RIP Bert.

9/9

I asked Kirsty for permission to quote from her emails, which she kindly granted. Her response should remind all of us of the power of photography. Use that power you possess wisely fellow photographers. 8/9

What’s in a picture?

A memory. A childhood. A future shaped by the hands of a father.

Photographs tell stories, beautifully, evocatively, and sometimes secretively, and often they tie us to the destinies we shape for ourselves with our own hands. 7/9

Kirsty’s response is pure poetry. As well as providing an eloquent glimpse into the tough but rewarding life of hill farmers on Scotland's west coast islands, she crafts an elegiac and profoundly moving tribute to her dad. 6/9

I emailed back, surprised and delighted to confirm that yes it was her dad’s hand. I explained about the day we'd met and the photographs I'd taken and sent the additional images, but asked “how were you so confident it was your dad’s hand?” 5/9

To my surprise, later that morning I received an email, from Kirsty Leitch whose dad Bert was a well-respected and widely loved hill farmer on the Isle of Mull. I’d met Bert several times over the years, often working with his son Robert, whilst I was working around Mull. 4/9

And one of these images contained a glimpse of a hand coming in from frame right. Only a glimpse, not enough to know whose hand it is, but sufficient, I thought, to hint at the presence of another. It’s the kind of visual ‘device’ I like to use sometimes, a hint, but deliberate nonetheless. 3/9

However one morning I saw that luck in action. A Highland Scottish resident posted in social media alerting folks to a sheep event being held soon for anyone interested in hill-farming, which I retweeted, and added a few sheep pictures from my files. 2/9

Children. Teens. Pregnant women. Victims of domestic violence. Anyone from an ethic minority. Care home residents. People with disabilities. The list of overlooked vulnerable groups goes on & on.

The lesson is to build processes that include them next time.

Not to airbrush away 250,000 Covid dead.

I believe there's a technical term for those "clicky things" the people have which the bears are interested in: bones.

😀

Brexit: The Unicornucopia, the Horn Of Empty

Same thing methinks? Prodding you to buy buy buy baby!

And then of course the prodcast. Which is just a podcast, but you have to really poke him, several times, to get him to do it.

‪@lowrhoufo.bsky.social‬

There's a simpler explanation: they're more easily lead than normal people.

And isn't lead dense?