February 2023 - Filming Comic relief in the Cairngorms - Drone and Camera operator.

What a brilliant fun week with this team of Rylan, Oti and Emma. Also the whole safety team who I know from my work in the mountains, and Graeme and Kirsty who guided them on camera. A very wild weather week with 108mph on the summits. People, even heavy ones, get blown through the air at 100mph so pretty windy.

We hiked and filmed and I was covering the socials for Comic relief and for the uploads to BBC Breakfast and news crews each day. While along the way the a BBC crew were filming the documentary to go out a little later. The celeb team were new to the hiking and camping etc so was fun to see how they got on and how great they are with chatting to cameras and always being observed. Great week and Hamish Frost did the stills and Rupert Shanks helped me out.

Hamish, me, Rylan, Oti and Emma at the end.

Rylan getting a rare moment to himself to take in the surroundings on Cairngorm summit.

Emma and Oti on the summit of Cairngorm.

January 2023 - Camera operator and aerial filming on Lewis and Harris with the Hebridean Baker

So off to the Western Isles for some filming and cooking. I seem to get out to the isles often in my line of work which is fantastic. Here was to do a cooking show for ITV This Morning with usuals Julia organising the food and Ian doing the sound. A new PD to work with Rhian who is wonderful and a new presenter for me Coinneach the Hebridean Baker who is a lovely guy:)

We started in Harris filming on Luskentyre beach which is always lovely and to Harris distillery and up to Lewis for the other days with Callinish stones and Stornaway etc. Quite a bit of jumping round the weather as it is January so good bit of rain but thankfully sun too and rainbows:)

Luskentyre Beach

Amazing backdrop for cooking.

January 2023 - Camera and drone operator Aberdeen and Ballater for ITV 'This Morning' crime segment.

Did an interview with a murder detective and GV’s for this in December in Aberdeen city but today we were out in Ballater to film some more pieces and interview around the village. Pretty chilly day but nice sunshine and an interesting days but some gruesome facts and scary what humans can be like.

Isla was presenting this piece and Dom directing and using my second camera. With myself on ground camera drone and sound.

Ballater from the Air

My setup for the interview with the detective and Isla.

January 2023 - Camera and drone operator in Sardinia with Gino for ITV This Morning

Always great to head to Sardinia to shoot with the ever very funny Gino and the great ITV ‘This Morning’ crew. I was doing camera and drone here and Ashley Gadd from fresh audio was doing sound, Harry Bott was directing and Julia Alger was managing the food side of things for Gino.

Surprisingly for this time of year we only had one indoor cook and the rest was pretty sunny for January and we had a great time touring round different areas in the inner part of Sardinia. Mainly within 30mins oil Gino’s house.

Gino kept us entertained and ever professional and quick at what he does.

November 2022 - Self shooting PD on the Moray Coast for BBC 'Paramedics on Scene'

Another day filming for a BBC TV Show’ Paramedics on Scene’. This time filming in a room in the fire station as its bigger than ambulance station in Banff:) Was a good crack and had some pretty good weather to get some drone shots of the area too.

On this shoot the interview was done through my laptop and hotspot on the phone while I did the 3 cameras, 3 lights, sound and after the drone:)

November 2022 - Camera operator and aerial filming in Thurso for BBC 'Paramedics on Scene'

A super windy day up here in Thurso but managed a bunch of drone shots early morning. Then had a laugh meeting the Ambulance teams and setting up for an interview. The interview was about previous incidents that had been filmed and the interviewer was on my laptop hot spotted from my phone:)

Involved setting up in a small living room type area and moving chairs and getting 3 lights up then three cameras and sound:) A fun day out.

November 2022 - Camera Operator and Drone pilot Northumberland with John Torode

So John is back on the road on his bike as we tour a few spots in Northumberland and cook several lovely dishes. John is always great and easy to work with and so are the ITV This Morning crew. Will Thomas, directing, Natalie managing the cooking and Ian on Sound.

Was a fun week and weather amazingly held for us for November:)

Bamburgh Castle, the amazing spot for one of the cooks:)

John on Holy Island for a cook:)

AUGUST 2022 - Drone pilot Aviemore with a night shoot and light display

This was the first of several shoots to come of filming lights at night as several hundred volunteers create a light show. Part of Green spaces dark skies series. Rupert Shanks was directing with James shooter doing daytime drone and both doing night shots on the ground. I did some camera and long lens during the day and then Drone at night with the Inspire 2 drone with X7 camera shooting in prores.

Pretty exciting shoot as only have 40mins at night to get the shots. But longer during the day. Camping shots by Rupert and beautifully put together by Rupert and Lindsay the editor.

Practice as the light starts to get right for it:)

JULY 2022 - Camera operator and Drone pilot Isle of Arran for BBC Countryfile

A great few days over on the Isle of Arran with Countryfile as we do a piece on the poor state of the CalMac ferries. Bit of touring round the island speaking to different business’s. Great bunch of locals, from hotels, farmers, shop owners, cocktail bar etc. We got some good weather too so was a fun journey. Tom Heap was presenting, Becky Whitefoot directing/producing and Martin McNair on the sound:)

We also had a bonus day out on a rib filming the calmac ferries by drone. This was great fun and always a bit more adrenaline flying from small boats. But a smooth day at sea:)

JUNE - JULY 2022 - Camera operator and aerial filming around Aviemore for a few days with G2 Outdoors

So continuing filming with G2 Outdoor for their new website. getting out Tubing, Zipping on both self guided and the big guided zip and also their Gorge which lies below the Zips. Was a fun few days always a great fun team at G2 and with good weather for the filming. So busy just now though be a while before I get to editing these together lol.

JUNE 2022 - Filming on Moray coast with camera and drone for Glenmore Lodge.

Great few days with Derek and Vicky plus a few other filming rock climbing movement techniques. These are creating tutorials for their YouTube channel. Now made maybe 150 films for the channel 😁

MAY 2022 - Countryfile episode Camera and drone in Kilmarnock and Aviemore

Always fun filming with BBC Countryfile. Here we filmed a piece about the making of a Children in need hat in a Kilmarnock factory and also interviewed a Ukrainian farmer online. Then we came to Aviemore to film with Fiona’s ponies on a piece about the Queen for the Jubilee. Great to finish on my own patch and meet another local too.