February 2021

Super Soaps

With all the hand washing over the last year because of Coronavirus my hands have never been so clean.  My selection and choice of soaps has never been as varied. When The Herald business department asked me to visit to take a picture for The Herald’s Entrepreneur campaign of a soap maker I was delighted. Especially when they have a soap called Gin & Tonic. I met founder Ashley Paton who started the company in 2015, with her partner Sean. We had a tight deadline to take the picture, which as a newspaper person I though was due to an editorial deadline. In actual fact Ashley was due to give birth within a couple of days. I was delighted to see that baby Oisin was born just a few days later. 

Brooch in a Box

With another selection of the popular ‘Brooches in a Box’ I had the opportunity to get out my close up 100mm macro lens. Its perfect for product photography as well as portraits. Sometimes its nice to move away from the studio environment to outside locations. Natural moss growing in a garden is a lovely backdrop. So nice and natural with lots of detail in the texture of its surface … the texture of the brooches showed up well too. Mind you not the best job when it’s raining.

What a Change in the Weather

On Stage with Sydney Devine

I was really saddened to hear of the passing of legendary singer Sydney Devine. Watching the news interviews with the fans who loved him was quite something. I remember Rikki Fulton sketches poking fun at him singing Tiny Bubbles. The sketch featuring the Phantom of the Opera even had Syd at the end of the sketch singing his famous song. The folk at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow really felt it as it was almost his stage home. Many people were laying flowers outside the theatre. Ian Gordon the theatre manger and good friend of Sydney, brought the flowers inside laid them on the stage floor and put a microphone with pictures. The stage was set, lights and spotlights were added as if he was about to perform. I was asked to come in and photograph the stage. Every time I am in the Pavilion I always think of all the performances over the years on that stage. If only it could talk.

Young Traditional Musician of the Year

I was delighted to see the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of 2021 named as Michael Biggins. The pianist from Glasgow won at the socially distant event in BBC’s Pacific Quay building. I loved listening to the performances on the programme Travelling Folk. I had a really lovely day photographing all the finalists and listening to them perform. I really miss live music and this was a delight to hear. I must say I thought they were all brilliant.