Brian Smith 📷

He shoots, he scores! Basketball as you’ve never seen it before – in pictures In 2019, Austin Bell embarked on a wild quest to photograph all 2,549 of Hong Kong’s outdoor basketball courts using drone cameras and Google Maps. The results offer a fresh perspective on the city

He shoots, he scores! Basketball as you’ve never seen it before – in pictures

The Kincardine Swing bridge (ex- swing bridge) crossing the River Forth into a subtle sunset sky. A composite images of two long exposure photographs showing the passage of time and change in character of the same view - fifty five minutes between the left and right side of this image.

The highly illuminated foreshore of Grangemouth, Scotland. As night descends the lights of the heavy industry at the fuel processing hub on the River Forth (no longer refining, mothballed in April 2025) smear vertically across the frame and down over the dark blue waters

Another weekend fades off into dark. But, at least it's fading a bit later each evening now. A peaceful hour or so down on the River Forth taking in the views as well as the sounds of nature embracing spring too. Much needed.

#LandscapePhotography #NightPhotography #Scotland #SpringVibes

Fox parkour , shared by @dwdmallender.bsky.social for today's #FoxOfTheDay !

The nights are fair stretching out now, soon be plenty of time. Or, take a torch and go for it.

It's a VERY muddy Wetland just now - wear wellies! But, a great place to escape to and just wander.

A dark sky of blue, fades in a curve to pink and then to reveal a bright full moon rising between leafless trees and and an ancient and abandoned tower, all silhouetted in the dark on a hillside in Scotland. Clackmannan Tower is what remains of a five-storey tower house seated on the summit of King's Seat Hill near Clackmannan, Scotland and dates back to the 14th century.

March's post lunar eclipse, post blood moon rising beside Clackmannan Tower. With the first glorious day of spring and the clearest of blue skies it was a trudge through some muddy fields to set up a welcome for this absolute beauty of a moonrise.

#FullMoon #WormMoon

Liking this new sunshine phenomenon we've been getting a glimpse at. Optimistically headed back down to the old harbour expecting to see Ben Lomond glistening in white against the fiery sky but it looks like it's pretty much snow free now. Stirling Castle and the twilighting city below looked warm and welcoming below clouds peeling slowly across the citrus sky.

Chasing off winter and heading into spring maybe? The last sunset of February looking up river to the twilight and twinkling city lights of Stirling.

#LandscapePhotography #Scotland

A sunset with crepuscular rays, photographed from the slopes of the Ochil Hills in Clackmannanshire and looking over the Forth Valley towards Stirling. The City and Stirling Castle sits behind the Wallace Monument as sun rays radiate from the cloud textured sky.

A sunset with crepuscular rays, photographed from the slopes of the Ochil Hills in Clackmannanshire and looking over the Forth Valley towards Stirling. The City and Stirling Castle sits behind the Wallace Monument as sun rays radiate from the cloud textured sky.

A sunset with crepuscular rays, photographed from the slopes of the Ochil Hills in Clackmannanshire and looking over the Forth Valley towards Stirling. The City and Stirling Castle are silhouetted and bathed in warm orange light as sun rays radiate from the cloud textured sky.

A sunset with the sun generating a colourful starburst effect. Photographed from the slopes of the Ochil Hills in Clackmannanshire and looking over the Forth Valley towards Stirling. The City and Stirling Castle sits behind the Wallace Monument as sun rays radiate from the cloud textured sky.

New boots. No way was I staying in when the sun was being so sunny and after the clouds had been so cloudy for weeks, so off up the hill to break in a new pair.

#LandscapePhotography #SpringVibes #Stirling #WellNotWealthy

A drone shot taken over Forth Valley College, Alloa Campus, as a protest rally against it's threatened closure takes place. The town of Alloa and County of Clackmannanshire in which this college serves the local community stretches out beyond, up the Forth Valley to the Ochils Hills and Stirling on the horizon beyond

Some hopeful local news on a morning that has shown hope for the wider UK. Our #Alloa college campus, under threat from closure due to under-funding has a reprieve; for another year at least. Well done to all staff, students and the wider Wee County community for fighting this.

#Clackmannanshire

A thoughtful morning toast and tea read on #Photography. Neither good nor bad?

An aerial photo taken from a drone over a calm river in the sunshine. the grass on the river banks show signs of white frost as to large swans fly past between the camera and the river

A wide angle shot over a calm river in the sunshine. A bright sunny wintery scene with bare trees overhanging the water. A large group of white swans, make their way towards the camera in a higglety-pigglety line.

