Undiscovered Scotland

 

"Scotland Revealed" by Shahbaz Majeed offers the reader - perhaps "viewer" would be a better word - a collection of 120 or so superb colour photographs of Scotland. In his foreword, the actor Brian Cox says: "As someone who is away from Scotland often, a book such as this is a powerful reminder of the beauty and drama of home. I'm really pleased that Shahbaz has revisited some of the most awe-inspiring of Scotland's landscapes and has put together another stunning volume of work in which to showcase them."

The author himself describes the book as "the next instalment of a tour of this wonderful country." He goes on to say: "If you have been to these locations and don't think there is anything new then rest assured no two visits are ever the same... Scotland is a magical place in that the landscape is one of the finest (if not the finest) anywhere in the world..."

Shahbaz Majeed's approach to his subjects is a careful and considered one that in many cases makes the most of morning and evening light. He often uses slow shutter speeds, to achieve the results he wants in coastal and river photography. There are also a number of very fine aerial and night photographs in this collection. Some of the scenes shown are from viewpoints that have been visited by every serious photographer of Scotland, but always with a result that reflects Shahbaz Majeed's personal style. Other views are more unusual.

The images in the book cover both natural and man-made landscapes and are not - as far as we could see - organised in any obvious way. Instead you simply get page after page of extremely good photographs, most printed full page; and each accompanied by a short title giving the location, usually in a couple of words. It was a lot of fun leafing through and spotting views we'd photographed ourselves, including from the top of the north cantilever of the Forth Bridge. The author's approach to his photography brings alive the many moods of the landscapes he photographs and the result is a triumph. This is as book by a someone who obviously loves Scotland that will appeal to everyone else who loves Scotland.