A Rubbish Start to 2026

I didn’t imagine starting 2026 like this.

Normally by now I’d have at least something in the archive — a frosty morning, a moody sky, a quiet walk with a camera and a flask. Instead, I’ve barely taken the camera out of the bag. Not because I’ve lost interest. Not because I’ve run out of ideas. Simply because the weather has been absolutely relentless.

Rain. More rain. Wind that cuts straight through you. Grey days that blur into one another until you can’t quite remember when you last saw a proper sunrise. Weeks of it. Every plan quietly cancelled with a glance out the window and a resigned shake of the head.

Photography, for me, is about getting out. Standing still. Waiting. Feeling the place you’re in. And this year so far, it’s felt like the outdoors has been closed for maintenance.

There’s a particular frustration that comes with wanting to create and being blocked by things completely out of your control. You check forecasts like they’re going to suddenly apologise and change their mind. You convince yourself, maybe it’ll ease off later. It never does.

So 2026 has started empty. No dawns chased. No long walks with numb fingers. No quiet moments where everything clicks and you know you’ve got the shot. Just damp boots that never quite dry and a camera that’s stayed far too clean.

But maybe that’s the point of writing this.

Not every year starts with momentum. Not every creative spell begins with inspiration and energy. Sometimes it begins with patience, frustration, and waiting for the rain to finally move on.

The camera will come out again. The light will return. Scotland always does this — it tests your commitment before rewarding it.

For now, this is just an honest marker in time: a slow, soggy, rubbish start to 2026… and the hope that when it turns, it really turns.