Sandy Young Photography Blog
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Scotland from the air
I love shooting aerial photography so when I got a call from a client to shoot renewable energy sites around Scotland I was delighted.
Five days up in a helicopter and a few thousand frames later…
Flying at first light to locations you just don’t realise how stunning Scotland is from the air.
I’ve put together some of my favourite’s images hope you like them as much as I enjoyed shooting them.
Aerial photography has it’s own set of challenges, from making sure all your kit is secured in the aircraft so nothing falls off mid-flight when you have your camera sticking out a window at over 100mph! Then there’s the technical issues of shooting from the air not to mention working in a survival suit…but I loved every minute of it.
I get asked a lot about the technical aspects of how I shoot, firstly get it right in camera and you won’t spend hours trying to fix your images later! The number of times I’ve heard “it’s ok I can always sort it later in photoshop”.
Firstly, I always shoot in RAW and only use manual, processed in lightroom then any final adjustments done in photoshop.
For aerial photography a high shutter speed is a must as your traveling at speed and with the vibration of the rotors anything over 1000 at f8 works well then it’s just a matter of concentrating on the image.
And of course a massive thanks to everyone at PDG Aviation who were amazing.
No flash portraits
Working with one of my clients who who are in the middle of a re-brand and wanted something a bit different for their staff images, something more youthful and engaging…think I managed to capture it perfectly for them!
Just a bit of window light and a reflector.
Scottish Edge Awards
I’ve been photographing the Scottish Edge Awards now for over 10 years, photographing the whole day from the pitches to the judges, networking to all the award winners…this year was a bit different die to Covid-19 restrictions, with all the pitches done over video with no audience or award ceremony.
So I was commissioned to photograph a few of this year’s winner in their place of work.
Funded by the Hunter Foundation, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Scottish Enterprise the competition runs twice per year and has supported Scottish businesses with over £15m in award funding.
Scottish EDGE consists of three competition categories: Scottish EDGE, Young EDGE and Wild Card EDGE, a very worthwhile event supporting Scottish business’s over a a wide range of industries.
It’s always a pleasure to work with Evelyn and the rest of the Scottish Edge team…
International Color Award nominee winner
Always nice when you get recognised for your work…
Nominated at the 13th Annual International Color Awards, from 73 countries and over 6000 photographers it’s a great honour to be a nominee for my image of Ludwik Jaszczur a WW2 Monte Cassino Polish veteran in the portrait category .
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The Impossible Row!
As a professional photographer you get to meet and photograph some amazing people, yesterday was one of those days when I met Jamie Douglas-Hamilton who plans to row from Cape Horn in South America to mainland Antarctica across Drake Passage, considered the most dangerous ocean crossing in the world.
Noel Cowards Mad Dogs and Englishmen comes to mind!
The Impossible Row, no one has rowed this far South before and crossed the Drake Passage by human power alone. Not only can seas reach up to 80 foot in the Southern Ocean but the crew will be rowing against the current. Jamie is the only British member of a team of six who will row in 90-minute shifts around the clock, with little to no sleep for 24 hours a day for around three weeks in cold to freezing conditions.
And over Christmas so no roast potatoes for Jamie!
As Jamie said “should be fun” …All the best to him and the rest of the team.
The expedition is being recorded by the Discovery Channel, which is sending the aptly named Braveheart vessel to follow the journey, however the boat will offer no support or supplies to the athletes. The expedition can be followed online with updates on Twitter at @actiphwater and @discovery.
Moulin Rouge dancers
Moulin Rouge dancers help raise money at the annual Lunch with an Old Bag.
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All three Scottish dancers from London’s West End show Performed at the Prestonfield House Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh (an amazing venue).
I’ve been shooting this event now for 11 years now, over 300 well lubricated ladies get together to help raise funds for the The Prince’s Trust Scotland to transform the lives of thousands of young people.
Since the first Lunch with an Old Bag the event has raised more than £4.7m, which translates directly as help for over 4,700 young Scots.
Shadows of War Roger Fenton’s Photographs of the Crimea
A great exhibition focusing exclusively on Roger Fenton’s pioneering photographs of the Crimean War, taken in 1855. Fenton was already an accomplished and respected photographer when he was sent by the publishers Agnew’s to photograph a war that pitched Britain, France and Turkey as allies against Russia. Arriving several months after the major battles were fought in 1854, Fenton focused on creating moving portraits of the troops, as well as capturing the stark, empty battlefields on which so many lost their lives.
At The Queen’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse until November, well worth a visit.
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