Tony Robinson's Perfect Day

Tony Robinson, one of Britain’s best loved TV personalities, archaeology enthusiast and presenter of Channel 4’s Time Team, launches VisitScotland’s new Archaeological Treasures Trail which features some of the Scottish islands, including Inchcolm Island on the Firth of Forth.

More info from www.visitscotland.com/perfect

Costa Coffee Academy

Training is on the menu as Costa opens Scotland's first Coffee Academy in Edinburgh. The new Costa Training Academy on Hanover Street aims to train approximately 600 Scottish baristas per year.

Photographs appeared in The Scotsman, Press and Journal and other publications over the weekend.

Make Your Own History

Historic Scotland has launched a Family Challenge to encourage Scottish families to see how many of its outstanding heritage attractions they can visit by 11th July.

The Family Challenge is part of the current 'Make Your Own History' campaign which promotes the opportunities for great family days out at Historic Scotland attractions throughout the country, including Edinburgh, Stirling and Bothwell Castle which is pictured above.

More info here.

Linlithgow Rose

Nice spread of images in this week's Spectrum Magazine from a documentary shoot I did a couple of weeks ago during the semi-final of the Scottish Junior Cup. I was commissioned by Scotland on Sunday to capture the excitiement of the game between Linlithgow Rose and Lochee United. Linlithgow Rose won and went of to lift the cup in the final yesterday.

Noisettes

The Noisettes set the tone at HMV Picture House in Edinburgh last night for the first of two Russian Standard Vodka Originals gigs where fans enjoyed a free concert.

Albert Roux

Legendary French chef Albert Roux at the opening of Chez Roux, his new restaurant situated within Greywalls Hotel near Gullane. More info here.

Back to School

Thousands of young people across Scotland are to benefit from an extension to a scheme which makes school trips to Scottish heritage sites more accessible.

Trips to the New Lanark World Heritage Site are to be included in the educational travel scheme for the first time, helping schools deliver heritage education through active and outdoor learning - all in the context of Curriculum for Excellence.

School visits to all Historic Scotland properties and three iconic National Trust for Scotland sites (Bannockburn, Culloden and the Robert Burns’ Birthplace Museum) are also covered by the travel scheme, which is funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Historic Scotland. Pictured is Fiona Hyslop MSP.

Stirling Castle Decorators

Specialist decorator John Nevin photographed in the Royal Palace at Stirling Castle. This portrait was taken to be used for a feature in a French magazine. John and his son Mark are part of a team working at the castle using traditional painting techniques. More info here.

All The World's a Stage

This photograph was shot back in March for the launch of the Scottish Drama Training Network which is a collaboration between RSAMD, Queen Margaret University and Napier University.

Delighted to see it has been used on the cover Teaching Drama magazine.

Every Boy's Dream

14 year old Billy Leonard fulfilled his dreams at the weekend when he visited Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade's Museum of Fire. The museum held an open weekend as past of Show Scotland which is Museums Galleries Scotland's show case of the best of their collections.

More information on how you can visit the museum here.

And the winner is...

Kenya's Florence Kiplagat takes first place at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run on Sunday with a personal best time of 32:10. Kiplagat was one of 10,000 runners taking part in the 10k race which this year had a new starting venue of Holyrood Park with part of the course going through the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

More coverage and a slideshow on the BUPA Great Edinburgh Run 2010 website.

And also here:

• Athletics Weekly
• The Sun
• BBC
  

BUPA Great Edinburgh Run Press Call

Elite athletes Kipligat, Soi and Tulu share a joke at The Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh at the press launch of the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run which took place over the weekend. Kipligat went on to won the womens elite race in Sunday. More info here.

Easy Riderz

Cycling Scotlands' stunt cycling team The Riderz landed at Duddingtson Primary School in Edinburgh yesterday as part of a campaign to encourage 9-12 year olds to cycle to school.

Find out more about Cycling Scotland here.

