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Jump To It! Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo enlists Edinburgh College of Art

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Chief Executive and Producer Brigadier David Allfrey MBE is joined by piper, dancers and Edinburgh College of Art students as the search for an Edinburgh College of Art student to become its official artist in residence is launched.

The post runs from May to September and carries a £1,500 stipend. It offers the successful student the opportunity to create original work for the promotion and celebration of the Tattoo and its 2012 production. It is anticipated that the student's work will be displayed at an exhibition held later this year.

Historic Scotland Events Guide 2012

I took this cover shot which appears on the front of the 2012 Historic Scotland Events Guide at the Jousting Spectacular event at Linlithgow Palace last year. I spotted a couple of kids in the crowd who were dressed in medieval costume and after checking with their parents for permission, set up a shot where they were to be chased by one of the performers.

I love the look on the face of the wee boy who can't decide between screaming or laughing.

The full guide can be downloaded here.

Eats Shoots, Anne Leaves

The two giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo received a royal seal of approval this week when they were visited by HRH Princess Anne.

The Princess Royal met and fed Tian Tian and Yang Guang in their specially build enclosures

Scottish Children's Book Awards

More than 23,000 children from all over Scotland have voted for their favourite books of 2011.

A debut author, Ross Mackenzie triumphed in the Younger readers category (8-11) with Zac and the Dream Pirates, about a boy with a magical granny who enters dream world and must battle the Dream Pirates who are responsible for nightmares.

In the Bookbug readers category (0-7 years), the winner was Ross Collins's picture book, Dear Vampa, about a vampire family who are baffled by the behaviour of their new neighbours.

Nicola Morgan took the Older readers (12-16) prize with Wasted, a boy-meets-girl book about what-ifs.

The awards took place at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.

There Goes the Bride

Blushing Bride Hayley Rooney fell head over heels as she helped launch the Scottish Wedding Show in Glasgow yesterday.

The photocall resulted in coverage in The Scotsman, The Herald, The Scottish Sun, Evening Times and The Metro.

The show runs from the 18th to the 19th February 2012.

More info from www.thescottishweddingshow.com

Highland Spring Webchat

Scottish Rugby stars Lee Jones and Nick De Luca took part in the latest Highland Spring webchat at Murrayfield Stadium last night hosted by renowned BBC and ITV sport correspondent, Jill Douglas. Fans were able to email and tweet questions for the duo which were answered live on air.

A recording of the webchat is available here.

Royal College of Nursing Bulletin

This was a tricky job to photograph. The brief required a portrait of an overseas nurse who had received help from the Royal College of Nursing but didn't want to be identified. Luckily the weather was kind to me and there was just enough low winter sun to be able to shoot the portrait as a silhouette .

Celebrate Burns Night with a Robert Burns Pizza

A SCOTS pizza company has combined two of Scotland’s favourite foods just in time for Burns night- haggis pizza.

Cosmo Tamburro Jnr, a restaurateur in Edinburgh has launched the UK’s first retail haggis pizza to offer an alternative to the traditional neeps, tatties and haggis supper.

And to celebrate the launch of the luxury pizza, available in supermarkets across the country, the Newtongrange-based restaurateur has designed a special Robert Burns’ portrait pizza.

Edinburgh Life

Front Cover of Edinburgh Life magazine featuring Yang Guang, the male panda settling into his new life at Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh's Mystery Paper Sculptures

‘poetree’ sculpted from ‘A Trace of Wings’ by Edwin Morgan.

Next to the ‘poetree’ sits a paper egg lined with gold and a scatter of words which, when put together, make “A Trace of Wings” by Edwin Morgan.

The tag reads: "It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.… … We know that a library is so much more than a building full of books… a book is so much more than pages full of words.… This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas….. a gesture (poetic maybe?)."

Found in the Scottish Poetry Library, March 2011.

‘A gramophone and a coffin’ sculpted from ‘Exit Music’ by Ian Rankin’s

The tag reads: "For @natlibscot – A gift in support of libraries, books, words, ideas….. (& against their exit)."

Found in the National Library of Scotland in June 2011.

‘cinematic diorama’ carved from a Rankin novel.

A complex scene in a paper cinema; punters arrayed on seats watching men and horses coming alive from the screen and charging outwards.

Amongst the audience is a figure with Ian Rankin’s face, clutching a Deuchar’s.

The tag reads: "@filmhouse – A gift in support of libraries, books, words, ideas….. and all things *magic*."

Found in the Filmhouse, June 2011.

‘Dragon’ carved from a Rankin novel

The tag reads: "For @scotstorycentre – A gift in support of libraries, books, works, ideas….. Once upon a time there was a book and in the book was a nest and in the nest was an egg and in the egg was a dragon and in the dragon was a story….."

