The Infrared Evolution: Upgrading the Sony DCR-TRV140E rig

It's fair to say that when a vintage piece of kit enters the MO2W HQ, it rarely stays in its basic out-of-the-box state for long. The Sony DCR-TRV140E Digital8 camcorder - handpicked for its unique ability to bypass modern internal IR-cut filters - has officially been standard-issued into the fleet. But to truly unlock its potential as a tool for the upcoming "Man of 2 Worlds" projects, a few precise tactical acquisitions were required from the digital high street.

Life in the Slow Lane: Nine months post-social media and the radical art of analogue living

It is now nigh on nine months since staging a dramatic jailbreak from the digital panopticon. Back in October 2025, I finally called time on the endless, soul-sapping scroll and stepped away from social media.

​Breaking the Deadpan: A Sunday morning exercise in Kilmarnock

​Tomorrow morning, while most of Ayrshire is still firmly tucked under their duvets, I will be slipping into Kilmarnock. The goal is to be on the streets by 5:30 am. It’s a tactical choice; at that hour, the pesky people and troublesome traffic haven't yet arrived to clutter up my framing. I’m looking for a clean, silent, and entirely empty slate.

Stripping Away the Drama: An introduction to Deadpan Photography

There is a common misconception in photography that to make an image powerful, it has to be dripping with drama. We chase the golden hour, we hunt for explosive contrast, and we angle our lenses to create dynamic, emotional narratives. But lately, I’ve been drawn to a completely opposite philosophy. A genre that looks you dead in the eye, refuses to smile, and demands that you look at the world exactly as it is.

Welcome to the world of deadpan photography.

Shadows, Shutter Speeds, and the Two-Dial Logic: The TTArtisan Light Meter II

There is a distinct vulnerability to shooting vintage film, especially when you’re standing on a windswept hillside in the Highlands with the cloud cover changing every thirty seconds. You set up your shot, you look through the viewfinder, and then comes the great calculation: Is this 1/128th of a second? Am I pulling enough detail out of those moody Scottish shadows?