Joining the RSPB

Posted on by vince1970

sunset4 This year I decided to become a member of my local Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.  I decided for two reasons.  The first is that the RSPB Vane Farm site is right on my doorstep and I wanted to get my career more focused on trying to see if I can do something to help protect Wild Birds and my local nature reserve.

The second reason was that I was influenced by a couple of brown Kites who swooped down over my car one day earlier on this month while driving through the area of Dalqueich.

I stopped my car where the birds had chosen to land on some roadside tree branches just ahead of me.  I had a good look at one bird, looked at it right in the eye and at that moment the thought “I want to do something to protect you” entered my mind.

Within a couple of days I made a trip out to Vane Farm and spoke to Colin, one of the friendly staff, and signed up for a year’s membership.

I received my book on Scottish birds and have now decided that each day, while I go on my walk up the Kilmagad Woodland walk, I take a compact camera just in case I ever come across any evidence of cruelty to wild birds.

Fortunately I can say that there have been no recent reports of poisoning of Raptors in the Loch Leven and surrounding areas.

I enjoy hillwalking most days and armed with my book, I now enjoy trying to see if I can spot any wild bird life while out in nature.

Working in Co operation

Posted on by vince1970

This week I really enjoyed assisting Milnathort’s well established photographer Gavin Anderson with one of his projects.  Gavin has his own studio and is a very experienced photographer.  I learned a lot from the shoot – especially when it comes to deciding which background colour or textures to use with a product.  I look forward to working with Gavin in future, should the opportunity arise.

Big Country Plays Kinross Saturday 21st November

Posted on by vince1970

Next weekend I will be a volunteer Photographer for the Kinross Local Events Organisation, helping to shoot some music events that are part of the 2015 Kinross Winter Festival.

On Friday evening at the Campus venue the Kinross Got Talent Show opens and I’ll be pleased to take photos of the event as last year.

On Saturday 21st, I’ll be excited to photograph a band I would listen to while still at school in the 80’s – Big Country.

Photos will all be sent to KLEO first for publication in the newsletter and on Facebook.  More news to follow folks.

Farewell XHA1 !

Posted on by vince1970
camera light5
Canon XHA1 Professional Camcorder

Sorry folks, I have not been blogging for some weeks now – I was worried I might not remember how to use wordpress! Fortunately, it’s all starting to come back to me.  I have been distracted with work commitments.  Well, I made the decision that it was high time that I sold my Canon XHA1 camcorder.  After 8 years it had served me well.  This model is a tape camera and with the advent of the new Final Cut Pro X editing software (and the end of DVD production for me!!),  I felt that it was time to stick with using tapeless workflows.  The camera went to a good home along with the Sennheiser Radio Mic kit.  I intend to continue with my Scuba Diver training with a view to adapting my SLR camera kit for underwater image capture applications.  However, training will take a year or two yet, so I would like to concentrate on helping people develop websites and focus on still image capture.  I also want to spend time developing motion graphics and get back into working on some story telling media projects that have gone by the wayside.   Now that I use FCPX, I may have to re edit the story telling projects, as they were originally edited with the old version of FCP.  The only constant thing in life is change, and I feel change is good.  I have rid myself of my old diving dry suit and exchanged it for a fantastic new semi dry – my diving has improved already with new kit.  So who knows where the wonderful ever changing world of Communications will take me next.  It’s the end of an old era and on with the new – updates to follow folks.

Community Spirit

Posted on by vince1970

When I first moved to Kinross last year, I had the immediate impression that this was a place where I could be a Community Worker, perhaps a place where I could contribute to the local business economy.  Kinross is a thriving town with regeneration of the old town centre currently being carried out.  The old library and council offices are being renovated into luxury retirement flats and perhaps it’s only a matter of time before the old high school building (which is an eye sore) gets converted to serve the  much needed housing crisis demand.

My first thoughts were to create an Animation Workshop, but this will require funding which will require a fair bit of my time which I don’t have just now.  Since graduating from the University of Highlands & Islands this year, I have now started developing my media business.  The new flyers and cards have arrived and I have been delighted to discover that Kinross has a very glossy looking newsletter which is more of a magazine and this is accompanied by a sister website run by the Kinross Business Partnership Association.where local business’s can advertise for free – yes free.  I have yet to come across other towns that offer so much help to local small business’s.