Found in the Scottish Story Telling Centre, July 2011.

A teabag filled with cut out letters, on the tag of which are the words “by leaves we live”. The cup on the top has a swirl of words which read ”Nothing beats a nice cup of tea (or coffee) and a really good BOOK”, and on the ‘tray’ next to the cupcake it says “except maybe a cake as well”.

The tag reads: "To @edbookfest ‘A gift’ This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas…… & festivals xx"

Found at the Edinburgh Book Festival, August 2011.

Sculpted from James Hogg’s The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinnerby. A favourite of the City of Literature team but is also known to have been an influence on Ian Rankin’s work.

The tag reads: "To @edincityoflit ‘A gift’ LOST (albeit in a good book) This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas…. “No infant has the power of deciding….. by what circumstances (they) shall be surrounded.. Robert Owen"

Found at UNESCO City of Literature Stand, The Edinburgh Book Festival, August 2011.

‘book with a magnifying glass’

The tag reads: "For Central Library ‘A Gift’ @Edinburgh_CC This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas…. LIBRARIES ARE EXPANSIVE."

The word EXPANSIVE was originally written as EXPENSIVE. You can see the adjustment in the image.

Found in the Central Lending Library, August 2011.

The sculpture is made from Ian Rankin's second Rebus novel, Hide and Seek, and possibly represents a scene from Robert Louis Stevenson’s book The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

The tag reads: “@CuratorEMG A Gift “The stories are in the stones” Ian Rankin In support of Libraries, Books, Words, Ideas …… and Writers.”

Found in the Writer's Museum, November 2011.

‘Tyrannosaurus Rex’ sculpted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World

The tag reads: “For @NtlMuseumsScot A Gift Your friends at @edbookfest suggested you might like this. …. In support of libraries, books, words, ideas and those places that house our treasures……”

Found in the National Museum of Scotland, November 2011.

‘cap made of wings and a pair gloves’

The tag reads: “To @ByLeavesWeLive……. THE GIFTS “Gloves of bee’s ful, cap of the Wren’s Wings…….” Norman McCaig …. maybe sometimes impossible things… In support of LIbraries, Books, Words Ideas…."

Found in the Scottish Poetry Library, November 2011.

Brought together by Creative Scotland for an event at the Scottish Parliament.

11 for 2011

Bell Rock Lighthouse
Client: Weber Shandwick



Festival of Museums Launch in Glasgow
Client: 3x1 Public Relations



First Minister Alex Salmond
Client: Holyrood Magazine



Wickerman Festival
Client: 3x1 Public Relations



Joanna Lumley launches the fund to save Moat House in Dumfries
Client: Jude Henderson PR



Ring of Brodgar, Orkney
Client: Historic Scotland



Dougie MacLean performs at Blair Castle during Perthshire Amber
Client: Butterstone Events



Virgin Money Edinburgh International Festival Fireworks
Client: Edinburgh International Festival



National Museum of Scotland reopens to the public
Client: National Museums of Scotland



Artist John Byrne
Client: Podge Publicity



The Pandas arrive at Edinburgh Zoo
Client: Weber Shandwick

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Starbucks Drive-Thru to roll out across the Country

Starbucks Coffee U.K. recently announced its intent to create thousands of new jobs as it significantly steps up its drive-thru program following three years of development and strong customer response to the convenience of Starbucks coffee on-the-go.

The move will see 200 new drive-thru stores opened over the next five years and will establish Starbucks as the market leader in this area. Combined with openings of conventional stores over the same period, the company expects to create 5,000 new jobs.

I was commissioned to travel down to Manchester to shoot press images to accompany the release.

Portrait of the Artist

A £3.5m scheme by social enterprise Wasps Studios has regenerated a Merchant City warehouse as a new arts and creative industries hub for Glasgow.
The groundbreaking South Block studio complex, which will be shared by artists and creative businesses, is predicted to contribute multi-million pound benefits
to the local economy and jobs to an area which has been through tough times.

Some amazing amounts of creativity going on there.

Giant Pandas Arrive at Edinburgh Zoo

Chinese Pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang, the eight-year-old pair of giant pandas, arrived at Edinburgh Zoo yesterday afternoon and will be the first to live in the UK for 17 years. Edinburgh Zoo are hopeful that the pandas will give birth to cubs during their 10 year stay in Scotland.

Hundreds of people lined the streets around the zoo to welcome the pandas to Scotland.

I was commissioned by Weber Shandwick in behalf of Edinburgh Zoo to cover the arrival and was the only photographer to capture the first photograph of the pandas inside their new enclosure.

A selection of UK press coverage can be found here.