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!!!).

A Wee Tribute to Pat Van: Our little campervan with the massive heart

Well, it’s high time I put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, as it were) and shared a proper look back at the little chap who consumed a good six months of our lives: Pat Van.

My Little Nev: Conquering the Scottish skies (one gust at a time!!!)

It’s been a few days since I’ve put fingers to keyboard, but I wanted to share some thoughts about a rather exciting (and occasionally bewildering) addition I made to my kit a few months ago: my DJI Neo, affectionately known as Nev Drone (or just Nev for short).

​Stepping out into the sunshine: Three weeks off social media and feeling fantastic!!!

​Well, it’s been three weeks now since I decided to step away from social media, and honestly, the change has been nothing short of transformative. I wanted to share a little update because, quite frankly, I feel like a different person – and a much better one at that!!!

A day among giants: The mystical Callanish Stones

You know, sometimes you plan a trip to a place you've seen in a book or on an album cover, and you just hope it lives up to the image in your head. For me, that place has always been the Callanish Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis. Even though I did manage to get to see them some 40 years ago, being a fan of Ultravox's "Lament" album for years – and that iconic imagery – finally getting back to see them was a bit of a pilgrimage.

The Great Unwind: one week out and how I'm really "trolling the scroll"......

It's been exactly one week since I made the deliberate, philosophical choice to step away from social media, and I can say this without a shred of doubt:

it’s working.

The Intentional Backpack: why my minimalist kit is essential for the Scottish Highlands at sixty

There’s a certain weight to experience, and I don’t just mean the cumulative knowledge gained from years behind the camera. I mean the physical weight. The Scottish Highlands and Islands - from the serrated ridges of the Cuillins to the vast, moody expanses of the Outer Hebrides - demand effort. They require you to climb, traverse, and often scramble. For a long time, I approached these landscapes with a hefty bag, convinced that redundancy was security. I carried two DSLR bodies, five lenses, and enough accessories to open a small shop.

I bought a VERY cheap Lubitel 166B medium format 120 film camera............I don't know why!!!

Right, let’s be honest, getting older is a bit like having a silent partner who insists on constantly raising the interest rate on your physical debt. You hit a certain age - let’s call it the hitting six-decade milestone - and suddenly, the years themselves start exerting a proper, non-negotiable gravitational pull. For most folk, this means slowing down, perhaps taking a sensible, prudent step back from life’s extremes.

Dezzy Bee............Dezzy what???!!!

Say hello to Dezzy Bee, my trusty companion and personal Crimson Highland Cruiser!!!

He's a little bright red 2012 Suzuki Swift, and honestly, he's quite the character.

Right now, Dez is the reliable little engine taking me to the most fabulous landscapes my adopted home of Scotland has to offer.