I've been looking through some of the photographs I took whilst in Scotland and there is a lot of usable material there. It has led me to some thoughts re;- the value of photography and sketchbooks. A lot is made of the importance of sketching - and indeed I believe to obtain a truly individual approach to design we do need to draw -but because of personal circumstances I find it difficult to sketch from primary sources when out and about. After all when out for trips with a family who really have no interest in anything 'arty' even sitting still for a moment causes problems. But I can use my camera and I find it helps me to isolate the part of the image I want succinctly. The photos accompanied by quick notes on the atmosphere and feeling of the place,etc.. can then be taken home and thanks to the wonders of digital photography and the computer can be instantly printed, manipulated and drawn from in my own time. This is how I see my sketchbooks developing in the future. So lets hear it for photography and not be quite so precious about it.