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James Martin
@jimboamartin
Photographer based in Scotland
I’ve always possessed a strong sense of adventure and a love of the outdoors. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to live close to the hills, forests, and a local reservoir. I would play for hours on end with my friends outside, often resulting in my mother sending out a search party to bring me back home. My love for nature and adventure has continued to this day with hobbies such as hillwalking and running.
"Running has always been a major thing in my life."
I’ve been running from a young age at school; I was chosen to represent my school at the “cross country” in my local area. My love for running has never waned since then. Although I’m older and need more recovery now, I’m still actively running and looking for half marathons and alike – It’s essential to my mental health. My love for hiking was born out of a work trip; I remember stopping on the way to a job on the banks of Loch Tay (Scotland) and looming large over the loch was mountain Ben Lawers. It looked colossal and I felt the sudden urge of wanting to climb it and set about putting it into action later on. I’ve since climbed it, and several more of Scotland’s tallest peaks.
"With having hills on my doorstep I’ve merged these passions for running and the mountains, and run my local hills."
"Being outside helps give me clarity and a feeling of being without limits."
It’s an escapism from the rat race of life at work. Both hiking and running require getting on the road early in the morning, and at times, it can be a mental battle. The decision to stay warm in your bed or get up and out into the cold, dark morning is a tricky one. However, the rewards make it worth it. Pushing yourself to the absolute limit to see the sunrise on top of a Munro is utterly surreal. A place of solitude on top of the Earth is something priceless to me. In the future, I hope to head to the alps and possibly the Himalayas.
Photography has always been an interest of mine, but I started to pursue this interest more actively after being furloughed. The reason being that I had been gifted an abundance of time now to focus on whatever I wanted.
Before lockdown, weekends were often occupied by alcohol. But now, with the pubs being closed and social distancing being enforced, it’s been impossible. Finally, I’ve been given time to reflect on what I want in life, what I’m actually interested in, and how I want my future to be.
I’ve recently started taking photos in and around my home city of Dundee. Then once travel restrictions were relaxed, I began to explore more around Scotland. As a landscape photographer, Scotland is a goldmine to shoot. It’s a wonderful country full of character, and I’m ashamed to admit I neglected the beauty on my own doorstep for far too long. But now, I feel like I’m making up for that lost time.
Every time I go on one of these trips, I make sure to plan them meticulously. I search “Google Earth” and view ranger apps to find different perspectives for hikes and trails. Then I’ll set off with an itinerary for what I plan to shoot, where, and when.
From the places I have visited so far, I would say Isle of Skye, Glencoe, and Assynt have produced my best work. One time, while in North-West Scotland, my partner and I set off at 5 am on a 5-hour journey to go sight-seeing. We were trying to squeeze as much as we could into our day. But the main thing we wanted to do was go to the small but mighty Stac Pollaidh to watch the sunset up there. But during the day, we ended up going a little too far and realised we were miles away from getting there in time.
Finally, we reached the foot of Stac Pollaidh. We knew we were really tight for time, so we grabbed our gear and legged it up this little but stunning hill. Then as we turned the corner approaching the summit, we knew we had made it. We could see the most amazing sunset setting on the side of Suilven (one of Scotland’s finest mountains). It was breathtaking! You could see for miles over Inverpolly, and we were the only two people around looking over this most beautiful landscape. It felt like we were the last two people left on Earth. You could hear the stags groan in the distance; it was just so very eerie and remote. The uniqueness of the backdrop is something that will live with me forever. That’s only one place I’ve been to in Scotland; I still have a long list of places I am yet to visit here.
So far I have visited more locations abroad than within Scotland. My recent trip to New York, in particular, opened my eyes in a new light towards my photography. It was such a cool place to shoot. Although I initially wanted to focus on street photography, I quickly realised landscape shots were more suitable due to my active lifestyle and love of nature.
I have no formal training in photography or editing but, I hope to find a unique niche with my shots. I am continually tweaking different versions of one picture. Sometimes after I use it, I am still not entirely happy with it. But as Salvador Dali said, “Have no fear of perfection. You’ll never reach it”.
"When I begin to edit each new photo, I definitely love the anticipation."
Seeing the raw file for the first time on my screen and starting the process of bringing it to life feels magical to me. I aim for a moody cinematic vibe. The editing process, I think, defines your style. You and someone else could shoot the exact same shot, but still, they’ll both end up with entirely different photos due to contrasts in style. I love that!
A photograph is a frame captured in time that is uniquely yours. I love that when looking back at old pictures, it makes you realise how quickly time passes. You can forget so much, yet that photo can stay as a visual reminder for you. So when I look back at my shots, I hope I have done them enough justice, and that feeling of nostalgia can return me to the place where I took them.
I now have so many memories I’m able to remember via my photographs. And, without a doubt, I couldn’t have done all this without the help of my sidekick, best friend, and partner, Kim. She’s been a vital part in helping me develop on a personal and professional level. She’s always by my side and loves to lead an adventurous lifestyle like me. There’s no one else I would rather go on this journey with. She is so supportive of everything I do and has the patience of a saint. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and I’m so lucky and grateful to have her.
My friends are a massive part of my life, too. They’re a great, fun-loving, crazy group of characters. They love coming away on hillwalking trips with me. We often pack up and head to the mountains early in the morning, and then after our hike, we’ll pitch up and have a few beers around the fire. I love that feeling of being isolated with no one for miles, and it’s just you and your friends having a laugh.
Last but not least, my mother and family have always been a massive positive influence on me. My mother is such a strong and supportive person who would kick my ass if she knew I was not giving 100% in anything I do. I think that helps, as I would never want to let her down. Therefore I push myself to make her proud. It’s the least I could do after all she has done and sacrificed to provide for my sister and me. To her, I am eternally grateful. And if I someday get the opportunity to do photography full time, then I know it will be because of her and all the other positive influences in my life. But whatever the outcome of life, I’ll enjoy the ride wherever it takes me.
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