December 2023

Light Up The Night

On the winter solstice or shortest day I was photographing some local landmarks that were lit up in a bright green colour for the NSPCC.  The landmarks across Scotland shone green on the longest night of the year in support of the NSPCC and its Childline counselling service. It was a super assignment. It can be difficult because if the light is too bright the green doesn’t show and if its too dark there is no detail in the sky, but if you time it right  its can work well. My shot at the Kibble Palace in The Botanic Gardens in Glasgow had a good sky. It was light enough to see the shape of the roof. It was quite dark when I got to the Falkirk Wheel but I was lucky as the building was so well lit I could see all the shapes of the structure.

What a Night For a Hoolie

I spent a morning with musician and broadcaster Gary Innes, I often listen to his Take The Floor programme on BBC Radio Scotland and have seen him perform with the Celtic rock band Manran. He was with musicians Julie Fowlis, Iain Bayne and  Brian Hurren from Runrig. We were doing the photo call for the The Hoolie in the Hydro a concert, which was Scotland’s single biggest night of traditional music to have ever taken place. The night had 10,000 tickets sold. The entire performance was recorded and broadcast the day after the gig on BBC ALBA. I watched it myself snd it was fantastic.

It’s Panto Time

I was fortunate enough to be asked once again to come along and photograph the dress rehearsal of the Pavilion Theatre pantomime Treasure Island. Those keen eyed blog readers will remember I was with the cast last month as we did the photocall in a pirate ship inside the Blue Lagoon fish & chip restaurant. It was a super show with amazing new lights. I have never seen a stage so bright. I saw the same show two nights later for the press night and I thought perhaps I would not enjoy it as much having seen it before, but so much was new to me. I think that was because I was concentrating on taking pictures rather than listening to the dialogue.

It’s In The Stones

I joined the Lord Provost of Glasgow as she unveiled the University of Glasgow’s memorial to Adam Smith, located at the original site of the University of Glasgow on High Street. The University of Glasgow had commissioned the engraving of five paving stones on the High Street site, where it was based from 1451 to 1870, as part of its efforts to commemorate the 300th anniversary of its famous former student. The University of Glasgow students admiring the paving stones are Ashley Chai, Alessandro Peacock and Prajjwal Prajjwal

Juniors Up There With the Seniors

December has been such a musical  as well as festive month. Firstly, I was photographing the Junior Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra Christmas concert , ‘A Saturday Night at the Movies –  A Celebration of the music of Patrick Doyle’. Patrick has reached a musical milestone by becoming a Patron of the Junior Conservatoire. They were magnificent. Really up there with the best. Have a read at the fun story on the Conservatoire’s website 
https://www.rcs.ac.uk/patrick-doyle-junior-conservatoire-music/

Music From the Movies on Christmas Day

I was in the City Halls in Glasgow for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s annual festive performance of ‘Christmas at the Movies’. Singer Jamie MacDougal presented and Roderick Dunk conducted the programme of sumptuous sounds from Hollywood’s Golden Age. It was fantastic. There were audience members up dancing by the end. 
The show was recorded for broadcasting on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Sounds on Christmas Day. I tuned in to listen on my way to collect our Christmas Day curry. Like a curry it was even nicer second time round too.

The Snowman with Hugh Dennis

The Snowman is such a lovely and a bit of a bittersweet story. I was photographing one of my favourite actor & comedian Hugh Dennis, who was reading the story from the film accompanied by the sublime Royal Scottish National Orchestra at The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for the Christmas Concert featuring the film The Snowman. As with the BBC SSO musicians they all got their Christmas hats on for the performance to put everyone in a really festive mood.