Creating Something Special:
A Dance Photography Collab
I had the absolute pleasure of collaborating with the incredibly talented Eilidh’s Photography yesterday, bringing together both of our ambassador teams to create something really special.
The energy throughout the shoot was amazing, and the results speak for themselves — some of these images might honestly be my favourites yet.
We headed out to Harlaw Reservoir, which was a completely new location for me — but after this shoot, it definitely won’t be the last. The scenery, the light, and the atmosphere all came together perfectly, and it was so lovely to see both teams of dancers and photographers working so naturally alongside each other.
From start to finish, it was such a wholesome day. Everyone supported one another, the creativity was flowing, and to top it all off… the sun was actually shining for us!
When we arrived, Eilidh and I had a quick chat about how we wanted the day to flow. This was a first for both of us, so we really wanted to make sure everything ran smoothly and that the experience was worthwhile for everyone involved.
We decided to keep things flexible — whichever dancers were ready would go with whichever photographer was free. It didn’t matter which ambassador team they were part of, and this worked so well. It meant every dancer had the chance to experience how each of us worked, and they’ll now have a mix of images from both photographers, which is really special.
We started off in a beautiful woodland area beside the reservoir, and it honestly felt so dreamy. I’ve definitely had my fair share of nature this week — after shooting at Almondell twice already — but Scotland is just too beautiful to ever complain about.
We began with a couple of group shots, with all of the ambassadors wearing their t-shirts, and it was so lovely to see both teams come together like that. There was such a nice sense of unity right from the start.
Then, in true Shan fashion, I spotted a little stream… and instantly had a vision in my head that I knew I had to bring to life.
Now, I already knew my ambassadors are brave and will pretty much do anything for the shot — but I was so pleasantly surprised to see that Eilidh’s ambassadors were exactly the same.
Of course, out of my team, Rosie was first to volunteer as tribute (as always 😂). She made her way across the stream to this little log I had my eye on, and honestly… it was so worth it. The reflection, the light peeking through the trees, the whole scene — it just felt completely magical.
Once Rosie showed everyone how easy it was, that was it… suddenly everyone wanted in on the water shots.
At one point, I even called Eilidh over to the tiny spot I’d somehow wedged myself into to get the angle — and in the process, she nearly went straight into the water. I tried to grab her, which very nearly meant I was going in too…
Honestly, can you imagine the two of us standing in the stream, holding our cameras above our heads trying to save them?
Part of me kind of wishes it happened — purely for the content!
We then took a wander over to the main part of the reservoir — and somehow, the sun came out even more.
The water was absolutely beautiful, and honestly, I was kicking myself wondering why I’d never thought to come here sooner.
We managed to get everyone into the water for another group shot, and we’d asked dancers to wear colour for this part — which worked perfectly, as they really popped against the reflections on the water.
After that, we went back to our original flow, with Eilidh and I splitting the dancers between us again. We both started shooting in the water, but quickly realised the dancers were getting splashed while others were mid-shot — so we adjusted. Eilidh moved over to a little spot under a bridge, while I stayed in the water and rock area.
.
The sun was definitely working with me… but also slightly against me at times (especially with flash 😂), but honestly, the results turned out so beautifully that I can’t complain.
I then moved above the bridge for a different perspective before swapping with Eilidh and heading underneath — which, by the way, my flash absolutely loved thanks to the shade.
By this point, a few ambassadors had started to head off — and to be fair, we hadn’t even realised we’d been shooting for around three and a half hours. We ended with a final four dancers, grabbed one last group shot, and then made our way back home after such a full and creative day.
Overall, it was such a lovely day from start to finish — full of creativity, laughter, and some truly special moments that I’ll definitely remember. It’s days like this that remind me why I love what I do so much, and I already can’t wait to create something like this again.
I’m so excited to hopefully collaborate with Eilidh again in the future, and if you haven’t already seen her work, make sure to check her out on Instagram — @eilidhsphotography 🤍
