Okay so I guess a little introduction is in order. My name is Leigh and whilst I pay my mortgage with a career working in the animation industry, my real passion lies in the outdoors.
Whether it’s woodlands, mountains, lakes, rivers, the sea… I am happiest when I’m either in a kayak or trudging along with a backpack, especially if there’s a tent involved too. And a splash of rum.
I started camping when I was a kid, mainly with my best friend’s family who were super outdoorsy. We’d go camping at remote campsites in the Western Cape of South Africa, spending the days hiking and swimming in mountain pools before settling in for the night in those canvas tents that permanently smelled a bit damp. It’s a smell I can still vividly recall. Thankfully tent fabrics have evolved considerably since.
A few years ago I joined a kayaking trip in Scotland where I wild camped for the first time. After a lifetime of campsites with facilities, I was somewhat daunted by the prospect of really roughing it but ended up falling totally in love with the tranquility and simplicity of camping on beaches, and whilst I still camp at established sites from time to time, it’s wild camping that I truly love; the way it allows me to extend my time in the outdoors is wonderful. I wild camp most weekends throughout the year, mainly in England and Wales, but getting out to Scotland as often as I can too.
Having done photography for many years (live music mainly, I always lacked the patience for landscapes), I decided in the summer of 2024 to start experimenting with video and making little films of some of my trips.
Despite two decades of working in the film industry, I’d actually never really been interested in video and I am still not really sure what changed my mind. Adapting a photography mindset to a video one has been a fascinating journey; many of the principles are the same but whilst photography is about a single, frozen moment, video has the added challenge of maintaining engagement and interest over a period of time. With music and stuff. And sometimes even (horror of horrors!) voiceovers. It’s a shit ton of faff but it’s my kind of faff.
While my first few videos were relatively simple affairs (actually honestly when I watch them now it’s a cringe fest), I’ve slowly settled into the “silent hiking” genre, which I didn’t really realise was a genre until I’d made several of them. Being a camera-shy woman of a certain age, I prefer my little films to be about the scenery, not me. Although I am reluctantly in them, because apparently other people like to see humans for narrative reasons. Occasionally, especially with my multi day kayak trip videos, I’ll begrudgingly record a voice over.
Anyway, this site is just a collection of my videos and my occasional ramblings about gear and stuff. Thanks for visiting.
If you’d like to drop me a line, please do so using the form below.
