2nd February 2026
I was early to this morning’s first job, and since nobody was about, I popped down the road to try and scratch a photography itch! The Nairn Viaduct has been defeating me lately as I couldn’t get the angles I needed to really show the full structure. If you can’t do it from the ground though, perhaps the air?
I am quite pleased with how it came out - maybe not my definitive version, but it’s a step in the right direction!
1st February 2026
So, the start of a new month and a fairly low-key day with just some chicken coop cleaning, laundry and household chores to attend to. And chasing the accountant! I have decided that I am going to switch to Quickbooks for 26/27 to try and simplify my financial life and also come compliant for MTD, which may also be a good time to go VAT registered too as everything will be under one roof and, with a bit of luck, I can more or less automate everything… perhaps!
So plans for this month… I thought it would be a fairly quiet one but with a client extending a current offer for another month I am starting to think it’s going to be carrying on where January left off! This may reduce the chances of me getting out on any adventures to shoot some landscapes, but it does make the annual bottom line look somewhat healthier - which may mean I can start looking to upgrade and replace some kit earlier than otherwise. All good then!
The month has started on a milder note than January and this week is looking undramatic if overcast. I am starting to wonder if the first fornight of the year was our winter, we are into the brown/grey days now… but spring is on it’s way!
4th February 2026
It’s been a very flat, grey and generally miserable kind of a day today. I went to go and check out a scene that I have visited before and then discounted for being too overgrown, but I think there is something here worth taking a bit more time over!
6th February 2026
The week has ended on a quiet note, but it’s been a pretty good few days… I hit my weekly target anyway, although didn’t get far over the line, but I am happy enough with that both for the start of the month and for February. Things tend to start hotting up towards the end of the month anyway, and this time of year also sees the market heating up as we head towards spring!
So today my only task was to pop into town and buy some chicken feed. There was little in the way of good light to be had, so I stopped off at Loch Laide on the way home (a slight diversion) to revisit one of my favourite local scenes. The red roof just gives that nice little splash of colour on a dull day.
Things are looking good moving forward though - it looks like there may be more work coming out west, and I love an excuse to head out into that dramatic landscape!
3rd February 2026
It's been one of those brown/grey February days again. There was just no colour to be had so I went for a mono shot of Coiltie Bridge for today.
Been a reasonably busy day though, so not all bad at all!
5th February 2026
Sometimes a photograph comes out of nowhere - I spotted the turquoise colours in the waters of Loch Broom on the way back from Ullapool as the sun broke through the clouds lighting it up so stopped to pop the drone up to try and make a photograph of it.
The pickup pulled out of the layby at just the right moment to add that little extra element to the whole scene!
Not what I planned for today - but I love it!
8th February 2026
It’s been a grey day again today - there was a hint of something worth shooting this morning, but we had a party to attend with our youngest. Then a little catch up with the skiing action from the Olympics (I can’t quite get over the tragic end to Lyndsey Vonn’s campaign - that was such a great story in the making).
The sky started to brighten again this evening so I have some hope for tomorrow, but the forecast for this week, and indeed right to the start of March, is not looking all that great. I am sure we will have some breaks in the cloud, but overall it is looking like a dissapointing end to a winter that never really lived up to it’s expectations.
12th February 2026
The first snowdrops I have seen this year - and that first tangible sign that spring is on it’s way!
Absolutely shattered today, just a small job in Beauly and a floorplan tomorrow to round off a quiet week. Next is looking promising to see a bit more work at the moment, so we will see how things go. I could use a decent end to this month!
14th February 2026
Not a very exciting day today - a trip into town, a spot of lunch and some shopping… home for a movie and a chilled out evening.
The imposter syndome has been running riot this last week, it’s been too quiet and my mind goes off to the worryzone when it’s like this. But I have some ideas that need to be investigated anyway - so with the boys off most of next week I will get planning and then start to actually work on my “big project” properly as soon as I can. I want to incorporate a lot more video work in with this - it’s going to become something of a multi-headed monster I feel!
I don’t entirely expect this to make me any real money, this is all about the art of what I do combined with the passions I have and a fair degree of soul searching too I should think.
16th February 2026
Today has been very, very painful. It has also been miserable in terms of weather, other than a short spell tonight on the way back from the podiatrist (not for me, although it probably should have been!)
