DREICH (Pronunciation: /driːx, dreary; bleak)

The National Gallery of Scotland building on the Mound, completed in 1859 by William Henry Playfair. It houses the Scottish national collection of fine art.

Over the past few weeks I have been exploring taking pictures in new ways and situations. Often this involves walking around until something catches my eye..... I am happy that the direction my photography is naturally headed is in documentary style- catching moments which will never be repeated, which will be the most useful skill to have if I wish to take my business in the direction of wedding photography and natural portraiture. I have been reading several books recommended by my tutor and the ones I favour also feature documentary reportage photography.

 On the wet, dreich day  I took this collection of pictures, I was actually looking for something totally different to the series I ended up with. For about an hour I had been photographing water droplets on leaves and branches, until I thought about how beautiful the puddles looked without any wind. And lo! I had an epiphany, of sorts. I begun to think about what I could capture in these perfect, mirror-like puddles, and looked about where I was standing in Princess St Gardens. Surrounding me were some of the most beautiful, instantly recognisable buildings in Edinburgh.

Left: Scott Monument, 1846, George Meikle Kemp. Right: Royal Scottish Academy, 1826, William Henry Playfair.

The clock tower of the Balmoral Hotel, a gargantuan hotel built in the heyday of rail travel by the North British Railway next to Waverley Station, completed in 1902, W. Hamilton Beattie.

Of course, these pictures were technically taken upside down, as seen below! I have had to invert them, and I rather like the look of the pavement being 'on the ceiling' of the pictures. 

The Royal Scottish Academy building on the Mound, completed in 1826 by William Henry Playfair. It houses contemporary art.

HBOS (formerly Bank of Scotland) Scottish Headquarters on the Mound. Robert Reid and Richard Crichton, 1802-1806, at a cost of some £43,000!

An Irishman and a Scotsman

My first session at the ECA was wonderful!  I must say it does feel good to be back in a University environment.The Art School is literally brimming with creativity and inspiration, it is a hive of activity.

Musings at the Museum

Where the old Royal Scottish Museum building meets the new Museum of Scotland building

I studied Architectural History at Edinburgh University, so my eye is naturally drawn to view architecture as a form of art.

On the twelfth day of Christmas

Lunch with Bruno

I took my new camera to lunch the other day in the hope I might take some sweet Christmas shots of my friend's 11 month old, Bruno. My first insight into children's portraiture is that it is not easy! The main reason for this is of course, little children do not sit still. Selfishly neither do they appreciate nor even acknowledge the task in hand. 

The beginning; a new camera

'Early one morning

Just as the sun was rising

I heard a maiden singing

In the valley below'

With the decision firmly made that I, Suzie, was going to try become a professional photographer, I needed to buy a new camera. My first little SLR, a Sony a200 bought second hand in Edinburgh for peanuts, was sadly, not going to cut the mustard. After all, you can't design a website with a typewriter.

Out of the forest and into the light

Pictures taken on Suerassari Island, Helsinki, at approx 1.00am on midsummer's night 3 years ago, before any inkling of  persuing photography further.

I wish to share with you my journey, a journey towards enriching my life through the medium of creativity and photography.