I left more than footprints on my last photo trip to Scotland

I recently wrote about the tech I’ve put in my van to make it perfect for me as a travel photographer on the road. I was able to utilise my printer whilst in Scotland. Here’s how:

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been exploring Scotland with my camera. I’ve been to see the Isle of Skye, the wild North Coast, taking in the NC500, the Cairngorm Mountains, and other beautiful places on the journey. I decided to spend a night at Skerray Pier, and when I was exploring in the evening I found a deserted hut. The stone walls had stood up to the elements, but the wooden roof was totally absent. Inside, artwork coasted the walls. The two wooden boats were overlooked by paintings on canvas. But I noticed something on one wall that was out of place.

There was an empty picture frame that looked to be lonely. I had to do something about it. I grabbed my camera from the van and got to work, heading to the bay to take a photo of the waters beside the old shack. I fired off an exposure after gathering the prettiest rocks I could find and arranging a foreground. When I was done I headed back to the van and plugged in my printer. I grabbed a nice piece of A3 and printed my shot before heading back to that picture frame.

My gift to Scotland for treating me so well was ready. I inserted it into the side of the frame with a small note of thanks.

This reminded me of something we should all be thinking about as photographers, and it’s two-fold. Firstly, the power of print is immense. Photos were meant to be printed. The art of painting light originates from printed images. The digital age we find ourselves in means our photos are most-often seen on tiny screens. There’s something very special about a printed photo. The ability to hold it, feel it, even smell it, all add up to part of the experience of print. Think about it – when you give someone a print the first thing they do with their eyes is to look at it Simultaneously with their hands they rub it and feel the paper. It’s a step-up from a screen.

Secondly, our friends and family are our biggest fans. With the festive season approaching us, considering the power of print and gifting a print of our work makes. great gift. It’s timeless, and it’s really special. So just as I gifted Scotland with a print, consider gifting prints to your nearest and dearest. They may have an empty picture frame waiting just for you.