⚡About Sam: Primary Wedding Photographer at Tower Photography⚡

female wedding photographer in portrait with victorian wedding dress thowing a peace sign and making a face

My name is Sam

I’m the administrative and creative force behind Tower Photography. You’ll typically have me as your primary photographer and mine is the first face you’ll see in the enquiry process.

An Alternative Photographer for Alternative Weddings

I shoot weddings because the value of my own wedding photos. I got married in 2016, and in 2017 my mum passed away. The photos of her taken by our wedding photographer are some of my most cherished mementos. It’s important for me to be able to do that for my couples.

I use a blended approach to shoot in documentary, editorial, traditional, and fine art styles. Documentary photos tend to be your reception, your ceremony, and your prep. Editorial and fine art photos are largely your detail photos, couples portraits, and solo portraits. Finally, I use a fairly traditional style to shoot group photos and the wedding party.

At weddings and celebrations, I tend to be like an addition to the wedding party. I regularly steam dresses, pin on buttonholes, sew buttons or tears, fetch drinks, make sure everyone is fed, etc. I’m also wildly prepared! I bring my Mary Poppins Wedding Basket complete with steamer, sewing kit, plasters, sun cream, bug spray, wipes, super glue, stain remover, sharpies, sparklers, spare petal confetti, batteries, and soooo much more.

My priorities at each event are as follows:

All ‘must have’ photos are accounted for
At least one fantastic candid photo of every guest
At least two photos that will happily surprise a couple
Capture every big moment

Okay, but who am I?

I’m a jack of all trades and I’ve lived many lives. For instance, on top of being a photographer, I am an actress, a published writer and poet, a published scholar and academic, an activist, and a podcast host. I am a queer, neurodivergent immigrant (US) and a mum who spends the days chasing after my five year old and trying to workout; at night, or during otherwise stolen time, I write, read, watch TV and films, play video games, and once a week, I’m a half-elf sorceress.

Similarly, I love Studio Ghibli films, Final Fantasy games, and generally a whole lot of nerdy stuff. I am an avid reader, reading about 100 books on average every year, and have two first-class degrees in literature. Vampires, tigers, classic art, the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, and photography are some of my passions.

When it comes to music, I embody the cliché: ‘I like everything’. Seriously, from top of the charts to heavy metal, classic rock, opera, blues, jazz, and even a bit of country. Some favourite artists are Fiona Apple, Modest Mouse, TOOL, Atmosphere, and Patsy Cline.

Female photographer takes a photo in Glasgow Merchant City with pride flag in background

A bit of history…

Throughout my life, I was fortunate enough, and maybe also impulsive enough, to live all over the USA. Between Arizona, Montana, Los Angeles, Texas, and Oklahoma, I’ve managed to live and travel accross a a majority of the country.

In 2013 I moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Cambridge to get my BAh, and while I fell in love with the UK, I also fell in love with my partner (a fellow American, if you can believe the coincidence). For our honeymoon we came to Scotland and we knew right away that this was home. Then, in 2017 we moved to Aberdeen. Work subsequently brought us to Glasgow in 2020, which was just about ten minutes before the first lockdown!

Wedding Photographer posing in front of train station in glasgow scotland

Love is art come to life

Photography is a passion that came later in my life. Now, I have been a wedding photographer in Glasgow for nearly 4 years, over 60 weddings, shot at many of the most popular wedding venues. And, I’ve enjoyed every second of it. Photographing weddings, anniversaries, and births is the most significant honour and it is massively fulfilling. Above all, every event and every client gets my undivided attention and focus.

Furthermore, when I have a break in wedding bookings, I actively take workshops and courses given by other industry pros. Through this, and working creatively in my home studio and studio spaces around Glasgow, I am able to hone my skills and creativity for my couples.

If you’d like to see some of my creative photography outside of weddings, you can browse here.

You can learn more about my team members here.

If you’re planning an alternative wedding and I sound like your type of person, reach out here to see if we’re a perfect fit for your day.