JANUARY 2022 - Cameraman and drone pilot in Portugal

So this month I had 5 foreign trips booked in but alas only one went ahead due to Covid arrrgh , such is life.

Had a great time with Alison Hammond and ITV This Morning in Portugal though with Martin the first producer director I ever worked with many jobs ago with ITV This Morning:) A few pics of our trip and yes Alison is just as lovely in real life as on camera so was a great laugh here.

Alison in a very famous Bookshop with a Harry Potter book:)

AUGUST 2021 - DECEMBER 2021 lots of work

So these months just got so busy I just couldn’t fill in my blog or take on anymore work. Which was great. This year became my busiest year yet even though it started slow after covid lockdowns. I think winning a BAFTA for Aerial Cinematography under factual Photography was the reason for this.

As I’ve been busy this year too I’ve decided just to skip the rest of 2021 and try and catch up with 2022 lol.

Heres a few pics from some jobs:)

Glasgow University standing tall:)

AUGUST 2021 - Aerial filming Honey bees in the Scottish Borders

Back on ‘Europe from Above’ for the Nat Geo program. This time filming with Hoods Honey to film the moving of the bees all from the air apart from a couple of go pro shots and interviews. A fun day out that started very early in the pitch dark before the bees waken up. A few screen grabs. All in log so look a bit bleached out:)

The bees being released next to the Honey

Bees covering my camera:)

The bee taxi from the fields to the hills:)

AUGUST 2021 - Aerial filming in Fort William for BBC 2 'Inside the Factory'

A day filming the Aluminium smelter in Fort William. Pretty interesting to see around this place after passing it a few hundred times over the years. Thankfully I was fore warned by management that the main melting plant gives off a huge magnetic field and has in the past shot drones off into the distance which later crashed in the surrounding forest. I thankfully only had the occasional compass warning as I stayed well away from the central plant building lol.

Here we were filming with the presenter for a few pieces to camera to sync and a few walking shots then I was left to get a bunch of shots to help introduce the different parts of the factory and to head up the slopes of Ben Nevis to get shots of the hydro system:) A fun sunny day to be out.

Fort William Smelter

My High Vis and a helmet to be up in the woods on my own lol.

AUGUST 2021 - Drone operator Glencoe for 'Europe from Above' a Nat geo program

Well today back in Glencoe for the National geographic program being edited by Windfall Films. Today we were filming history with the archeologists at a dig site and returning to The thatched roof with Brian for some extra shots as it moves on. And a few shots from around the area to show some history for intros.

The dig was super interesting and fun trying to make a dig look interesting with each shot all from the drone. then a talking head interview to work as a voice over. Oh and a few go pro shots to get a close up as they revealed a old artefact from the dig. The sun was out too:)

Quick selfie while flying;)

Kilchurn Castle

The Buichaille Etive More:)

AUGUST 2021 - North Uist Camera operator for Plate shots for a BBC education program

A day trip to North Uist to film the final episode for a BBC education animated series. Wild going just for the day. A mix of ground camera plate shots and shots from the air with drone. Occasionally a moving shot but mainly static. Fortunately I got everything done by 1:30pm as by 2pm it was pouring with rain for the rest of the day. Always amazing getting out here though and such lovely beaches.

Such great beaches

:)

AUGUST 2021 - Camera and Drone filming near Ullapool for BBC Countryfile

Had a great weekend visiting Isle Martin for an episode of Countryfile all about islands. An island I’ve never been to before so always good to visit. Stayed overnight in the house there and was looked after by the Island caretaker. Arose the next day before sunrise to catch the sunrise with Oli helping me with shots. This started a very busy day with interviewing people about the sea and seaweed, and seaweed tasting, interviewing the island guardian, doing some conservation, boat riding, scallop free diving and then a cooking show bit at the end. Not sure if it would be possible to pack more into a day. Fortunately with a good director, sound, assistant camera and all my light mobile kit we got it all done.

The team

AUGUST 2021 - Aerial filming Glencoe for a National Geographic program

In Glencoe filming ‘Europe from Above’ well the Scottish section which I’ll be doing several pieces on throughout the summer with ‘Windfall Films’ who are making it for National Geographic. I met Brian Wilson here thatching the reconstruction of an old Glencoe house with Mark who was also thatching with him. Brian ha s written a few sea kayak books that I have read. We got badly rained off so I headed home and returned another day the following week and took my two sea kayak books to get signed haha. We ended up with much nicer footage and I will return to see it a further time and see it finished. Few pics below of the house and also shots from around the area I got for the intro to the area.

Thatching going on before the rain

Lovely light for my shots on the Buichaille Etive More:)

AUGUST 2021 - Drone filming trains in Northern Scotland for Great British Railway Journeys on BBC 2

Always exciting filming trains as you never quite know when they will arrive in your shot and the drone only has so long in the air before the batteries change. Much easier near London but in the far North of Scotland they are not quite as frequent so you can’t retry your shot 5 minutes later. Raildar helps but only when you have internet lol. Anyway got some good shots in different spots from Inverness to Helmsdale.

