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?

The Return of the Blue and Silver Brick: Welcoming the Sony DCR-TRV140E

There is a distinct pleasure in bucking the trends. While the modern world obsessively chases more pixels, crisper formats, and algorithmic perfection, my creative home here on the blog has always been about something different: texture, atmosphere, and the joy of the process.

The Logistics of Landscape: Saying goodbye to Dezzy Bee and rethinking the Mobile HQ

There is a distinct difference between what we want to do and what we ought to do. In the creative life, balancing the romantic pull of a fresh DIY project against the ground realities of landscape ethics and financial sanity is a constant, shifting equation.

The Man of 2 Worlds: More than just a YouTube title......

If you’ve been following my recent creative shifts, you’ll have seen the moniker "Man of 2 Worlds" popping up. It’s a title I’ve given to a series of silent videos I'm in the process of creating, but as I sit here in the Ayrshire quiet, reflecting on where I am at 60, I’ve realised it’s much more than a branding exercise. It’s a philosophy. It’s a way of standing with one foot in the digital future and the other in the soulful, analogue past.

Rick Ranger: The New Kid on the (Vintage) Block

Well, it finally happened. The postie arrived with a package that felt a bit more substantial than the usual Amazon fluff. Inside, wrapped in enough bubble wrap to survive a fall from the top of the Buachaille, was the latest recruit to the Fellowes Photography squad: Rick Ranger.

The "Surgical Strike" at 3 AM: A Man of 2 Worlds collaboration resurrecting the editing rig

Well, it’s officially happened. After a ten-year hiatus from the world of PC building, I’ve finally emerged from a cloud of anti-static bags and thermal paste with a working machine. But this wasn't a solo mission. In the true spirit of Man of 2 Worlds, this build was a full-blown collaboration between yours truly and my AI collaborator, Gemini.

The "Surgical Strike": Giving My Digital Darkroom a Heart Transplant

There’s a certain stillness you get when you’re out with a camera, be it the Canon M100, 60D or the Agfa Isolette, waiting for the light to hit a Scottish glen just right. It’s patient, it’s quiet, and it’s intentional. My PC, on the other hand, had recently decided to be none of those things.

The Grand Waterfalls and Mountains of Glencoe Adventure March 2026 - Part Three: The Long Way Home and the Magnet Marathon

If Day Two was about "The Drift," Day Three was the "Grand Side-Track."

I woke up at the Clachaig Inn after another night of deep, mountain-air-fuelled sleep. One final, hearty Full Scottish breakfast later (the fuel tank was full, even if the wallet was about to take a hit), I pointed Dezzy Bee East. I was supposed to be heading home to Galston, but Glencoe wasn't quite finished with me yet.

The Grand Waterfalls and Mountains of Glencoe Adventure March 2026 - Part Two: The Art of Getting Side-Tracked and a Conversation with Frogs

If Day One was about the "Quest," Day Two was about the "Drift."

After a night of sleep so deep I think I may have actually become part of the mattress at the Clachaig Inn, I fuelled up on a legendary Full Scottish Breakfast, and had enough energy to power Dezzy Bee halfway to Fort William. The plan? More water, more light, and absolutely no rush.

The Grand Waterfalls and Mountains of Glencoe Adventure March 2026 - Part One: The Waterfall Quest

Chasing the Glencoe Five (Well, Four): A Masterclass in Mud, Magic, and Mental Healing

They say the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and in my case, "men" includes a red Suzuki Swift named Dezzy Bee and a fleet of drones with a mind of their own.

I’d planned for the Isle of Skye, but the weather gods had other ideas. Instead, I took a leaf out of Karl Griffin’s book (from the Glencoe Photography YouTube channel) and decided to tackle his "Top 5 Waterfalls in Glencoe." I ended up with four, a pair of very wet "Welly Bootuns," and a mental massage that I didn't realise I desperately needed.

The Glencoe Five: Chasing Waterfalls and Tactical Patience

There is a specific kind of madness that takes over a photographer when the Scottish weather turns sour for forty-eight hours. You sit, you stare at the rain lashing the window, and you start plotting. Yesterday and today were washouts in the fair county of Ayrshire (and pretty much all of Scotland actually!!!), but there was a very definite case of the silver lining? It gave me enough time to sit down with my digital collaborators and map out a proper Highland escape.

The Evolution of My Video Rig: Welcome to the Ozzie Pop Era

If you're a regular reader, you'll know that I've been on a bit of a journey lately. A "creative pivot," if you like. I've been deeply immersed in the world of photography for years, focusing on capturing the still, silent beauty of places like the Southern Lowlands and the Ayrshire coast. But recently, a niggling thought became a roaring idea: I want to capture the movement. I want to capture the wind in the heather, the flow of the Allt na Reidh, and the feeling of that 7 am drive into the Mennock Pass.

The New View From Above: My DJI Mini 3 has landed (and boy, is it a cracker!!!)

It’s been a little while.

The day job has been positively buzzing and so busy, and frankly, my mind has been a bit consumed with all it entails being a professional embalmer. But something rather exciting landed on my doorstep recently, something that’s pulled my gaze away from the virtual modular rack and firmly towards the skies (and the bogs, it seems!!!).

Dusting Off a Digital Dinosaur: Why my old Fujifilm FinePix S2950 is still a star in 2026

If you’ve been following my antics, you’ll know I’ve been well and truly in "butterfly mode" lately. What does that mean? It means I've been rummaging through old gear, rediscovering forgotten passions, and generally letting my curiosity lead the way. And today, that journey led me straight back to an old friend: my trusty Fujifilm FinePix S2950.