Roots

When I was a young kid and right into my early twenties, I never really thought much about my roots. I was listening to 'Out Of Doors' a BBC Radio Scotland production a few days ago about Norman MacCaig and Assynt. It was of special interest to me because I love the Assynt region of Scotland. It's barren, wild and contains some of the oldest geology known on this planet.

I'm headed there this Saturday to run a week long workshop there, so this is a timely post.

I'd be lying if I said that I'd always loved poetry, but like Scottish music, I find that they are growing on me as time has passes.

I'm now 43, and I find that I seem to have a very passionate bonding for my home land. I've done a lot of traveling over the past decade and I've been to many wonderful places, seen some amazing sights and photographed some very special light. But it's only in the past few years that I've come to accept how Scottish I am, and I now feel I'm embracing my own roots. Scotland it seems, was perhaps the most exotic landscape of them all.

Anyway, listening to this radio broadcast about one of Scotland's most notable Poets and how much he loved Assynt, made me think more about my roots and I wondered if having roots makes you more connected to your landscape?

I know what the answer is (for me), but i'd like to hear what you think?

I've had people on my workshops from India, USA, Holland, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, Chec Repuplic, Germany, England, Ireland, Canada, Australia. I never really asked them how connected they felt to their own land. But I'd love to hear if you think your affections for your home land make a difference to you and how you photograph it?