Spring has Sprung and so will our Oaks!!

Mr James Pringle, 14th Laird of Torwoodlee

We received a lovely email here at Vanilla Moon Photography yesterday!! Remember our special oaks that we delivered to James Pringle, Laird of Torwoodlee?  Here's a little refresh but in a nutshell Mr Pringle very kindly agreed to plant out nine of our Oaks that had been growing since our little girl, Emilia, was born.

It's fair to say that this has not been an easy winter - and certainly not a time for planting out such precious saplings.  Well, now that has changed.  Yesterday was the first day of spring - and what a gorgeous, sunny day it was too! Perfect, for finally planting out those little oaks!! They now sit among the Elms that border the path to Torwoodlee Tower.  We are so grateful that Emilia's Oaks are now going to spread their roots in a place of historical importance and that they will be looked after and cared for.  We can't thank James enough.  Roll on summer when we can go and visit and see how they are getting on!

Emilia proudly delivers her Oaks to Torwoodlee Tower

International Women's Day and Where It All Began....

In the spirit of International Women's Day I've been thinking about my own story and how I got to where I am today.

 Not many people know, that my love of steam locomotives was where it all began for me. I was 14 when my dad gave me my first camera and ignited a passion in me, not just for photography but for the subjects I began photographing too. I spent every weekend at The East Lancashire Railway documenting the steam locomotives and the unique characters I met. I loved it so much that eventually just photographing it wasn't enough for me and I went onto become a volunteer at the railway. For four years I worked almost every weekend, helping to preserve locos for future generations, whilst also joining footplate crews to train as a firewoman. I did all of this whilst studying press photography at Stradbroke in Sheffield. Eventually my career took off, seeing me working for many different newspapers and magazines across the UK.  It was inevitable that for the next twenty years my love of steam had to take a back seat.

At work on the 8F at Bo'ness.  Picture courtesy of Alistair Linford 

Part of the relief crew on Black Prince at the ELR with the late artist, conservationist and steam enthusiast David Shepherd

But steam has never been far from my mind - once it is in your blood, there it stays!!  I now volunteer at the Bo'ness and Kinneil Preservation Railway.   I'm also back to being a trainee firewoman on the footplate.  I couldn't be happier to pick up where I left off - albeit with different locos and a new set of characters to show me the ropes, I feel like I am back where I belong: getting mucky and being a part of something special.

Photographers are never usually the ones in front of the camera, but for a recent  Scotland on Sunday article I was well and truly in the flash/spot light. You can check out the recent article on ScotRail Alliance and their initiative to increase female apprentice levels to 50 per cent here.  It just got me thinking about how things have moved on - back when I first volunteered a female fireman was almost unheard of - now most preserved lines boast not only firewomen but entire footplate crews.

Happy International Women's Day! #PressforProgress #IWD2018

My most treasured image of my mentor and much loved guide Joe, who believed that I could! RIP 💗

Cuddling in a Winter Wonderland

Children's Portraits | Scottish Borders

❄️ ❄️ Are you ready for the snow? After the initial heavy flurry I always find snow quite tranquil. To me, there's nothing lovelier than an adventure in fresh snowy surroundings. This shot, taken in the Highlands, sums it up for me. We stumbled upon this majestic, ancient woodland along the Great Glen Way. The winter sun was streaming through the snow-clad trees creating an almost fairy-tale landscape. The scene just made the kids look so tiny!! ❄️❄️

Why not have me recreate something similar for you when the snow arrives?