About
Hi! and welcome to my photography site.
I am a landscape, nature and events photographer living in Scotland.
I love to make photographic images which capture the essence of a scene. I am always looking for a different perspective, to add a unique quality to my shots, but believe that it is a combination of the quality of light and composition that is the key to creating high impact, emotion evoking images.
In the past, I used a Canon 5DMKII, but recently traded up for a Sony Alpha7 MkIII mirrorless full frame Camera.
Main lenses are a Sony FE 24-70mm f2.8 Gmaster MkII; and a Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS L with a Metabones Canon/Sony E mount adapter.
At Xmas 2022, I aquired a new Sony 200 – 600mm Zoom, to add to my lens collection, which is a superb wildlife and action/sports lens.
These lenses provide both the range and quality I require for most of my photographic needs and will hire additional lenses for any “special” assignment.
Although there is nothing quite like rising at 5.30am, on a wet autumn morning and driving into Glencoe for a 7am sunrise photoshoot, when you are rewarded with a break in cloud cover and the soft morning light illuminates the magnificent majesty of the Scottish landscape, which I really enjoyed, I now spend more time creating images, of some more local scenes of natural beauty.
I hope you get as much pleasure from viewing my images as I did making them. Please let me know.
jimreidphoto 
Hi Jim!
Your photos are really beautiful. My favourite is the tawny owl. Can i draw this picture?
May 28, 2013 at 10:18 pm
Hi Moira, thanks for your visit. I am honoured that you would want to draw my image. Sorry but I just located your original message. Your drawing is just superb!
June 10, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Jim, I’ll be near your neck of the woods soon on a business trip (Billingham, South of New Castle England) and have scheduled it so I arrive early and get an entire day to shoot/get acclimated. Any tips for shooting your part of the world? Do you know of any references that I may find helpful?
Thanks,
Mark
March 27, 2013 at 9:31 pm
Hi Mark, At the moment it is cold here, so if your trip is in the next few weeks, warm clothing would be a good idea. We also tend to get regular wet weather so I would suggest wet weather gear and waterproof protection for your equipment.
I am not very familiar with the Billingham area except that it is an industrial area for gas and petrochem companies. Slightly further north around Durham and Newcastle areas there are some interesting and picturesque places. The Beamish Museum, just outside Durham, is a famous “living” museum detailing the lives of people in North East England during the Georgian and Victorian era. I have visted in the past and would suggest it is well worth a visit and is a great place for a photograhy ( http://www.beamish.org.uk/ )
Also Durham Cathedral, which is nearby is also a good place to see. (www.durhamcathedral.co.uk.)
Further North is Newcastle with its famous Tyne Bridge, and “angel of the North” (metalic sculpture) http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=newcastle+on+tyne&hl=en&lr=&as_qdr=all&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=BbFUUZ2nPIi20QXzpYHQCw&ved=0CF8QsAQ
In warmer weather I would suggest visting Whitby, which is a small picturesque coastal harbour resort south of Billingham. http://www.whitby-uk.com/
I hope this helps.
I you want to discuss further, please drop me an email.
March 28, 2013 at 9:12 pm
Thanks Jim. Time to go and get some waterproof shoes I guess.
March 29, 2013 at 6:32 pm
Jim, they say one of the signs of a great photograph is that it either makes you want to visit the place in the image or brings back fond memories. You have definitely accomplished the former for me in making me want to visit your beautiful country. Keep up the great work and the 5am wake up calls are definitely worth it!
February 19, 2013 at 10:41 pm
Hi Mark thanks for your praise and for following my site. I do enjoy making images in the highlands of Scotland. If you decide to come, let me know and perhaps we can have a wee dram together. I see you shoot with a mk3. I would be interested to know what you think of it.
February 20, 2013 at 4:17 pm
Jim, I see that you shoot with the Canon 5D Mark II, this is the camera I used for around 18 months before I got the Mark III (going on 8 months) so I can give you a perspective that would probably be the most interest to you.
For landscapes I would say that both are equivalent. IQ is superb and indistinguishable between the two cameras. If all I shot were landscapes, the price premium for the newer model is not worth it for basically no gain in performance.
For sports and event, the Mark III with its 61 point AF, tracking and 6 fps is far superior to the Mark II. I could not see myself shooting with the Mark II after having the Mark III for this purpose. The rate of keepers is far greater with the Mark III. When shooting with the Mark II I only used the center point AF and recomposed. With the Mark III I do not hesitate to use them all., even in low light. But the better AF for me is not just limited to sports, but in everyday shooting I appreciate having the added flexibility and accuracy of the new system.
High ISO performance is also about 1/2 stops better at the RAW level and about 2-stops better at the jpeg level. So if you are exclusively a jpeg shooter, the high ISO performance will be dramatically better for the Mark III, not so much for a RAW shooter.
In terms of build quality, I was not one to complain about the Mark II (aside from the flimsy card door cover), however the build quality of the Mark III is definitely a notch above that of the Mark II. I did have some trouble adjusting to the Mark III grip though. I have medium hands and the Mark II grip fit like a glove. The Mark III grip is slightly larger and does not fit my hand as well, but of course YMMV.
Overall the Mark III is a phenomenal camera and I have absolutely no regrets of upgrading. I find the build quality, AF, frame rate and overall responsiveness much better on the Mark III vs the Mark II and in every way it is a better camera to use.
If there are any specifics you want to ask, feel free to communicate them through email. My address can be found on my about me page on my blog. Hope this helps.
February 20, 2013 at 5:31 pm