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 - 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:)

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 - 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

JUNE 2021 - Drone pilot and cameraman in Glencoe for BBC ALBA

A couple of great days in Glencoe on our Dana Tv series with the great team from SOLUS Productions. Myself on Drone and long lens again with Hamish on main camera and directing. Kenny starring and Matt along for the ride. Rowan in production with us and Andy Nelson doing Hamish’s safety on the rock route while I scrambled up curved ridge myself on the first day to get good angles for filming the team on Agags groove a V.Diff climb. The following day we filmed some running on the Devils Staircase.

Agags Groove on the Buichaile Etive Mor

JUNE 2021 - Cameraman and Drone pilot in Edinburgh today for BBC Education

A trip round Edinburgh filming the sites for plates for animations. Bit of Geography/Geology for schools today with volcanic rocks and plugs. Headed a bit further south for other bits of rock formations and Bass Rock. Beautiful sunny day although very windy. The boat I had booked to Bass rock didn’t go, so a return journey needed one day:)

Edinburgh Castle

JUNE - 2021 Drone filming and ground Camera with Mark and Hank Land End to John O'Groats

A fun little stint of filming as part of a larger team. I was to film (with Camera and drone) Hank (James Lowsley-Williams) and Mark Beaumont as they raced from Lands End to John O’Groats while trying to break the record. Always very interesting seeing these elite athletes doing these challenges. I filmed the Edinburgh to Inverness leg while a group of other individuals and teams filmed the other legs.

Link below to the film:)

JUNE 2021 - Drone filming near Fort William in Glen Nevis and a bit of long lens too.

Back from Rum and after a few days off we start filming another episode of Dana. This time purely rock climbing and in Glen nevis. the sun is out again too and after a midge start they all run away from the sun thankfully. Episode out in the Autumn.

Kenny on Storm in Glen nevis. Picture from the Mavic 2 pro drone

Storm in Glen nevis. Kenny’s climbing partner climbing here.

MAY 2021 - Drone operator on the Isle of Rum for BBC ALBA

A fantastic trip on the Isle of Rum doing some aerial cinematography while Hamish filmed with the ground camera and directed. We had some amazing weather for filming. Here we all carried our camera kit, batteries and tents, food, stove etc. This made the first day pretty big when we arrived on the morning ferry then did the whole of the Rum Cuillin filming on the way. A few pretty knackered by the end but we were rewarded with an amazing sunset from our high camp.

The next few days saw us walking, rock climbing and swimming and visiting ruins and bothies. We also got a tan:) A few pics below:) TV show out in the Autumn

Sunset Camp

Hamish filming Kenny on the Rock Climb, Rich Parker out of site doing some safety

FEBRUARY 2021 - Filming and aerial filming in the Cairngorms with Beluga Lagoon for a new documentary episode of 'Roaming in the Wild'

Here we headed into the wild with humungous rucksacks to go snow holing for several days in what would be (very lucky for Beluga Lagoon filming) four of the best weather days in the Cairngorms this winter, and there have been a few!!

It took a while getting landowner permissions and general covid go ahead etc so most of the lower snow had gone but luckily there is so much snow up top it didn’t matter.

The guys, Andrew and Mark would dig and live in a snow hole for three nights while I stayed in my tent as they are a shared household (Mark does a good bit of baby sitting in the O’Donnell household). I have to say it was absolutely amazing to be out of my house for longer than a day trip and with zero wind and sun each day life was great.

Here we would document our time up high and even I had to pop in front of the screen as snow holing is not the best activity to do without some guidance as depending on the conditions it can be a bit dangerous. Plus there are avalanches, weather, navigation, route choice etc to add to the winter experience. So luckily being a cameraman and MIC (now called WMCI) (Highest national qualification in summer/winter walking, climbing and mountaineering) and having spent many winters working and training people in the Cairngorms it was useful for this trip.

We got in some lengthy ski tours once we dumped the big bags at our base camp/hole. I leave those stories for when the episode airs though.

A few pics from the trip below.

Andrew returns from a toilet break:)

The snow hole and tent area from the drone:)

FEBRUARY 2021 - Drone filming Lake District with hundreds of sheep

Well tonight the TV program ‘The Great Mountain Sheep Gather’ shot in a slow television fashion to show the gathering of sheep in an almost real time by shepherds on Scafell Pike in the Lake District is on at 10pm on BBC4. The Program has been nominated for several awards now and is up for some hopefully shortly.

There were about 6 drone crews working on this. As a mountain instructor I got the joy of following the main Shepard up the mountain at 4am at an incredible speed to film our first shots on the main summit, in the wind and rain with 30m of visibility. A little taxing flying and the drone got very damp/wet. Then I leap frogged the next two drone teams to set up at another spot lower down. This is where I got a shot that ended up making it in with no cuts in 7 and a half minutes I was pretty chuffed solo flying the Inspire 2 with X7 camera shooting and in RAW. We were asked to get shots as long as possible. Totally different from normal as usually 10 seconds and sometimes just over 30 seconds for a end credit shot. So going for as long as possible you need to keep looking for new shots within shots to progress a clip in an interesting way and never ever make a sudden movement. A lot of fingers and thumbs and brain overload, but very good fun:)

JANUARY 2021 - Drone filming Perth and Dundee for BBC Education

My filming for a BBC school education project continued as I travel down the Tay filming from up stream of Perth down to Dundee. and a bit beyond:) Lovely day for it:)

JANUARY 2021 - Road Aerial filming in the Highlands for Transport Scotland

As people (by people I mean road engineers) can’t get out on mass to see where new roads will go and walk the path, if you like, then I have been doing a few fly throughs, so people can watch in isolation in their houses what the landscape looks like and get a better idea of how to quote for jobs and what is feasable.

An old oak for a launchpad