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.

Artist in Residence at Stirling Castle

A new art exhibition opened on Friday 2nd December, at Stirling Castle to celebrate the works of Iona Leishman, its first ever artist-in-residence.

The exhibition, ‘Sense of Place’, features around 80 paintings by local artist Iona Leishman and will run until 31st December. Her works range from lush naturalistic impressions of the castle to dreamy washes of colour haunted by ethereal figures, all inspired by the history, iconic landscape and Kings and Queens who lived at the Castle.

It was a real joy to photograph Iona and I was immediately taken with her evocative art work.

The middle photograph is a portrait of Iona reflected in her painting 'Horses at Midnight'.

If you do get the chance to see the exhibition, you won't be disappointed. More info here.

Ryder Cup 2014 Announcement

The Ryder Cup at The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland, will take place from Friday September 26 to Sunday September 28 2014 with Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks business and producer of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, being named as an Official Partner.

The date for the 40th staging of the biennial contest between Europe and the United States was announced at The Gleneagles Hotel yesterday in the presence of Scotland’s First Minister, The Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP, European Ryder Cup Director Richard Hills, Peter Lederer, Chairman of Gleneagles Hotel, and Patrick Elsmie, Managing Director of The Gleneagles Hotel.

St Andrew's Day Celebrations

Glasgow knows how to throw a party and last weekend, George Square played host to the annual St Andrew's Day Celebrations which are part of Scotland's Winter Festivals. Crowds were treated to performances for Clandonia who had revellers dancing in the isles.

Pictures for Stripe Communications.

IN PICTURES: Perthshire Amber 2011

The hills were alive with the sound of music recently as the 7th annual Perthshire Amber - The Dougie MacLean Festival took place across Perthshire. From it's new home in Dunkeld, the festival spread it's tentacles north to Pitlochry, south to Perth, west to Kenmore and east to Blairgowrie.

This year the festival attracted big names such as Eliza Smith, Jenna Reid, Canadian star Buddy MacDonald and music legends Archie Fisher, Phil Cunningham and Jamie MacGregor.

The ten day festival is a bit of a musical marathon but also great fun and it was a real pleasure working with Dougie, Jenny, Julia and Jamie MacLean. Also joining the team this year was lighting guru Gary Ebdy and PR supremo Jude Henderson who both made my job just that wee bit easier.

Next year's festival takes place 26 Oct - 4 Nov 2012.

Radio Forth Awards 2011

The stars were out in Edinburgh yesterday afternoon for the 2011 Radio Forth Awards which this year came from the fantastic Usher Hall. Matt Cardle, The Wanted, Pixie Lott, ex Spice Girls star Melanie C and comedian Patrick Monahan joined Grant Stott and Arlene on stage to present the prizes. Also making an appearance was Greg McHugh aka Gary Tank Commander.

All the photographs from the ceremony will be on the Forth One website.

Miss World comes to Stirling Caslte

Over 60 contestants from the Miss World competition recently dropped into Stirling Castle to brush up on etiquette before heading to London for the final of Miss World 2011 which was won by Miss Venezuella Ivian Sarcos.

Well done to them all.

Seal of Approval at the Scottish Seabird Centre

The award-winning Scottish Seabird Centre is celebrating autumn’s seal season in style as a striking new sculpture was officially unveiled taking pride of place on the rocks below the popular café deck.

Generously donated by the Chairman of the Trustees, Rear Admiral Neil Rankin CB CBE, and the Vice Chairman, Sandy Grant Gordon CBE, the affectionately named ‘Sandy the Seal’ was created by Scotland’s premier leading art foundry, Powderhall Bronze in Leith.