some really beautiful, thought provoking work together.

Gairm is incredibly aware of "the male gaze" and hence is extremely considerate and deliberate in his photography, either in avoiding the creation of "glamour" imagery or experimenting with returning the gaze and confronting the audience.

I honestly cannot thank Gairm enough for our time spent talking and creating together this week and am very happy to recommend him to others, and I hope that our friendship and art making will last for many years!

Em Theresa

I've worked with Gairm a number of times now, and I'm definitely happy to recommend him to other models once again. He is a creative photographer and an excellent host, his wife and him kindly put me up for a couple of nights, and a kind and thoughtful person. I hope that we can work together again next time I'm in Scotland :)

ERosanne

I've worked with H many times over the years, on various artistic, collaborative projects. We initially met (over a decade ago!) when I was on a modelling tour of Scotland, and over time we have created some fantastic images. These days, I count H as one of my dearest friends, and when I'm in Scotland, I enjoy visiting to spend time with him and his wife, either to shoot together, or to put the world to rights over a long discussion. He remains a talented photographer, who is very much a perfectionist. Last time we shot together, I asked him if we could have a go at creating some photos to fulfil a very specific brief. They were some of my favourite images, and exactly fit for purpose. I could not be more grateful.

Joceline Brooke-Hamilton

I absolutely love working with Gairm, who feels like a proper friend as well as being one of my favourite people to work with. He is intelligent and interesting as well as being hospitable, courteous and professional.

He works at a relaxed pace which makes shooting with him especially nice and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him or indeed to work with him again at every opportunity!

freespirit

Had an absolutely lovely first shoot with Gairm, highly productive and pleasurable, when he responded to my last minute letter as I was touring Scotland. He and his wife showed me great kindness and hospitality as they accommodated me for 2 nights (longer than I'd intended to stay, they were terribly kind and generous, transporting me and my luggage to and from the station, and providing lovely nourishing meals in between shhos).

We shot with available natural light during the day, with Gairm achieving beautiful and varied results-from Vermeer style pure window lighting, to experimentation with harsh light, and even a little oil/musculature imagery at the end. I love Gairm's style of nude portraiture, and how it differentiates from the sometimes negative aspects of anonymous art nude and "glamour"-he is conscientious about not objectifying or over sexualizing the model, and instead treating her as a thinking individual.

Highly Recommended, and I hope we will work together again. THANK YOU.

Keira Lavelle

Giarm

Waheyy! I was buzzing when Harry confirmed availability for us to work together on my latest tour of Scotland – we had a truly wicked shoot together on our first one so it’s nice when you get to give it another bash because you already have a feel for each other’s styles by this point and can incorporate any additional ideas that might spring to mind to suit that shoot in the meantime. You also know that you’re effortlessly going to fall into the teamwork zone the minute you begin which is a great familiar approach to work since no shoot is ever the same and of course you never stop meeting new creatives so there is something really nice about working with creatives who you do know you get on with like a house on fire.

Harry is a genuine artist in his approach to photography; he works a lot with natural light but also harnesses controlled light/mixes the two together to create conceptually emotive imagery that is powerful and depicts a story. From each shoot he does, he will work with the models (as a person as well as a professional) to capture natural beauty of the individual. He can direct to create the moment he is visualising so it’s not a problem if a model may not be confident with posing themselves, but also allows experienced models to flow with their own persona and interpretation of the look/style being tendered to. Harry will assess the shot carefully to produce the nicest beauty he can around the idea; sometimes we had sun glaring through with intensity one moment which needs immediate attention with the settings if you’re me (super pale/blonde – virtually a living reflector!) but then the next it would be the case that the sun drops to a soft wrap-around effect! Harry is onto these changes at all times throughout a shoot, his patience is commendable and his eye for spotting the sun doing innovative things is the best! Natural light is stunning gorgeous when it works, but it certainly challenges the photographer when changeable – Harry and I were literally dashing in and out of rooms at one point in the shoot to seize the moment. We nailed it in the end and Harry created some unquestionably beautiful pictures once more! 