Needs be that I couldn’t face walking far from the car so we stopped in the lay-by overlooking Urquhart Bay to take today’s photo!
This morning’s job was completed though, and the edit has been pretty slow as making a very wet scene look something like appealing has been a bit of a labour of love.
18th February 2026
It’s been a pretty quiet day today - just the one job, although that one was a sizeable property in Tornagrain! The weather was stunning though so I went for a wee bit of a mooch to see if I could try and photograph something of the character of this new and rapidly expending settlement just outside Inverness!
It’s hard to accept that prior to 2018 this whole village didn’t actually exist, it has that feeling of permenance about it already, helped by the very traditional architecture - it feels like Haddington near Edinburgh!
The cafe is supposed to be fantastic, but for Lent we have decided to follow the Fast800 diet and a single item from here would probably see my daily budget obliterated!
20th February 2026
Just one more week of February to go... and I am so looking forward to March! A change in the weather, some warmth... some light... all are things that I am now really looking forward to!
Today has been pretty grim out, so this morning's shoot has been a bit of a battle to get sorted out! It's been a pretty good week though, and I have made a start on putting together some new portfolios for the website as I think it's time for a good refresh! I probably won't do much for a few weeks in terms of changing it up mind as I have archived a lot of material to force me to use new work for it!
I did manage a quite throw the drone up whilst it isn't raining shot over Drum for today though!
22nd February 2026
We finally made it to Inverness Castle for a long overdue family day out today. The Highland Experience is absolutely worth a look - it’s clever and well designed and does give a good primer for the culture and natural history of the region whilst being light on history in many areas. It was pleasing to see that the part played by Highlanders in the slave trade was highlighted though, along with a passing reference to the witch trials and Highland Clearances. I would have liked a lot more on all these aspects, but perhaps there is a better place for all that?
The view from the top of the castle was fantastic though, probably the finest view of the city that I have yet found, even with the rain coming through (possibly helped, to be honest, as it provided some interesting light!)
26th February 2026
It has been a funny old day today in weather terms. Heavy rain all morning made me glad that my two morning drone jobs were rescheduled to next week - then our for a full house shoot in Balloch and the sun came out just for long enough to get everything done. On the way home - rain again - with one of the brightest rainbows I have ever seen! By the time I got to Drumnadrochit the rainbows were gone but the sunlight was illuminating the low cloud and rain with some lovely warm hues!
7th February 2026
It’s been a dull day outside again - and I haven’t really been anywhere! A late night last night and then most of the day catching the Olympics Opening Ceremony from last night has seen the day done.
Nicely busy week though, next is currently a wee bit thin but hopefully that will turn around quickly once people start back. I could use at least another 4 jobs to come in as it stands.
10th February 2026
I am flying solo today and tomorrow, so a little tied up! Just the one quick job today though, and a bit of admin, but I did manage to swing by Dunlichty on the way back after finishing off in Inverness. This watch house has been fascinating me for ages, but I don’t think I have actually photographed it properly until now!
I am on a bit of a Black and White drive at the moment, partially to get my brain into gear for my analogue based Highland Clearances project, and partially as I am just finding the medium is resonating with me at present. My commercial work is generally in colour so it makes a nice differentiation!
9th February 2026
Croick Church sits at the end of Strath Cuileannach in Easter Ross. The road ends just past the church so the strath can only be explored by foot, horse or bike - something I will have to do one of these days as there are a good few old settlements dotted along it's length.
This is an ancient place, the rubble mound behind the church is an Iron Age broch, although there is little to really see of it - the views from there down into Strathcarron are commanding though, showing how strong a position this would have been in antiquity.
Croick Church itself is a fairly important place in the history of the Highland Clearances, and somewhere that I have been meaning to visit for some time. In itself it is a good example of one of Thomas Telford's designs for the parliamentary churches following the 1823 "Parliamentary Act for Building Additional Places of Worship in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland", and construction here started in 1825 to look after the 200 parishioners - in 1843 that number had diminished to 10 as the glen was depopulated to make way for sheep. 80 of those displaced residents made camp in the church yard making a shelter from poles and tarps, and they scratched messages into the glass panes of the windows which can still be seen today.
It is a rather poignient place, particularly on a day such as this.
11th February 2026
It’s a slow week this week, which is not a bad thing as I am really run down and exhausted. I was going to go out on a shoot today but the weather is a bit rubbish so that is pushed back to tomorrow (hopefully ahead of the forecast snow, there is a bright spell in the middle of the day I want to hit!), and my plans of supermarket/Ffordes also got pushed back.