I now have my wee ad online and I hope in the not too distant future I will be working with clients in Kinross as well as my clients in other parts of Fife, Falkirk and the Lothians.  My hope is that I’ll be able to help local business grow through the use of increased Visual Communications platforms that they may not have even considered or been aware of.

The local website is kinross.cc

Back to Skool

Posted on by vince1970

After recently graduating from the University of Highlands & Islands I was in a positive mood, feeling a rare confidence I have not felt in such a long time.  I had thought about applying for jobs and did manage to get one interview – however, I decided that after much internal debating for weeks, that the way forward for me was to stick with being self employed.  I wanted to work only 16 hours a week and earn a respectable income.  Easier said than done.

However, I am finding to my delight that I currently do 16 hours a week working for two clients, in the here and now.  I would not be able to cope with taking on any more work.  For hundreds of years, it has been in the collective consciousness that a successful person is the one who works hard and long hours – I disagree completely – to me the successful person works less hours for more money and has more time to spend with friends and family.  I am finding that I really enjoy helping people solve their Communications and Information Technology problems so it’s more of a fun challenge than working.

Perhaps I can only claim this after having just spent almost 3 years in full time education, studying subjects and courses I would not really feel comfortable studying, sometimes feeling a bit out of my comfort zone.  I’ve studied Metallurgy Theory, dark room photography theory and Art & Design Concepts – all subjects I’d rather not delve into too deeply.  However I feel that this time has not been wasted – in fact, these subjects I believe, have activated part of my brain that’s been dormant for decades – that part that allows you to grasp a problem and find a solution almost immediately.

I feel like I am living with an extra new dimension to life that I’ve been searching for.  So, for anyone reading this who may be ‘stuck in a rut’ of some sort – perhaps they could consider going back to school, and learning new subjects – even if the subjects seem irrelevant or unnecessary.  Full time courses and night / day classes should start in your local area round about September, and your local council will most likely put a flyer or news pamphlet through the door with information about courses.  I think for me, I’d like to try an evening class in Gaelic or Italian – but this time only a leisure class – my full-time studies are finally over!

Business Growth

Posted on by vince1970

Today I had an enjoyable and very educational video shoot in the Falkirk and Bathgate areas, recording client testimonials for a business coach Ewan Menzies of Castle Strategy, whom I have known for many years in the Edinburgh Networking scene.

Today I have met some new entrepreneurs and business people that I wouldn’t have otherwise been introduced to, and have realised just chatting with Ewan en route to the locations, that I will have to change some fundamental aspects of the business I wasn’t aware of.

Business Coaching is more valuable to your business than you could possibly imagine.  Ewan is very inspiring and I hope one day to use Ewan’s services for my own production company.

Next job – get the footage edited as soon as possible.

Underwater Cameras

Posted on by vince1970

Yesterday I thoroughly enjoyed my first dive for many months at St Catherines Loch near the west coast of Scotland.  After my diving club buddies and I descended down to 15 meters we could see an abundance of marine wild life including a purple Scorpion Fish, Crabs and even Lobsters.  As a trainee diver, taking underwater photographs is not encouraged, and I should have resisted taking out my Intova compact underwater camera.  The dive leader signalled to me not to take any photos so I tried to put my camera back into my trouser leg pocket, but for some reason I couldn’t seem to fasten the pocket shut, so I put the camera strap around my wrist.

Unfortunately when my auto dump was refusing to release air as we glided into the shallow part of a reef, I started shooting up to the surface.  Unknown to me my camera had unhinged itself from my arm and was lost for good.  In the commotion, my diving buddies had seen my camera shoot up to the surface but it was nowhere to be seen afterwards.

I searched all along the coast line to see if my camera had been washed ashore but it had gone.  So my advice to other trainee divers is – not only should you not take photos on a training dive, but leave your camera at home until you get qualified and more experience.  With more experience comes greater awareness under the water and you are less likely to lose gear which may be expensive to replace.

I have learned my lesson and won’t take another camera into the water unless I’m on a dive specifically for photography – after I’ve finished my training of course.

Digital Marketing

Posted on by vince1970

Well continuing with the flow of positivity an enquiry has come in from a West Lothian based Digital Marketing company who require help with some video editing and possibly re shooting of a previous media project.  The owner is an old colleague of mine so am looking forward to working with him again.  One of my most valued business treasures  is loyalty and trust from fellow entrepreneurs and clients.