About

SIE 42 Front Cover High Res
Thank you for visiting my blog.

I am a freelance wedding, portrait, commercial, events and landscape photographer and writer based on the Black Isle in the Highlands of Scotland. I’m available for weddings, portrait shoots, commercial assignments, landscape photography workshops, writing and public speaking. I conduct myself professionally, am very reliable and am also fully covered by public liability and professional indemnity insurance.

Please do not hesitate to contact me to make an enquiry or booking. I would be delighted to hear from you.

I’ve enjoyed various successes over the years, including being featured on BBC Countryfile, in addition to photographing a front cover for Scottish Islands Explorer, and writing for Walkhighlands, Scottish Islands Explorer and the St Kilda Mail.

I’ve also worked for a number of commercial clients doing landscape, portrait, interior and animal photography, in addition to Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) photography. Further details of recent assignments are provided here.

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I was born in Perth in 1985 and spent my childhood holidays caravanning throughout Scotland; walking, cycling and island hopping. I picked up my first camera when I was six years old and upgraded a number of times throughout my childhood. My love of writing has developed more recently but the foundations were there from a young age, as I always enjoyed writing short stories and have written journals for many years.

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St Kilda 2013 Calendar Cover - Towards Boreray Cropped Re-SizedMy professional kit comprises three full-frame Nikon digital SLR cameras, speedlights and Three Legged Thing and Manfrotto carbon fibre tripods, in addition to a number of Nikon lenses and Lee and B+W polarising and neutral density filters. Shooting landscapes at dusk and dawn is my greatest passion but I also enjoy capturing small-scale details when the light is flat. I am also very passionate about wedding and portrait photography, which occupies most of my time! I aim to perfect my images in-camera and keep my photographs true to life, only using filters and post-production technology to do justice to what is already there, and capturing natural moments as they unfold before me.

I fulfilled a lifelong ambition in 2013 when I re-located from the Central Belt to the Black Isle near Inverness with my husband Mark. From the tiny hamlet of Cullicudden, I look out over barley fields to the Cromarty Firth beyond. The weather, seasons and light are constantly changing, providing me with endless inspiration for both photography and writing. In my spare time, I love nothing more than exploring the Highlands and Islands, walking, cycling, camping, reading, learning Scottish Gaelic and having fun with my two guinea pigs, Zebedee and Zachary! I am also a Director of the St Kilda Club and a member of Inverness Camera Club and Inverness Chamber of Commerce.

Filming with BBC Countryfile in Fife
Filming with BBC Countryfile in Fife

Click here to be re-directed to my website.

Karen Thorburn
Tel: +44 (0) 7761985752
Email: karen@karenthorburn.com

© Karen Thorburn

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63 thoughts

  1. Wow, if I didn’t love Scotland already, this would draw me into its web. Reminds me of the film Local Hero whose images were the reason for my first visit back in the early 80s. Great pictures! And thank you for the follow.

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    1. Thanks very much Andy. I hope you enjoy reading a few of my posts over Christmas and I’m sure I will enjoy reading yours! I expect you’ll see a few familiar places, particularly from my walk around the Fife Coastal Path last year. Have a lovely Christmas and New Year! 🙂

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        1. Andy, it was a brilliant adventure – great fun but also mentally and physically challenging walking long distances on consecutive days. I was thrilled to raise over £500 for Cancer Research UK and it really spurred me on when my feet were hurting! I had a lovely Christmas, thank you, and am looking forward to the New Year celebrations! I hope you’re having a brilliant festive time too 🙂

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  7. Hi Karen, I’ve been looking through your photos and they are so beautiful 🙂 Thanks so much for following my blog, Le Chic En Rose, and I’ve signed up to follow you too. I live in a very different Perth on the other side of the world but funnily enough have Scottish ancestors who I traced to Perth in Scotland in the 18th century! Will look forward to seeing more of your posts and lovely photos, best wishes Rosemary 🙂

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    1. Hi Rosemary. Thanks very much for your lovely comment and good wishes! I’m glad you like the photographs. I will enjoy following your adventures from the other side of the world. It’s nice to think that you live in Perth Australia but have connections with my home town, Perth Scotland! Best wishes, Karen

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  9. So glad to have found you and thank you for the follow. Your pictures…what can I say that hasn’t already been said…so beautiful. Your love of Scotland and the island’s shine through your words and images. Patsy

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  10. Why am I so late in thanking you for following my blog? (Better late than never…) You personify so much that excites me: northern latitudes, island-hopping, the colours & textures & sounds of these places — “Last Places” as Lawrence Millman called them, in his amazing book about travels through the north.