New Look for Ollie and Forbes

Edinburgh based on line toy retailer Ollie & Forbes have recently relaunched their website which features may new product shots. Expect soon to see a new luxury range arriving which I recently photographed.

Visit Ollie & Forbes

Innis & Gunn Queen's Award

Dougal Sharp from Edinburgh brewers Innis & Gunn who have been awarded the Queen's Award for enterprise. It's been over two decades since a brewer has won the award.

Photographed on Calton Hill.

A Drunk Man Looks Up at the Thistle

Publicity shots for Red Note Ensemble's production of A Drunk Man Looks Up at the Thistle.

Scottish composer Bill Sweeney's 90 minute version of Hugh MacDiarmid's poem is a brilliant, multi-faceted setting of one of the landmark Scots poems of the twentieth century.

Red Note Emsemble are touring from the 3rd - 9th June. More information here.

"These are completely fab! They're really great. Thank you!'

John Harris
Red Note Emsemble

RoadKill Milliner

James Faulkener, Edinburgh based milliner who makes head wear from roadkill.

"I was walking with my friend and we saw a dead magpie on the road. She jokingly said I should use it and I thought, that's not a bad idea".

Photographed for Scotland on Sunday's Spectrum Magazine.

Ali and Sue's Big Bike Ride

On May 23rd, Sue & Ali McKichan will set off to cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats covering a total distance of over 1000 miles. During this 2 week epic, they will average 60 miles a day, climb the equivalent of twice the height of Everest, whilst hopefully discovering some tasty scone shops along the way. They don’t have the benefit of a support team, so will be carrying all their kit in panniers and will be overnighting in bunkhouses, B&Bs and with friends and family where possible.

The Edinburgh sisters are embarking on this challenge to cycle the length of Britain to raise much needed funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, who provide such fantastic practical, medical and financial support for anyone affected by cancer.

They are pedalling from south to north in the hope that the prevailing South Westerly winds will help them on their way. Their route takes them up through Cornwall and Devon to Bristol, then north hugging the Welsh border, through the Midlands and the Lake District.

The Scottish half of the trip sees them heading up through Glasgow, Loch Lomond, Glencoe, the Great Glen and on up to John O’Groats.

If you wish to support them, then you can donate via: http://www.justgiving.com/aliandsuemckichan

And they’ll be tweeting and blogging as they go – so check out the weblinks below:

Ali & Sue's Big Bike Ride
Twitter

Health Scotland

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon speaking at the Scottish Parliament last night during an NHS Health Scotland launch.

In The Mood

Musicians and dancers from the Show Scotland event 'We'll Meet Again' get in the mood at The People's Palace and Winter Gardens in Glasgow.

Just one of over 40 events taking place across Scotland from the 30th April to the 3rd May.

More information from www.showscotland.com

More pictures here on my Facebook Fan Page

Love Your Home

Loved this shot from an interiors shoot I did for The Scotsman recently of a property in Carlton Street in Edinburgh. Sometimes the simplest photographs work best. Lovely light in the house.

Edinburgh Digital Switchover Announced

Digit Al arrives in Edinburgh to announce the dates for the Digital Switchover for the STV Central TV region. Edinburgh is served by the Blackhill and Craigkelly transmitters and the switchover will take place between the 1st and 8th June 2011. More information here.

And a photograph of Digit Al and me here!

Scottish Renewables

The renewables industry descended on Glasgow recently for the 2010 Scottish Renewables conference which brought together all the leading players in the field to discuss hydro, marine and wind energy supply for the future.

More info here.

A Day at the Museum

Museums Galleries Scotland, which represents over 350 museums and galleries, has announced 13 museum and gallery projects awarded a share of £750,000 of capital funding.

Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop MSP and Joanne Orr, Chief Executive of Museums Galleries Scotland were at the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art in Glasgow to make the announcement. More information here.

Carmina Burana at the Usher Hall

Over 400 students from Erskine Stewart's Melville School took to the stage on Saturday night at the newly refurbished Usher Hall in Edinburgh to perform Karl Orff's Carmina Burana.

