On the last Tuesday of January, the Shetland town of Lerwick switches off its streetlights, sets fire to a Viking longship it has spent a year building, and throws a party that runs until eight the following morning. This is Up Helly Aa, the largest of eleven community fire festivals held across Shetland between January […]
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How to Photograph Fireworks: Camera and Phone Settings That Work in 2026
We love watching fireworks shows, whether that’s the Fourth of July here in the USA, or Hogmanay back in Edinburgh, where we lived for four years. I’ve also been photographing them for over fifteen years as a professional travel photographer, at everything from the Edinburgh Military Tattoo to New Year celebrations around the world. Every […]
A Day Trip to Cambridge: Walking Itinerary, Colleges, Museums and More
I’ve visited Cambridge several times over the years, and it’s one of my favourite day trips from London. If you like compact English cities you can see properly in a single day, a day out in Chester is another I’d happily recommend. Under an hour by train from King’s Cross, it’s compact enough to see […]
Ski Holiday Packing List: What to Pack for a Ski Trip
If you’re planning a ski trip, you might be wondering what to pack. Well, with our guide to what to pack for ski trip we’ve got you covered! We’ve been on many skiing holidays in countries around the world, including the USA, Austria, France, Spain and even Scotland! From all these trips, we’ve pooled our […]
How to Reduce Image Sizes for WordPress, Social Media, E-Mail & More!
As a photographer who is also a blogger, I am often asked how to reduce image sizes. This can be useful for a variety of reasons, from sending an image by e-mail, through to optimizing images to improve website loading times. I thought a post explaining exactly how to reduce image sizes in general, and […]
Game of Thrones Iceland: Every Filming Location with Map and Directions
Iceland was one of the most important filming locations for Game of Thrones, appearing in every season from Season 2 onwards. We’ve visited and photographed every filming location on this list, and in this guide we’ll show you exactly where each one is, which scenes were filmed there, and how to get to each spot. […]
Best Photo Editing Software 2026: A Pro Photographer’s Picks
Editing photos is one of the key parts of photography. This has been true since the days of film, when photographers spent hours in darkened rooms coaxing the best from their negatives. Thankfully, those days are behind us, and today we have powerful photo editing software to help us get the most from our digital […]
Things to Do in Girona, Spain: A Walking Guide to the Old Town
Girona is one of those small cities that rewards you for slowing down. Plenty of people see it on a quick day trip from Barcelona, and you’ll get a feel for the place in a few hours. But we’ve been back to Girona more times than we can count over the years, and we still […]
Scotland in Winter: Things to Do, Planning Advice, Tips and More!
Whilst the most popular time to visit Scotland is the summer months, there is plenty to do if you visit Scotland in winter. If you’re headed here in the colder months, our Scotland packing list breaks down exactly what to bring by season. We’ve travelled throughout Scotland in winter, and with a bit of preparation […]
Gifts for Photographers: A Photographer’s Picks for Every Budget
If you have a photographer or a photography lover in your life to buy for, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve been taking photographs for over thirty years, working as a professional travel photographer since 2010, and I teach the craft to thousands of students through my online photography course. In that time I’ve […]