A drone image over a winding river in the sunshine of a rurual scene with trees and fields. A large group of white swans, make their way along the winding river loops in a higglety-pigglety line.

A drone image looking directly down over a winding river in the sunshine, of a rural scene with trees and fields. The corner of some large whisky bond warehouses with bright white roofs break in from the edges of the frame. A large group of white swans just visible as white dots on the river make their way along the winding river loop in a higglety-pigglety line.

"What a difference a day makes". A pictorial definition of that. Teased with spring one day, woke to a dusting of snow and then rain again. But it was good to wander down by the River Devon, catch up with the gang of swans but still not see any beavers.

#LandscapePhotography #Clackmannanshire

Clever stuff. 👏

Absolutely tone deaf press. And somebody needs to do a welfare check on that dog.

Mark Kermode reviews Melania YouTube video by Kermode and Mayo's Take

Well that’s my mind made up. Was on the fence*, but based on Mark Kermode’s excellent and unflinching review here I’m not buying a ticket to go and see Melania.

*I wasn’t on the fence. I wasn’t even in the same field as the fence.

Sunrise, soft, golden hour telephoto lens shot of pigeons congregating on a wooden bird table in the morning light. Four all calmly lined up on a perch whilst one individual sits facing them all, as they look to be waiting for the instruction to tuck in.

Sunrise, soft, golden hour telephoto lens shot of pigeons congregating on a wooden bird table in the morning light. Five all impatiently lined up on a perch whilst one individual sits facing them all, just about to tuck in to breakfast. Another, wings spread wide, flies in from the right.

Sunrise, soft, golden hour telephoto lens shot of pigeons congregating on a wooden bird table in the morning light. All pigeons now eagerly pecking at the bird food, as one lands on the perch wings fully spread and feathers catching the golden hour light of a winter sunrise.

Sunrise, hard lit, golden hour telephoto lens shot of pigeons congregating on a wooden bird table in the morning light. The sun has just appeared over the treeline beyond and something has spooked the birds feeding on the bird table. Two silhouetted birds scatter food as they fly off.

Pigeons jostle and gather on a food laden bird table in the golden winter morning light. Something quite quasi-religious going on down over breakfast in a few of these shots.

#BirdPhotography #Sunrise #GoldenHour

Ha! Yea - luckily dodged the worst of that - cheers!

A close up shot of a swan, neck, wings and sphincter fully outstretched as a stream of excrement is being ejected and heading perilously close to the photographer!

A frame full of swans on a corner of a local river in winter, mostly serene, one or two jostling for position an pecking at others. A few obviously still juvenile in here, but most young adults - I think sharing this safe and secluded section of the River before pairing and flying off in the next few weeks for waterways new.

Seems like there's a bit of vying for leadership and dominance going on between a few of the swans too. This photo captures two squaring up to each other, wings outstretched and aggressively being beaten, causing the water surface to froth and foam.

An aerial drone photograph of a large flock of swans taken from around 100ft in the air - around 75 in this image - congregating on the river near a muddy river bank where they gather to be fed regularly.

Wandered around one loop of the river where around 75 Swans are gathered, and almost strafed by precision bombing bird just after take off. Saw plenty of new beaver activity too, but no beavers.

#Scotland #NaturePhotography #UrbanWildlife

The Traitors: Where is Fyrish monument in the Highlands? The 18th Century Fyrish Monument near Alness appeared on the popular TV show on Thursday.

Some More background on the Fyrish Monument. -

The Fyrsih Monument, Easter Ross, Scotland. An unfinished folly on the summit of a hill looking over the Cromarty Firth. Columns of roughly structured rocks form a central section of three arches, flanked either side with two additional stone columns. This images is a composite of multiple images with a group of people positioned differently in each

The Fyrsih Monument, Easter Ross, Scotland. An unfinished folly on the summit of a hill looking over the Cromarty Firth. Columns of roughly structured rocks form a central section of three arches, flanked either side with two additional stone columns. This images is a manipulated composite of the previous image, with a fiery orange and read cloudy sky added and with the figures appearing ghostly under the stone arches.

A drenched by the rain Lhasa Apso dog, wrapped in an Irn Bru print towel is held in the arms of a tall man for warmth, under the arches of the Fyrish Monument

A Lhasa Apso dog, soaked by the persistent rain looks pleadingly back at the photographer. The dog is at full length of an extendable lead, stationary on a path that is running with rainwater like a Scottish burn, it's walker trudging ahead only a few yards from the hill summit where the Fyrish Monument is partly visible in the mizzle.