Invershin Bridge and a Castle:)

JULY 2021 - AERIAL FILMING IN TAIN AT GLENMORANGIE HOUSE

Here i was working with Trenchone Industries Ltd to do the drone work for a Glenmorangie advert up in Tain. Some great fun filming through the warehouse in long shots with lots of action and flying round the copper stills. A little exciting as the compass on the drone didn’t like all the metal.

Combine cutting the barley right next to Glenmorangie House for the whisky

JULY 2021 - Cameraman Drone pilot on Loch Ness for 'Roaming in the Wild'

Another great week with Andrew and Mark, although not in quite the same weather as the previous week lol. This week was going to be a pedalo along Loch ness but it changed a bit and you’ll need to watch it on BBC player to see what happened or on BBC Scotland if you catch it going out. Great crack again on this trip:)

The pedalo and team

Fort Augustas, the beginning of our journey

JULY 2021 - Filming the Beluga Lagoon Team as Drone pilot and Cameraman and sound on their BBC TV Show. This episode on West Coast of Scotland

I have the pleasure of filming on all 6 episodes of ‘Roaming in the Wild’ Andrew and Marks TV show that is now on prime time 8pm slot on BBC Scotland. Great fun working on these episodes and this one takes us sea kayaking down Loch Sheil from the Harry Potter viaduct down onto the sea and round to Arisaig. We start in the mist and midges and finish in calm 25 degree sunny weather. Was a superb trip and lots of lovely filming. Andrew films all the wildlife in these episodes and often chat between the guys if I am away getting ahead to set up a drone shot or the likes. I look forward to these trips each time.

Sunset on the second night near Eilean Shona

Me and the guys. Carrying all our kit for 5 days in our Sea Kayaks:)

JULY 2021 - Cameraman for ITV competitions in Edinburgh

A few days filming in lovely weather in Edinburgh and Portebello for ITV Competitions. these are for pre recorded pieces to go out on Lorraine and ITV ‘This Morning’. Our presenter was Craig Doyle, super nice guy and used to play for ireland at Rugby. Adam Young directing and Matt Sharp on sound.

The team on the Royal Mile interviewing a Queen:)

Edinburgh from Holyrood Park

JULY 2021 - Drone pilot and cameraman in Trossachs and North west Scotland for BBC Education

So another couple of days filming plates for the animation series. This time some geology of the Moon Thrust zone in the North West of Scotland. Around the area I did my honours project for geology on:)

Then it was off to the Trossachs in the South of Scotland for geography and forest filming:)

Loch Lomond

JULY 2021 - Drone and cameraman on the north coast and Orkney today fro BBC Education

A fun day out filming sea stacks. There was a lot of mist and sea fog today but still managed to get the plates for another animation. Also used a little stock of the Old man of Hoy from when I climbed it a few years ago:)

A mysterious Old man of Hoy just poking out as seen from the ferry

JULY 2021 - Isle of Lewis as a drone pilot on Dana

So our final episode of Dana of 6 episodes brings us to the Isle of Lewis for some hiking and climbing. I hadn’t realised the mountains were so big and rocky on Lewis. Had my first trip on an airplane for a few years and made it over to catch the rest of the team, Hamish, Kenny and Rowan on the Island. We filmed and camped and had a lovely time bar the horrendous midges at times!! out in the autumn and on player after.

Kenny packing at camp

JULY 2021 - Drone operator from a boat at Dundee

A day spent on a corporate film. Here I was flying a drone to catch some aerial shots of pipes which had been brought by tug boat from Norway to Dundee harbour. A fun days flying and fortunately a calm day for filming which makes a change:)

The wee drone today for the boat flying:)

JUNE 2021 - Filmmaking for the artist Douglas Roulston

Pretty proud of this wee film I made for Douglas Roulston the Artist from Dundee. Shot mainly on a 50mm Anamorphic lens and a drone. The gallery shots 18 months after the outdoor shots were done with a 24mm Anamorphic and after the COVID lockdowns. Was gven a lot of lee way here to pop together something I wanted to make. Douglas was very easy going and NormanSutherland who funded this project. Great fun to work on and see the process to:)

JUNE 2021 - Cameraman in Cairngorms National Park for Cairngorm Youth Action Team

A fun couple of hours grabbing some interviews and a few shots for a bunch of social media shorts. A couple of the videos below

JUNE 2021 - Drone pilot Western Isles, Uist and Mingulay. For Scotland from the Air

A great fun few days in slightly challenging weather for Scotland from the Air. A great team and enjoyed flying the DJI Inspire 2 with X7 camera on this shoot with some shots taking off and landing on the boat to Mingulay too, which is always good for keeping you on your toes.

Mingulay is an amazing place with a great feel about it and the Puffin colony was spectacular too.

Drone on Mingulay