3 Months Freeeeee!

TV star Hamish Clark saddles up once again to promote Historic Scotland's new membership campaign which is launched today. HS are offering three months free membership when you sign up for 12 months, offering access to hundreds of properties all over Scotland. More details can be found here.

Hamish was photographed at Doune Castle near Stirling during the filming of the new TV ad which can be seen here.

Nice Buns!

Photographed for Greggs. Eaten by me.

Run With Mark

'50 marathons in 56 days man' Mark Cooper took his training to unusual lengths by running a full marathon at Cameron Toll Shopping Centre last Saturday.
Mark aims to run 50 marathons in 56 days, starting in Holland in May, finishing in Spain 56 days later, raising funds for the Headway Group charity.

Find out more about Mark's attempt here and sponsor him in any way you can.

The Dakota Forthbridge

You've probably driven past it countless times on your way to the Forth Road Bridge. It's the big black building with the blue neon sign saying only 'Dakota'.

I was commissioned by the Dakota hotel this week to photograph their private dining areas, restaurant and the Edinburgh Suite which is pictured above. The photographs will be used in their new brochures and on the Dakota website.

It's a fantastic looking building inside and out which made it very enjoyable to photograph.

The client loved the images too:

'The images are fantastic, exactly what we were looking for. Thank you for being so patient and for really understanding the Dakota Brand, it really shows in the images.'
Michelle Orr
Sales & Marketing Executive

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World Heritage Sites

Orkney is soaked in more than 5,000 years of history. Picts, Vikings & Medieval Knights all left their mark on this breathtaking landscape.

In this commission from Historic Scotland we traveled to Skara Brae to shoot the cover for the Orkney leaflet. The shoot was particularly challenging as we literally faced four seasons in one day; from rain, horizontal hailstones, sunshine and gales.

More information on Historic Scotland's Orkney sites can be found here.
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Defender of the Nation

Edinburgh Castle is the Jewel in the Crown of Historic Scotland's properties and has been described as 'A mighty fortress with many treasures & a favoured residence of Scotland's Kings & Queens'.
This leaflet is the result of a commission from Historic Scotland to provide photography for marketing materials for properties the length of Scotland.

We shot the cover early in the morning before the hoards of visitors began to arrive. The castle welcomed 1,196,481 visitors through its doors in 2009 and is Scotland's top paid visitor attraction. More information on the castle can be found here.
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Historic Scotland Member Handbook

Hot off the press - The Historic Scotland Member Handbook for 2010/11 hits the shelves this month. The guide is packed with information on over 345 Historic Scotland properties all over Scotland.

I shot the cover for the handbook at Craigmillar Castle last year. The weather was very kind to us that day with sunshine and blue skies.

More information about Historic Scotland properties can be found here.
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La Potiniere

La Potiniere restaurant in the beautiful village of Gullane in East Lothian. Photographed for The Scotsman Magazine.
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Scottish Drama Training Network Launch

Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning Michael Russell MSP launched the Scottish Drama Training Network, a major new initiative between the RSAMD, Queen Margaret University and Napier University. Mr Russell was joined by students from Queen Margaret University costume department.
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Europe's Largest Advert

The transformation of The St James centre in Edinburgh has begin. Long disliked by locals, the area is being transformed for retail and urban use and renamed as St James Quarter. More information about the project can be found here. The old offices of New St Andrew's House are currently hidden behind the largest advert ever to cover a building in Europe. An improvement, some might say?
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Scotland on Sunday Eligibles 2010 Party

Scotland on Sunday Eligibles 2010 party at The Caves Edinburgh. Were you there?
See all the photographs here.
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A gruffalo! Why, didn't you know?

I was at the Scottish Book Trust yesterday for the launch of Meet Our Authors which is sponsored by Scottish Friendly. Meet Our Authors is a digital resource of first-class online content featuring the world’s best children's authors, accessible to children and young people nationwide.

