I spend most of my time bouncing around the South East of Scotlands coasts with a camera in hand

I have loved photography from the moment I picked up a camera at age 10, I loved that it offered me a chance to express myself in a way that words just couldn’t reach, I loved that people where finally able to see the world the way I saw it. but then the transition to high school and being undiagnosed Autistic at the time really sent me through a loop, life got chaotic and hard and I went in on myself, retreated into my shell and the camera got put on shelf.

It wasn’t until I met Amanda through meeting of minds (a local charity) that the spark for photography came back. Amanda who is a wonderful bird and wildlife photographer and also happens to be autistic opened a whole new world for me, she was someone I could see myself in, could relate to in all the weird and wonderful ways both are brains worked and showed me it was ok to be who I am. Amanda was the first person to place a dlsr in my hand and I still remember the first photo I took with it, although it was admittedly a very blurry photo of a duck and will never see the light of day, I was hooked.

At around the same time of meeting Amanda I completed a six week surf therapy course with the wave project Scotland. this hands down changed my life and I honestly don’t know where I would be without them. I admittedly was pretty scared the first session, holding the hand of Alison the project coordinator through the entirety of the session but over time I eased into it. I begun to realize it was a safe place for me to be myself and developed a true love for surfing and being in the water which still runs rife in my veins to this day. Those guys are like family to me and I don’t know what I would do with out them.

with this new love for the water and photography I couldn’t help myself but join the two hobbies together and that brings us to today. being in the water with my camera is without a doubt my happy place whether it be at sunset or sunrise, me out by myself or out with surfers or with the wave project guys, I can guarantee that if i’ve got a camera in hand then there with be a smile on my face. I love that photography gives my mind a chance to just stop and fully feel what is happening in the moment. I know it sounds cheesy but its true. My mind is so focused on the settings on my camera and making sure i’m in the right spot for the shot the my mind can’t wander of the the usual chaos it seems so comfortable in.