Tom Langlands Photography Blog

Winter Festival Fun in George Square, Glasgow Recently, I ended up in Glasgow for a weekend. Although I have a love of nature, wildlife and the great outdoors I also love big cities and I am very fond of Glasgow. I had read in the papers that there was to be a Sunday Santa Dash for charity involving a couple of thousand Santa look-a-likes running 5km through the streets of the city. Grateful for a bit of photographic inspiration I decided my portfolio could do with some new Christmas and winter images. I mentioned it to my dear wife who immediately turned me off the whole thing by saying, 'What a good idea and we could do some Christmas shopping.' Aaargh...this was not at all what I had planned! I was ready to ditch the whole idea when she added, 'We could go up for the whole weekend and get a room somewhere. That way, I can shop 'til I drop and you can go and take as many photos as you want.' It was, as they say, a result! It wasn't that we did...

Tens of thousands of starlings against an evening sky at Gretna, Scotland For those of you that follow my blog and my various other sites you will know that I live near to the Solway Firth in Scotland. It is a very important place for wildlife all year round but with winter approaching it becomes especially exciting. Although autumn this year in Scotland ended much warmer than usual the temperature has been dipping in some more northerly countries. When this happens the bird populations in places like Russia, Scandinavia and Greenland look for favourable wind conditions and make their great escape before it becomes too late and they lose that all important 'window of opportunity'. In recent weeks we have seen, along with many other species, an influx of wigeon, whooper swans and thousands of barnacle geese. We have also had an influx of starlings. Starlings can be found all year round in Scotland but when winter comes migrant birds can boost the numbers significantly....

There is a definite chill in the air as I write this. There may also be some unusual chirping and honking because the winter migration that brings so many different species of birds to our shores is underway. It's hard to think that some of these seasoned travellers actually find Scotland a warm destination in winter! Yet that, and the ensuing food source, are precisely why they come here.  If you are like me that means donning a few extra layers of warm clothing, heating up a nice flask of warm soup and making sure the camera batteries are fully charged before heading off to welcome the new arrivals. In an earlier blog I wrote about the love I held for the Solway area of Dumfries and Galloway and how it wasn't always necessary to head for some sunny destination overseas to get those exciting landscape or wildlife photographs. Whilst that may be fun, don't forget to appreciate what may be on your doorstep.  As a consequence of foolishly injuring myself earlier ...

Traction Kiting Despite being fooled by a few days of unusually warm temperatures, it is Autumn. It's an interesting season for photographers and the challenge is to find new ways of making something that has been photographed a million times before look new. However, sometimes something completely new comes along just because you happen to be in the right place at the right time. That is exactly what happened to me on a windy autumn day a couple of years back and it has resulted in new friendships and new photographic opportunities I was walking along the dunes close to a large expanse of sandy beach in western Galloway with my camera. There was a bit of an autumn breeze blowing and I was looking for inspiration in the waving dune grasses and the drifting sand. It's always worth commenting again, even although it's been said a hundred times before, that cameras do not like salt water or sand! I was being extremely careful. Lone Kiter Over the top of the d...

To the north of the busy market town of Castle Douglas in southwest Scotland is beautiful Loch Ken. This sliver of water ten miles (sixteen kilometres) long is part of the River Dee system providing some of the finest scenery in Dumfries and Galloway. Today, Loch Ken is well known for sailing and fishing. Perhaps less well known is the important role that the loch and surrounding area play in protecting and enhancing the nation’s wildlife. It is a role that presents many challenges and although some struggles lie ahead, history bears testimony to the fact that in this part of Scotland challenges and struggles come with the territory. Around Loch Ken lie several attractive villages including New Galloway to the north and Parton and Crossmichael to the east. High on the green slopes to the west is the old church at Balmaghie. It is in the graveyard of this small country church that evidence of darker times can be found.  The old church at Balmaghie In the late 1630s ...

Thistle:  National Flower of Scotland Sometimes when I look at the work of other photographers I marvel at the location.  I think how much easier and exciting photography must be in locations where the sky is always blue and the water crystal clear. In these places the flora and fauna also seem so much more colourful and exciting. Yet, such a simplistic view is to undervalue the challenge of good photography. Even in great light and with wonderful subject matter the challenge is always how to make that picture more than just a snapshot. It's about mood, atmosphere, interpretation and of course the creativity of the photographer. It's also about that sense of 'place', wherever in the world that may be.  I'm Scottish and proud of my nationality but for years I have bemoaned the grey mist that all too often envelopes the landscape and the rain that some weeks just won't stop. If I am being honest that is still the case if I am trying to do a particular wea...

Firstly, a big THANK YOU to all of you who have followed my photography for several years now. You know who you are and you are scattered across many countries of the world. For those of you who are also photographers I have loved following your work too and will continue to do so. I received so many positive comments on my images and associated ramblings on various sites along with suggestions that I should set up a blog that I eventually took the plunge and here it is. I have also created Facebook and Twitter pages all linked to this blog, my website and my Flickr photostream. That in itself has been a massive learning curve of ‘links’, ‘badges’, ‘gadgets’, ‘profiles’, ‘URL codes’ and a load of other stuff that I’m only beginning to understand. So, whilst I think I have everything up and running I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I’ve got something wrong. Time will tell. In the meantime I hope that you enjoy this and my other sites. Having set the blog page up the next qu...