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    1. Thank you, Penny, and don’t worry – it can be a challenge to keep up-to-date on WordPress! Thanks for bringing Lawrence Millman to my attention. I’ve just added ‘Last Places’ to my Amazon wishlist. I would like to visit Iceland and so I’m sure I’ll enjoy reading about your trek as well as fining out about what you’ve been up to more recently too.

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  11. The Highlands and Islands are gorgeous. We have some really beautiful scenery at home, we don’t need to go abroad. I am originally from North of Aberdeen, near Peterhead, but now stay just outside North Berwick. My hubbie and I regularly take trips to the Highlands, Inverness, Tain, Orkney, Fort William, Mull of Kintyre, Skye and areas surrounding them. We are lucky to have friends in some of these places. I always feel to relaxed when i’m surrounded by gorgeous views and peace!

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    1. We’re fortunate to live in such a beautiful country! I’m glad you appreciate the Highlands and Islands too and manage regular trips north and west. You stay in a lovely part of the world too though. I have happy memories of East Lothian from my Edinburgh years. North Berwick is a nice spot. I love walking along the coast to Yellowcraig, visiting the Scottish Seabird Centre and the view from the summit of Berwick Law is superb!

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      1. East Lothian is pretty awesome. I am about a mile from Yellowcraig beach and we regularly take walks there. We are very fortunate to have gorgeous scenery on our doorstep. It can feel like we are on holiday all the time. We have only been here since about 2007, so there are still hidden gems for us to explore.

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          1. I will do, I might even incorporate some adventures into the blog! I do love the Black Isle. We were there in the summer, went to Chanory point to see the dolphins, so amazing and I couldn’t believe how close you could get and hubbie enjoyed the Black isle brewery!

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  12. Gorgeous blog! We left Scotland three years ago after living in Edinburgh for over six years (and nearly two in England before that.) Of course, your beautiful images make us so homesick! They capture everything about the Scotland and the Scottish landscape, except the accent! Lovely! Have fun! 😊 Gigi

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    1. Thanks so much for your lovely comment and apologies for the slow response (I’m not sure how this slipped through the net). I’m glad my images bring back happy memories for you and I hope you manage to visit Scotland now and again! 🙂

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  14. Hi Karen! Thank you for following my blog. I’m so glad it led me back to yours. You take incredible photos and have a gorgeous blog! Looking forward to more posts and exploring your blog further 🙂 – Faye

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  15. Wow it looks like I have a lot to read here when I have finished my final exam in a couple of weeks. Scotland AND Photography – my two favourites (alright, the kids too ;)). Thank you for following me!

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    1. Thanks for your comment and apologies for the very slow reply – I’m not sure how this slipped through the net! I hope your final exam went well and you’ve enjoyed catching up on some reading! 🙂

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    1. Hi Joseph. Thank you for your comment and apologies for the extremely slow reply! It’s always a pleasure to connect with other photographers. I’m enjoying checking out your images too! 🙂

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  21. Browsing through your blog we’ve found so much interesting stuff to read prior to our extended journey to the Highlands and the Hebredies next year. Your photography is outstanding, Karen!
    Best regards,
    Dina

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  22. Hi Karen. It is so nice meeting you. Wow, Scotland! Such a beautiful place. A couple years ago I spent a month in Ireland touring it from North to South and East to West and everywhere central. Fell in love with the area and the people. Scotland is on our bucket list. It is going to be great fun following along with you and seeing the world through your eyes and words.

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    1. Hi Tom and Audrey. It’s lovely to meet you too. Thanks for dropping by my blog! I’ve never been to the States or Ireland but I hope to visit both at some point in the future. I expect parts of the Highlands and Islands will be similar to Ireland in many ways, so I hope you’ll fall in love with Scotland too when you tick it off your bucket list. I’ll enjoy following your posts too.

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  23. Now there’s a coincidence – I’m just in the throes of writing a story set in Scotland, and then you visit my blog. 🙂
    Thanks so much for following me – your photography is wonderful.
    Kindness – Robert.

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