Once again: I received the best in professionalism and kind courtesy from Harry. He respects his models very well, treating them as a team member in essentially what is always a collaborative process to reach a common goal – lovely images. We had regular tea breaks and Harry NEVER fails to blow me away (taking into account I am the crazy tea lady) with his selection of deliciously magical teas!!!!! I am simply in my element, and Harry really knows his tea too – I just clumsily brew mine up and mix them together most of the time whereas Harry literally has the knowledge of a tea god when it comes to steep times, number of brews achievable from each tea, the actual boiling process… Most certainly the photographer to work with is you like tea! :P But also the photographer to work with who will always make you feel comfortable and be simply just a joy to shoot with.

Harry and his lovely wife Catriona have welcomes me to stay with them on two occasions now and they always give the nicest hospitality in the world. Amazing people – simply just hanging out in the evenings and catching up is a joy! Hearts of gold and will make any model that comes to stay feel completely at home with their own space. I was well fed throughout the shoot and even the evening before when I arrived… It makes you realise why you do this job when you work with such wonderful to the heart people.

Super big thanks for an amazing day! And I really hope we can do it again soon. 

Keira

Lilith Etch

I would definitely recommend Gairm!

I came the evening before our morning shoot - and I am very happy for it. I ate cookies, had tea and whiskey, and several hours of absolutely great conversations. Gairm is a very intelligent, open minded and empathetic person who deserves a great reference just for his company.

During our shoot he communicated in a clear way about what he liked and didn't like, which made the image making much easier. He works in a very relaxed way with tea breaks and lunch, so there is no stress or energy pushing, just a nice and enjoyable shoot, the way it should be.

During the shoot I felt very safe and respected as a model.

And the images looked great!

Gairm also helped me with figuring out what train to take back and forth, and was flexible with times so that I could plan the way it worked best for me - very appreciated.

Highly recommended!

Scarlot Rose

Oh I simply love shooting with Harry!

This was only our second shoot together, but he is one of those people I feel like I've known for years already. Harry's shooting style is somewhat different to typical "art nude" or lingerie styles, but contains those elements. I am very fond of his "domestic nude" series in particular, though everything he does has so much thought and care put into it that it is hard not to feel like a piece of artwork yourself as Harry's subject. Though that's not entirely true as everything we have worked on has felt like a true collaboration and for each picture we take I'm sure a thousand words could be (and were) shared as to the concept and analysis over both the physical and the theoretical qualities.

On this trip I shot with Harry all day and stayed the evening. Both him and his wife are wonderful hosts, they made me feel very at home and I absolutely love raiding both their tea collection and library! I am very excited to see the results of this shoot and highly recommend you shoot with Harry should you get the opportunity.

Thank you again!

Scarlot

Roswell Ivory

What can I possibly say about the wonderful Harry? He and his wife were so friendly and welcoming from the moment I arrived- they are excellent hosts and I loved getting to know them over dinner and being shown the beautiful view from their house.

Harry's pre-shoot communication was excellent so I knew exactly what to bring. He has a very creative and unusual shooting style- looking for natural looking portraits and poses that resemble still-life paintings and this was a very welcome challenge as an art-nude model!

I was well-fed and watered, absolutely loved the images I saw in the back of the camera, he took the time to post back the small collection of things I left behind and I could not possibly recommend him any more highly. Thankyou for everything! :)

tigerbelle

This was my third time shooting and staying with Harry.

I can't express enough how lovely it is to stay with such lovely people whilst on tour so far away from home. I felt thoroughly looked after and safe which was very much appreciated.

Harry has a great sense of humour and is fascinating to talk to.

I sincerely hope that I will return at some point (if you can suffer me again!).