I wanted a really simple photograph which summed up the story so after all the other photographers had left I set up this picture with a wee girl from a local primary and The Gruffalo. The expression on the girls' face makes the picture. And the client was delighted.
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Let There Be Light

I took these photographs of former First Minister of Scotland Henry McLeish speaking at the Royal College of Nursing Conference in Glasgow this morning.

The image on the left is taken using no flash and just the hotel conference facility lights which result in a colour cast on the skin and the background branding looking purple instead of blue. The picture also has a flat feel to it.

The photograph on the right was taken just seconds later but lit using two remote flashes which help to give a more natural tone to the skin and lifts the speaker from the background.

When photographing conferences, award ceremonies and events I always take my own lighting along so that I have full control of how the stage or podium is going to be lit.
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Make Up Artist to the Stars

Hollywood make up artist Graham Johnston dropped in to Edinburgh recently for a photoshoot to launch exclusive personal make up sessions at the David Calder Studio in Edinburgh's West End.

The BAFTA nominated artist recently worked on The Lovely Bones as stylist and make up artist to Rachel Weisz and has also worked on Bridget Jones's Diary, Death Defying Acts and Trainspotting.
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Shell Springboard

A South Yorkshire based business with an innovative idea for tackling climate change recently won an award of £40,000 from Shell Springboard, a programme designed to promote the growth of the low carbon economy in the UK. Pictured is Bob Smith, CEO at Pulse Tidal Ltd at the award ceremony in Edinburgh. More info here.
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The Carvers Daughter

Master craftsman John Donaldson spent the last 5 years carving replica heads for the ceiling of the King’s Inner Hall at Stirling Castle. The 37 heads were commissioned by Historic Scotland as part of a £12 million renovation of the Royal Palace. The original heads were rescued when the palace roof collapsed in the 18th century but one head was destroyed by fire. This left John without a subject for the remaining head so he decided to use his daughter Fiona as a model.

The 37 heads are on display at Stirling Castle until the 21st February, after which they are to be painted before being mounted on the ceiling of the Royal Chapel. See more images here.
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Snowdrops by Starlight

The Cambo Estate near Kingsbarns in Fife comes alive for the next two weeks after being transformed as part of the Snowdrops by Starlight event. Visitors can wander through the grounds whilst being enchanted by the sights and sounds of this magical wonderland. More information here.

And details of VisitScotland's White campaign can be found here.
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Shepherd's Delight

A recent image from the Nick Nairn Cookschool food photography shoot for Spectrum Magazine. There are more images on my Facebook page and you can follow the recipe here.
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Farewell to Homecoming

Last week saw the final event of Homecoming Scotland 2009 - a thank you party for stakeholders and event organisers from all over Scotland. The event took place in Oran Mor in Glasgow and included entertainment from Mauchline Burns Club, the Birnam Quartet and singer Dougie MacLean (above).

Dougie wrote the song 'Caledonia' which was used throughout the year of Homecoming.

Often at these types of events the lighting looks great for the audience but isn't really suitable for photography purposes. I always use a couple of off-camera flashguns to create an interesting lighting effect whilst also maintaining the atmosphere of the occasion. In the picture above I have used two flashes on stands at either side of the stage to light the singer. They are controlled from the main flash on my camera which allows me to raise or lower the level of light. When photographing singers I also like to capture them doing something interesting 'off mic' which I think leads to more engaging image.
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Free Photography Services Brochure

The new online photography services brochure is packed with stunning images, client testimonials and information on how I can help you with your photography solutions.

'Of all the freelance photographers that I could call on in Scotland - Rob McDougall remains firmly at the top of my list. He is creative and professional. If I could use him every day - I would. He is everything that you want in a photographer - and a little bit more.'

Kayt Turner, Picture Editor, Spectrum Magazine

Click on the image above to view the new brochure in a web browser. It's just like a magazine - you can flick through each page. The areas of speciality covered are;

• Events, Conferences & Award Ceremonies
• Commercial Photography
• Public Relations
• Interiors, Food and Products
• Portraits

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