Long before The Auld Romantics became a studio and a shared body of work, photography was how I found space. Time spent outdoors, walking in quiet places, paying attention to light and weather and learning to be present in the landscape became a way of grounding myself and, over time, a way of healing.

My approach to photography and editing has always leaned towards the romantic. I’m drawn to softness, atmosphere, and a painterly sense of light, influenced by art and literary periods that valued emotion, nature, and mood over precision. I’m less interested in perfection and more interested in how a moment feels.

Over the years, I’ve also witnessed how Scotland’s landscapes have changed in the age of social media. Places that were once quiet and open have become increasingly busy, restricted, or subject to permissions. While it is wonderful to see such love for these locations, it has also added layers of pressure and limitation to working in the landscape.

Letting go a little has changed everything.

By loosening expectations and allowing space for uncertainty, my photography is becoming calmer, more honest and more alive. It has returned to something I deeply believe in. Photography as an experience to be enjoyed, shared and remembered ~ rather than something to be performed or perfected.

Richard is often alongside me on these days, helping, carrying, watching the weather roll in and keeping spirits high. Together, we have spent many hours in Scotland’s landscapes with people from all over the world, sharing time, conversation, laughter and the occasional rain shower.