Highland 2007, in association with Fin Macrae Photography, has launched an exciting project to record life in the Highlands and Islands in 2007 and has enlisted well known Highlanders such as Ewan MacDonald, Lesley McKenna and Mylo to take part.

During 2007, a different person will be given a camera each week to record the events of their day-to-day lives in this special year. The images will be their own view of life in the Highlands and Islands and could include anything from a view from a bedroom window; a bowl of cereal/porridge in the morning, cultural or sporting events, colleagues at work…the list is endless.

Over the course of the year a portrait of life in the Highlands and Islands will be created on the Highland 2007 website reflecting the people who live and visit here.

World Curling Champion Ewan MacDonald said: “I feel honoured to be part of Highland 2007. Having been born and bred in the Highlands, I was delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to such a special event. It has been really interesting catching aspects of my life over the course of the week, trying to capture different images really makes you think about what’s going on around you. It will be really exciting to see all the photos come the end of the year!"

Photographer Fin Macrae said: “This really is a wide ranging project and I don't think anything like this has been done before - certainly not in terms of geography, diversity of subject and timescale! I am very excited by the chance to see the Highlands and Islands from so many people’s perspectives and catch their viewpoint of what is sure to be an exciting year.

“People are free to photograph whatever they want – it really can be anything no matter how abstract, blurred or out of focus! We really want to get a wide range of people involved and are looking for everyone from kids to pensioners in all walks of life to get different views of life here in 2007.”

Each person will have the camera for a week and must take at least one photo per day. The camera will then be passed onto the next participant.

For this project the Highlands and Islands have been divided into 13 separate areas – Caithness, Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh, Shetland, Orkney, Argyll and Bute, Outer Hebrides and Moray - with four participants from each area.

A top-of -the-range Canon digital SLR camera kit will be awarded as a prize to the person who is judged to have taken the “best” photo in the year.

Alison Magee, chair of Highland 2007, said: “Highland 2007 is the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture so we felt the whole year should be recorded in a way that celebrates life here – whether that is the scenery, work, play or the people who live in and visit the area. I am really excited by this project and can’t wait to see all the different impressions of life in 2007.”

Fin Macrae will visit all 52 participants in the project and take a portrait of them to add to this archive. Each participant will also be asked to provide a photograph of themselves from the past (either recent or not so recent!) which will also be added.

If you would like to be involved contact Fin Macrae on 01862 892633 or email: info@finmacrae.com

For more information about Highland 2007 please visit www.highland2007.com

Link to Fin Macrae Photography website