2nd August 2026
So, Rob, what is your favourite camera?
Well… this… my Fujica GSW690 medium format, film, rangefinder. It is an absolute beast of a camera - big, heavy and very, very loud. It is entirely mechanical, there are no batteries other than the rechargable Keks lightmeter that I have stuck on top (and I have just noticed needs to be recharged!).
It is between 41 and 46 years old, it cost me rather more than anticipated as it was imported from Japan and I was hit with quite a lot of charges to bring it into the UK and it is hugely expensive to run as I get 8 frames per film which cost between £6.50 and upwards of £20 per roll! The images are beautiful though from it’s fixed 28mm (equivalent) lens and the negatives are huge (although not as large as my 6×17 monster which makes running even this look cheap with it’s 4 frames per roll!)
Why is this my photo for today then? Well… I have been thinking a lot about the gear I use and trying to build a daily carrying system that covers all my bases - and trying to decide how that should look. My main cameras are the Z7II and ZR for work, with a 14mm prime, 14-24 zoom and 24-70 zoom. Those are the “non negotiables”. Then I add in the Fujifilm GFX 100RF, which is effectively the digital twin to this - and it becoming my “notebook” to plan my analogue photography and create additional works to go with those prints - which will be created on this and the 617. The latter is too big for a daily carry, it is beautiful - but it is a bit of a faff. So this needs to fit into my daily kit!
At the moment this isn’t really possible - I am trying to determine how I carry stuff too. My ThinkTank shoulder bags, whilst lovely, are too small so I am working with a PYGTECH backpack at the moment - and have a lovely Compagnolo coming in the next couple of days - which I am rather excited by as it has 3 seperate camera cubes included which I can switch out and keep fully loaded with different equipment. This should, in theory, allow me to tailor my bag quickly between different scenarios.
This is the theory anyway!
4th August 2026
Has anybody found the summer? Can we all check down the back of the sofa?
Yes, it has been another absolutely miserable, dreich, day in the Highlands - which seems to have been more or less the status quo for the entire of the summer so far! I noticed that the radiators had turned on last night!
This isn’t stopping the work coming in though and it looks like a pretty busy week, although I can see Friday being re-arranged as most of the jobs I have lined up require decent weather and, looking at the forecast, I am honestly not sure when we are going to find any.
1st August 2026
Today is Lughnasadh, the mid point between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox, the mid point of the season of summer. Usually around now everything gets much, much darker green and the photography interest in the landscape starts to deminish… unless we get some good storms! The evenings are getting earlier again though which makes sunsets at a more reasonable time!
It’s been a busy summer so far with the first half of the school holidays showing no let up as it traditional within the property market, so we shall see how the last almost 3 weeks pans out before the market traditionally wakes up on the run up to autumn.
There isn’t much other news today. It has been a bit of a slow one with Belladrum on and a general feeling of exhausting. This last week was a bit of a nightmare with my punctured tyre rearranging everything into a couple of days - next week sees more disruption as I am in for fresh tyres on Monday and then the week after I am in for a wheel refinish which will create more chaos!
3rd August 2026
The Highland “summer” just keeps on giving! Another cool, wet and dreich kind of day today. I spent the morning finally getting my tyres sorted out - which was, obviously, a cheap way to spend the morning… or not. But they are done, and we are now shod with All Season tyres, the same as are on the Dacia - although the Ford does have a touch more power and weight to deal with - but I have high hopes from them keeping me out the ditch this winter.
There was just time to rattle off a couple of drone jobs whilst the weather wasn’t too bad before heading on to Loch Flemmington to shoot a property. The weather held just about long enough to get everything done!
This week is not looking too bad. A lot quieter than of late, other than Friday that is… Friday is going to hurt!