Nice to see this hilltop folly appear (eventually) on UK #Traitors last night. Raked the archives for when we were up that way. In absolutely typical #Scottish mid-summer tradition (July 12th), it rained and rained then rained some more. And once we got to the top, the views were... non-existent.

An aerial shot taken with a drone over a small frozen village pond. The ice has been kept clear in a small area by the mallards, coots, moor hens and swans working together to share the ice free area. Nearby winter woodland, residential buildings, roads, paths and parkland show the pond's setting in the urban environment.

A higher aerial view of the village pond for more context on this - can you still see the whale?

Got round to this eventually, and it was an inspiring listen to kick off the year. Reminded me how good Grant's "What Does Photography Mean to You?" book is, so off to the bookshelf to find that again. And, looking forward to the new monthly #photographer question slot. 👏

A cold blue toned photograph of a variety of birds in the a pond in winter. An aerial shot taken with a drone over a small frozen village pond. The ice has been kept clear in a small area by the mallards, coots, moor hens and swans working together to share the ice free area. The fringes of the pool have hundreds of small pieces of food - mostly bread - encased in the frozen water as local visitors throw and scatter food towards the birds. They won't go hungry!

The Blue Whale. The local pond now has a sheet of ice covering most of it, but the resident wildlife have got together to keep this small section clear, taking turns to circle and keep it ice free. Nature does it best.

#Winter #BirdPhotography #AerialPhotography #Clackmannanshire #RSPBScotland

PODCAST: A Photographic Life, Episode 400: ‘Special Anniversary Episode’ In this special 400th episode UNP founder and curator Grant Scott looks back over the podcast’s evolution from idea to reality, from shed to garage and from one man talking into a microphone …

Our 400th photography for the ears... unitednationsofphotography.com/2026/01/07/p...

An almost full Wolf Moon setting in a cold, clear blue sky over Dumyat hill at sunrise on the morning of January 4th 2026. A single figure and hilltop cairn and trig point are caught as silhouettes in the face of the moon as it dips below the summit, and the hillside is lit up orange in the morning sunshine An almost full Wolf Moon setting in a cold, clear blue sky over Dumyat hill at sunrise on the morning of January 4th 2026. A single figure and hilltop cairn and trig point are caught as silhouettes in the face of the moon as it dips below the summit, and the hillside is lit up orange in the morning sunshine Taken with a long telephoto lens in the Central Belt of Scotland, from Clackmannanshire where the Ochil Hills protect the north of the Wee County

An almost full Wolf Moon setting in a cold, clear blue sky over Dumyat hill at sunrise on the morning of January 4th 2026. A single figure and hilltop cairn and trig point are caught as silhouettes in the face of the moon as it dips below the summit, and the hillside is lit up orange in the morning sunshine An almost full Wolf Moon setting in a cold, clear blue sky over Dumyat hill at sunrise on the morning of January 4th 2026. A single figure and hilltop cairn and trig point are caught as silhouettes in the face of the moon as it dips below the summit, and the hillside is lit up orange in the morning sunshine Taken with a long telephoto lens in the Central Belt of Scotland, from Clackmannanshire where the Ochil Hills protect the north of the Wee County

An almost full Wolf Moon setting in a cold, clear blue sky over Dumyat hill at sunrise on the morning of January 4th 2026. A single figure and hilltop cairn and trig point are visible as the moon slides down and away from the hill top. The hillside is lit up orange in the morning sunshine. Taken with a long telephoto lens in the Central Belt of Scotland, from Clackmannanshire where the Ochil Hills protect the north of the Wee County

Didn't fancy the cold last night when the first super-moon of 2026 rose, was too cozy and full of saag paneer and poppadoms.

So, out this morning in -5˚C cold to catch the moonset instead and chased the waning Wolf Super-Moon over the summit of Dumyat in the Ochil Hills.

#LandscapePhotography 🥶

New Year celebrations in the small town of Comrie in Perthshire, Scotland. Hundreds of people congregate at midnight on Hogmanay as a spectacular torch lit procession and Scottish Pipe Band wander to all four corners of the town to ward off the bad spirits and welcome in new ones for 2026.

New Year celebrations in the small town of Comrie in Perthshire, Scotland. Hundreds of people congregate at midnight on Hogmanay as a spectacular torch lit procession and Scottish Pipe Band wander to all four corners of the town to ward off the bad spirits and welcome in new ones for 2026.

