Princes Street Gardens is one of Edinburgh's most recognisable green spaces, sitting right in the heart of the city beneath Edinburgh Castle. Despite its central location, the gardens offer plenty of greenery, seasonal colour and quieter corners that work beautifully for relaxed couple photography. For this pre-wedding photo session we spent some time wandering through the gardens, using the trees, pathways and views towards Edinburgh Castle as our backdrop. I always prefer couple sessions to feel relaxed rather than like a formal photo shoot, so we simply walked, chatted and stopped for photographs along the way.

One of the lovely things about photographing in Princes Street Gardens is how much the location changes throughout the year. Spring flowers, summer greenery and autumn colours can completely transform the surroundings, while Edinburgh Castle rising above the gardens gives the photographs an unmistakable sense of place. And of course, this is Edinburgh, so the weather doesn't always follow the plan! Changing light, clouds or even a little rain don't have to spoil a session. I work with whatever the day gives us, looking for beautiful light, colour and natural moments between the two of you.

Couple sessions are also a great opportunity for us to spend some time together before the wedding. There is no pressure to perform for the camera – it's simply a relaxed hour exploring a location you love and creating photographs that feel natural to you. These two later celebrated their wedding at the historic Traquair House in the Scottish Borders.