With the schools off for a few days next week it is not suprising that things are quiet, people tend to hold off on the run up and during the holidays - a couple of things may crop up for next week (I think I have a couple booked in as it stands) and then my hopes for the month are pinned onto a bumper final week before we hit March and the spring surge (hopefully) materialises!
For today, though, here are some chickens!
13th February 2026
Loch na Bà Ruiadhe on a cold February morning, there was overnight snow at home so I thought heading up the Culnakirk would just bring me more of it, and deeper. The light was stunning so I had high hopes….
There was nearly no snow at all! This is higher than us, and only a mile or so away! It was quite a suprise!
Anyway, just a floorplan and siteplan to do today. It’s been a pretty slow week so I think I need to think about drumming up some work next week, particularly if it proves as quiet as this.
15th February 2026
Today was a massive spring clean-a-thon of the kitchen. On my feet all day just as a (probable) stress fracture was starting to feel better was not a good plan! It has been an agonising evening.
Anyway, indoors all day so here is a photo of a bit of vintage photography kit that my big brother would have had the urge to steal off me back in the day! He had the F301 which I used to “borrow” from him!
17th February 2026
I love these old Highland croft houses, this one sits overlooking Loch Ness over the other side from us.
25th February 2026
I wasn't actually planning on heading through the Black Isle today, but the weather was holding out so I decided to pop and extra job on to the day - and stopped to photograph this old ruin in Munlochy on the way past.
28th February 2026
That is it - we have made it to the end of February - the month I tend to find hardest as I am over winter and starting to look forward to the warmth of spring. I am also looking forward to the spring surge for work as it has been a little quiet for a while now!
Then again - I really want to get cracking on my big arts project too, which has been hanging around too long now! I think it’s probably going to take at least a year from start to finish once I actually begin shooting, so I really need to get on with it now! Spring is a good moment for new beginnings though, so perhaps this coming week should mark it’s launch… although I have booked the Darkroom for Thursday morning as it stands which may hamper my plans somewhat… so I may change that and give myself a clear day!
I want to revisit Croik Church, that is a good place to start as it has quiet emotive physical remains of the clearances through inscriptions on the windows. It would be a good place to visit in a more meaningful way to embark on this whole venture I think…
19th February 2026
A quietish day today - but I did manage to have lunch with my friend Toby by complete coincidence!
I am starting to put together a new set of portfolio images over the next few weeks ready for a bit of a refresh of the website.
21st February 2026
It has been a miserable day today - the cloud was low and remained so all day, and it was cold and wet. This was an evening view from the front garden and, quite literally, as good as the day got.
Still, we had a fair bit of household admin stuff to get done - some big decisions being made and plans to be worked out so it was a good day for hiding from the world and working through things.
23rd February 2026
It's been one of those days today! Things have not gone well... not badly... just challenging! It's been a late editing session as a result (most of the issues have been computer related - but I think are resolved now!)
That said, when the sun was out today it felt actually quite lovely out! I didn't have time to stop though until I got close to home - so the bridge over the Coiltie features again today!
25th February 2026
Eas Chia-aig falls near Loch Arkaig, a place of myth and legend - it is said that when Cameron of Lochiel's cattle fell ill, the local Bana Bhuidseach was hunted down and chased over the falls.
She fell to her death in the pool below the falls, as a result the pool is still known as the "Witch's Cauldron".
It was a particularly gloomy day today so my initial thoughts of heading along Loch Arkaig to scout out some ideas on the way home from Fort William got shelved and I only made it to the end of the loch rather than it's head this time!
On the plus side - I have been asked if I would be interested in being represented by an online art gallery… so there is that. Plus I have been approached about doing some aerial work for a fairly big Estate Agent in the north of Scotland… so there is that too. Which is all good when I woke up with a crazy dose of black dogs and imposter syndromes! No idea if either will come to fruition, but it’s always nice to get a wee lift!
27th February 2026
The last working day of the month, not that I have been working much today... just invoicing. And a bit of light car shopping (not buying, just window shopping) as I try to work out what to do. My current one is off to the repair shop on Monday for a week of (expensive) tlc, but I could use some additional range for work and exploring!
Anyway, a view of the top of the glen for tonight.
