A little about me…….
Capturing Scotland’s Spirit, One Night at a Time
Hello there, my name’s Martin, and I’m a landscape astrophotographer based in Scotland, but originally from the English Midlands. There’s a magical quality to Scotland’s landscape—the towering mountains, ancient forests, historic ruins, moody skies, and endless stretches of unspoilt and dramatic coastline—and thankfully large parts of Scotland retain dark skies, free from light pollution.
Landscape astrophotography is more than just a hobby for me, and it’s certainly not a job of any kind. I enjoy the solitude that comes with being out there at night, and I enjoy planning images, scouting locations, and the process of seeing whether I can pull off the shot. By my side I have my two cheeky (and totally loveable!) dogs, Jasper and Mitchell. We’ve explored countless corners of Scotland together (with plenty of places still to see!), always searching for scenes that might translate into meaningful nightscape images. I also enjoy more traditional ‘daylight’ landscape photography, which means if the conditions don’t suit the astrophotography, I still take advantage of the situation to produce other photographic memories from my trips.
Working through the night…….
Starry-eyed and sleep-deprived
So my main passion lies in working with at night. There’s something so peaceful about being out after dark, long after most people have gone home. From dusk right through to dawn, I’ll chase the subtle glow of twilight, the dreamy hues and celestial spectacle of the night, and often wait it out for the first blush of sunrise. Nightscape photography, capturing the stars and the soft shimmer of the landscape, is what truly excites me. You can read more about my approach to landscape astrophotography here.
Of course, my days aren’t all about hunting for that perfect opportunity at night. When I’m not out on an adventure, I’m usually unwinding (sheltering!) in the van, enjoying a quiet moment—or more likely, playing ball or sticks with Jasper and Mitchell, who need a lot of stimulation and exercise each day! Or, more realistically, you’ll find me cleaning up dog hair, sand and mud from the van, shaking dog blankets, and reaching awkwardly to try to put my hands on some misplaced photographic gear.
Lately, I’ve been challenging myself to learn something new: videography and vlogging. I turned 50 recently, and it just felt like the right time to try my hand at telling stories in a different way. I’m finding the learning curve a bit daunting (as I did with landscape photography initially), but it’s also genuinely exciting to pick up new skills and I look forward to eventually sharing my journeys in a new format. I don’t have anythingto show at the moment video-wise, but I’m working on it.
Connecting with people…….
Journeying Together
I’d love for you to join me - virtually - on my adventures! If you’re curious, you can keep up with my travels and latest photos on Instagram or Facebook—I try to share a little piece of my world whenever I can. And if you ever see an image that speaks to you, you might like to know that I offer a selection of my absolute favourite shots (including daytime landscape photography) as museum-quality prints. Each one is printed on gorgeous, archival-quality paper that’s made to last—so you can bring a bit of Scotland’s wild spirit into your own space.
Anyhow, thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read about my little corner of the world. If you’d like to stay in touch, I’d be delighted if you joined my mailing list for occasional updates and stories. And who knows—maybe our paths will cross under the stars one night!
Martin