Kilted Yoga, Kilted Yogis, Men in Kilts.
Ah these guys, what can I say.? two superb lads Alastair and Finlay Wilson and I recently had the pleasure of working with in and around some areas of Glasgow with them.
We started our shoot on a rather wet Glasgow Fair Saturday (think typical Scottish Fair), we'd planned the shoot for some time and Fair Saturday was the only day in the summer that was going to work for all three of us because of the various work commitments we all had. We didn't let the rain get in the way on the day, we made our way to Glasgow Universities Cloisters and in the 30 mins it took to set up lights and stands we never saw another person (1pm on a Saturday and no people) - until we started shooting, I think we had taken fewer than 10 photos when we were approached by two security guards from Glasgow Uni, no formalities, no introduction just basically "GET OUT !!" and that was it. It was then that a bus load of Japanese tourists arrived and took over the full of the Cloisters with their cameras shooting everything in sight and no intervention from Glasgow Uni's Public Relations Department, they left giving us "5 minutes" to get out, we decide wed stay until they returned and then we would go, Im usually the quick tempered one but on this day it was Alastair (the bigger twin) that I had to calm down, and he was pretty angry about the way we'd been spoken to, but it all turned out fine, we left and the guards never got the full wrath of Alastair.
Mental Health
These guys are huge advocates for mental health and have both spoken on radio and t.v. to discuss this openly.
Alastair made a huge emotional investment to make a local beauty spot near Lanark, Scotland, that had seen more than its fair share of people take their life at as there was 'no other way out'. Alastair worked tirelessly to help people that were at the end of the line, people who genuinely believed they had nothing left were given a glimmer of hope as Alastair started banging his drum about mental health and suicide in the young, and gradually began to make people sit up, listen and take notice. He started working alongside the Samaritans and Breathing Space and undertook a huge emotional as well as financial obligation to have a series of square plaques made that featured a Scottish Saltire, the Samaritans and Breathing Spaces phone numbers printed on, and more importantly a space for Alastair to write a personal message of understanding to anyone who may be reading the plaques. With messages saying everything from 'Turn Back things will get Better' to 'Reach out for help, its not weakness; its strength, and lots of other messages that may be enough to make one person change their mind in a time of utter desperation, fear and terror. If the plaques have saved one single person or made anyone reach out then everything he has done has NOT been in vain. Alastair has had his own problems over the years, and to be able to function and focus on others when life isn't always great for him is nothing short of remarkable, I'm very proud to have met with the lads for the shoot, even more proud to see the value they bring with everything they do.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/health/brotherly-love-helped-put-superfit-10543919
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/4718466/finlay-wilson-kilted-yoga-youtube-sensation/
