Mum & Chicks Stop the Traffic

I was walking from Blythswood Square to my car and a pal of mine sees this mummy duck with her duckling chicks walking along the street heading down to cross Bath Street and Sauchiehall Street. People were watching with a bit of in trepidation of how safe this walk was. Amazingly everyone was so kind looking out for them.  Someone had pushed the crossing button and all the traffic stopped to let them cross. Not one impatient or angry toot. I put the post on Facebook and Instagram. I have never had a post go so far and wide. Its had 1.2 thousand shares and over 700 likes and comments. Lost Glasgow shared it and it went totally viral.

Famous Faces at Royal Conservatoir of Scotland Graduations

I had an amazing assignment for the Royal Conservatoir of Scotland. It was graduation time and I had the pleasure of photographing the Honorary Doctorates. We had the new Dr Who Ncuti Gatwa, Sam Heughan from Outlander and internationally celebrated composer, singer-songwriter and educator Errollyn Wallen.

They were all so nice and friendly. Being a big Dr Who fan I was really looking forward to meeting Ncuti. I was even more delighted when Prada asked to use my picture on their Instagram page as he was dressed head to toe in the designer label. Here is a link to that page.

Nice To Be All Back Together

After lockdown it was so nice to be back with the fab Chivas Graduates. A really lovely bunch. I was visiting them at their new offices at Blythswood Square. They had returned from their postings all around the world. Its amazing to see so much enthusiasm all in the one room.

Royal National Mòd 2022

I had an interesting trip to Perth this month for the launch of the Royal National Mòd 2022. The event brings a dazzling display of Gaelic music and culture to city. We had a fab bunch of local young musicians to help us with the photo call for the programme of fringe performances ahead of October event.

Brother & sister James and Elizabeth were so enthusiastic during the photo session. It was great to get a lovely show of pictures in The Herald, The Scotsman and The National.

A Good Day for a Long Drive

I had a trip to Carradale near Campbelltown, Argyle. I did not realise how far away Campbeltown is or what a beautiful part of the world it is.

I was down to photograph artist Rhona Taylor with some local school children for a news feature on a public art exhibition celebrating the work of Scottish novelist, poet and playwright Naomi Mitchison, which will open in Glasgow this autumn. The children were involved in one of the  free creative workshops with communities located on the Clyde estuary.

As part of the celebrations for Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022, provider of creative spaces, Wasps, the Clyde Fishermen’s Trust, and award-winning multidisciplinary artist Rhona Taylor have been collaborating with community groups in Carradale, Tarbert and Glasgow. The locations mark the traditional fishing route along the Clyde to The Briggait, which once served as Scotland’s largest fish market and is now operated by Wasps as a major arts centre. 

It had been forecast heavy rain all day but thankfully the skies were clear for the duration of our pictures.

Sunset on Another Year

I do look forward to our trips to Tiree. It always makes for some super landscape and wildlife pictures. There is one spot I will rush off too. The beach at Sunset from Balevullin is a great spot to sit at. With the long summer evenings my sunset didn’t come until nearly 11pm.

Looking Up at the Arc

Just before the Covid lockdown of 2020 I was up on the roof of the structure that was being built within the University of Glasgow near the site of the former Western Infirmary. Two years and three months later I had the pleasure of covering the official opening of the Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre or the ARC Building as it has become known. It’s amazing looking inside. I was photographing the Chancellor of the University of Glasgow Dame Katharine Grainger, and Tawona Sithole, the UESCO Poet in Residence. Everyone’s eyes were drawn to the fantastic lights.

Skylark IX Day of Stories

It was ne of the warmest days of June that I was down at the Sottish Maritime Museum’s, Denny Tank at Dumbarton. The Skylark Recovery Project was having a Year of Stories event to celebrate all that had been accomplished in the last year throughout the Lockdowns of 2020-21. They achieved some great things for service users and the community. Including delivering a programme of VE Day and Dunkirk commemorative activities, teaching people in recovery how to build boats and bringing creative crafting activity to people at home with our Skylark Lockdown Patchwork Quilt. One of the boatbuilders who I photographed on the day was Jae Bradley the Boatbuilding Project Leader. Jae has been teaching the boat building with skills he learned from the The GalGael Trust. I loved his cool hair, colourful jumper and boots.

There was a great picture of the whole team at the end of the day. What a super bunch. I have really enjoyed sharing their year.

Sunset on Another Year

Jojo Gnome at Tiree Primary School

When we were on Tiree , my better half Jo Hall, visited Tiree Primary to do a story workshop based around maths and numbers for Primary 1. The children enjoyed JoJo Gnome number stories, met Ella the Elf who is a whizz at maths and did some dancing with Robyn the Counting Robot. The children also worked with Jo on their own counting stories, in both English and Gaelic. Check them out at http://www.jojognome.com. The story made The Herald, The Oban Times and the local An Tirisdeach newspaper too.