Thank-you so much!!! :D

Em Theresa

Harry and I shot together again last week, my first shoot on my current Scottish tour :) As always his pre-shoot comms are excellent, he explains what he is looking to achieve so packing was no problem at all and on the day him and his wife were as friendly and hospitable as ever. I always enjoy shooting with Harry, he is a considerate and creative person to work with and is good company. I have no hesitation at all in recommending him to other models, and we have begun discussing our next shoot already! Thanks Harry :)

Keira Lavelle

This was such a fantastic shoot, anyone who saw the pictures would probably think that it was this models and photographers third or something time working together... Nope! Mine and Harry's first ever shoot together, and we completely hammered it. :D Harry and I had chatted about the shoot beforehand so I knew it was going to be an enjoyable shoot working with natural light and making dainty/Keira poses, but the sheer volume of different looks we got, plus the quirky ways in which we executed them was really something different and creatively inspiring for me.

At the beginning of the shoot, the flow began with some nice n' simple but beautiful looks in the studio/bedroom of Harry's lovely home. Now any models who have shot here will know how gorgeous the space is and how the available light is simply to die for! Even the walls in his house and the way Harry manipulates the lights makes for stupendous high quality backgrounds and environments to make stunningly emotive imagery. Harry know exactly what he wants to achieve with his shoots: he's passionate about bringing visions to life from the person before his camera and this really does make his work unique. he's fantastic at direction, but will also allow the models to input their personal series of poses to the mix when working through a look. By the end of the shoot, I was dancing around the place and everything! :D Talk about having fun whilst you work! The teamwork had peaked and by the end of the day there was a true buzzing feeling of achievement in the room, I really felt Harry was so easy to gel with. He's so professional and knowledgeable in his approach putting his heart and soul into his pictures. We got some absolute corkers in the bag that day.

Not only was Harry a very lovely photographer to shoot with, he and his lovely wife kindly put me up the evening before our shoot which was really handy for my travel schedule and meant we didn't have such a mad rush on the morning of the shoot. They graciously met me at Montrose station to help me get my insane amount of touring luggage back to the house safely, then that evening we when for curry! NOM NOM! :D They are the nicest people you could meet, as a guest I was made to feel comfortable and at-home with the best hospitality. Don't even get me started on Harry's collection of herbal teas! My goodness we could have sat and had a really seriously passionate debate about tea all day given half the chance! The first shoot where I didn't even open my own stash of tea... and we were shooting for the best part of a day! :P

I cannot stress how highly I recommend Gairm. He is such a decent gent with the highest level of courtesy and respect for the models he books. I am overjoyed that we managed to get the chance to work together as part of my Scotland tour this time.

Thank you both so much!

Keira x

Helen Diaz

I worked with Gairm on my MAMMOTH Scottish Tour recently and had an absolute blast! It had been a few years since our last shoot, so it was really LOVELY to catch up! Gairm and his wife made me feel so welcome. They are both very kind and hospitable people and its always a pleasure to visit as you feel just as much of a guest as a model.

Gairm had very kind booked me for 6 hours of the day and I stayed with the couple the evening before as I had on a previous trip a few years ago. The stay was super comfortable in a beautiful home- and I had a much needed rest after a long trip.

On the day of the shoot we explored a variety of fashion and nude poses, shooting in various rooms of the house. I really loved Gairms use of light and shade- he is such an artist in the way he photographs- and a talented photographer. His passion for photography is infectious and I always go away feeling inspired.

He was also super kind to give me a beautiful kimono that I had fallen in love with - and which was a wonderful prop to pose with! I really think we achieved some of our best images together that day and I can't wait to see the results! Thankyou so much for lunch also.

Such a lovely couple and a very enjoyable day- and really hope to work together again soon! Super highly recommended, Helen x

Joceline Brooke-Hamilton

Harry is such a lovely chap! This was my third shoot with him at his lovely house (where I always get to see his lovely wife) and it was all thoroughly tremendous. He's so thoughtful and artistic in his approach to photography, and it's such a pleasure to spend time with him. I like most of the photographers I work with, but they don't necessarily become friends. Harry is an exception, he's truly fabulous to spend time with.

Belle Eve

I shot with Gairm for the second time this week and yet again had a brilliant day. His communication before and during the shoot was spot on.

Gairm is a true gentleman and a real joy to work with. Super artistic and creative with his work.

I highly recommend.

Much love,

Eve