New Year celebrations in the small town of Comrie in Perthshire, Scotland. Hundreds of people congregate at midnight on Hogmanay as a spectacular torch lit procession and Scottish Pipe Band wander to all four corners of the town to ward off the bad spirits and welcome in new ones for 2026.

New Year celebrations in the small town of Comrie in Perthshire, Scotland. Hundreds of people congregate at midnight on Hogmanay as a spectacular torch lit procession and Scottish Pipe Band wander to all four corners of the town to ward off the bad spirits and welcome in new ones for 2026.

A very energetic start to the New Year at the Comrie Flambeaux festival. Definitely a unique and fiery way to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next one!

More info in the Alt text.

#Scotland #Hogmanay #NewYear

Photographs from the roadside in Perthshire, Scotland. A bright wintery sunrise showing as a well defined starbust in a clear blue sky. Images taken from a snow covered 'B' road still covered in snow and ice as we journeyed home from a few days away celebrating the New year. A heavily weathered and abandoned wooden barn sits just off the roadside in amongst the snow and tufts of heavy grass.

Photographs from the roadside in Perthshire, Scotland. A bright wintery sunrise showing as a well defined starbust in a clear blue sky. Images taken from a snow covered 'B' road still covered in snow and ice as we journeyed home from a few days away celebrating the New year. A heavily weathered and abandoned wooden barn sits just off the roadside in amongst the snow and tufts of heavy grass.

Photographs from the roadside in Perthshire, Scotland. A bright wintery sunrise showing as a well defined starbust in a clear blue sky. Images taken from a snow covered 'B' road still covered in snow and ice as we journeyed home from a few days away celebrating the New year. A heavily weathered and abandoned wooden barn sits just off the roadside in amongst the snow and tufts of heavy grass.

Photographs from the roadside in Perthshire, Scotland. A bright wintery sunrise showing as a well defined starbust in a clear blue sky. Images taken from a snow covered 'B' road still covered in snow and ice as we journeyed home from a few days away celebrating the New year. A heavily weathered and abandoned wooden barn sits just off the roadside in amongst the snow and tufts of heavy grass.

An interesting drive home this morning after all the New Year celbrations. Untreated road still covered in ice and snow for a slow sunrise journey through a cold but bright Scottish valley.

#LandscpapePhotography #Winter #Scotland

A still summer shot taken post-sunset over the River Forth and Alloa Inch - August 2025

Looking over freshly harvested fields to Orchard Farm, as a line of skewed telegraph poles lead the eye towards the Wallace Monument pointing directly at the setting sun, as it casts crepuscular rays skywards into the gathering clouds - August 2025

The hazy view at sunset from Clackmannan Tower over Alloa in early Spring. Leafless trees (one no longer standing due to an autumn storm) are silhouetted in the frame. March 2025

A large circular setting sun sits centre of the frame, silhouetting the a tree lined golf course and the distinctive outline of Stirling Castle beyond. September 2025

Forgetting what the sunshine looks like this month so looked out my sunglasses to revisit this year's catalogue before archiving it all for 2025.

Antidote to the Scottish December dreich.☀️

#LandscapePhotography #FromTheArchive

I agree! 🤩

Watching a sliver of a sunset down by the water. Camera wasn't ready to catch the seal that came by and snorted its indifference at me, but appreciated a few moments of #Twixmas calm down at the old harbour.

#Scotland #Sunset #RiverForth #WellNotWealthy

Sunset on the River Forth at Alloa, Scotland. A Boxing Day sunset sets across the opposite bank, lighting up the winter sky and silhouetting a group of tall electricity pylons.

A gull glides over the single fishing boat anchored on a still River Forth, off the river bank of the industrial end of Alloa, Scotland. The tall structures of the nearby glass factory reach into the winter sky just after sunset. In the distance, a sliver of orange highlights the City of Stirling

Sunset on the River Forth at Alloa, Scotland. A Boxing Day sunset sets across the opposite bank, spectacularly lighting up the winter sky and silhouetting a group of tall electricity pylons. On a nearby buoy a solitary gull rests up.

A single fishing boat anchored on a still River Forth, off the river bank of the industrial end of Alloa, Scotland. In the distance, a sliver of orange winter sunset highlights the City of Stirling as the Mountain Ben Lomond loses its summit to the clouds.

The day after, and time to dial it all down a notch or six.

#BoxingDay #LandscapePhotography #WinterSunset #Clackmannanshire