Tag: Ross Burns

Edinburgh dad completes 1,000 days of toy car photos

What started as local lockdown project in 2020 has continued for nearly three years and expanded beyond the Scottish capital.

Ross Burns, 43, has taken a photo of one of his son’s many Hot Wheels cars every day for the past 1,000 days in various locations around the UK in what originally started as way of alleviating lockdown boredom.

Ross, Head of Communications at Edinburgh Napier University, initially photographed hundreds of cars in settings around Edinburgh. But as the world has opened up after the pandemic, he’s taken the cars on tour around the country, from London to Aberdeenshire, Glasgow to Newcastle.

“My six-year-old son Daniel loves Hot Wheels and it’s fair to say I’ve caught the bug as well. Back in the summer of 2020, to make sure I took a walk every day, I started taking a car out and taking some pictures on my phone.

“After a few weeks, I set myself the challenge of doing it for a full year and then thought I’d stop. But clearly I was hooked and another 635 days on, I’m still at it. The great thing now is that the world has opened up a lot more so it’s become a pictorial diary of my life.

“It’s also been a fun hobby for me and Daniel to do together. He likes copying my photos and creating his own. Seeing him sprawled flat on a pavement to get the perfect angle is pretty funny.”

Due to the restrictions of lockdown, the vast majority of Ross’s early photos were of Edinburgh but he has now taken his hobby around the country and photographed the cars in front of many iconic sights, including Buckingham Palace, the Finnieston Crane, and the Tyne Bridge.

“It’s exciting when I go away for a couple of days and the first thing I pack are the Hot Wheels. London is amazing for locations although the one downside of it no longer being lockdown is places are far busier and getting shots without people in them is a challenge.”

Ross has also appreciated the interaction from the wider community around his posts.

“My followers can probably be split into two camps: those that love Edinburgh and those that love Hot Wheels and I’ve tried my best to showcase both. It’s been great building up a following on Instagram and receiving messages and comments from around the world, from the USA to Japan.

“There are also inspiring people doing similar things in other countries, including in the likes of Dnipro in the Ukraine where they continue even while under siege.

ROSS BURNS Photographed toys cars on location in Edinburgh.

“I said after a year of doing it that I would stop. Now I’ve done 1,000 days straight and seen my pictures progress from very amateur efforts to something more pleasing, I’ve got a big decision to make!”

You can see Ross’s car pictures at www.instagram.com/scot.wheels.

Edinburgh dad completes 365-day toy car photography challenge

An Edinburgh dad has completed a 365-day photography challenge with a difference – a photo of a toy car placed somewhere in and around the city every day.

Ross Burns, 41, has taken a photo of one of his son’s many Hot Wheels cars every day for the past year in what began as an activity to beat the boredom of homeworking during lockdown.

Ross, who works at Edinburgh Napier University, has since featured more than 250 cars in a huge number of settings in and around Edinburgh.

From iconic backdrops such as Calton Hill, Edinburgh Castle and the Forth Bridge, to Saughton Skatepark, Leith Docks and Murrayfield Ice Rink, Ross is always on the lookout for the perfect picture.

“I have a five-year-old son called Daniel and he loves Hot Wheels. I used to love Matchbox cars when I was his age and I soon began to become obsessed with his growing collection. To make sure I took a walk every day, I started taking a car out and just taking some pictures on my phone.

“After a few weeks, I set myself the challenge of doing it for a full year and I’m delighted to have now completed it. It’s been great for my mental health during the various lockdowns, particularly the one early this year – getting out and taking a picture of a car gave me a purpose and a creative outlet each day.”

Posting a photo a day on Instagram under the handle Scot.Wheels, the images chart the four seasons and a city in and out of lockdown. Ross’ most popular image is of a Land Rover Defender 90 reflected on the Water of Leith.

“I’ve done a couple of pictures where the car is reflected in the water and people love them. The Land Rover in particular is popular as it is one of the most realistic looking cars.”

Due to the restrictions of lockdown, the vast majority of photos are of Edinburgh but Ross and his family did escape to Fife last month for a holiday in Lower Largo.

“We had beautiful weather and the beach made such a great background for the cars. A rugged blue Ford Bronco looked fantastic on the rocks by the sea.”

Now that he has achieved his target of a photograph every day for a year, and run up more than 20,000 “likes” in the process, Ross intends to carry on but take his foot off the accelerator.

“I’ll continue taking car pictures but not pressurise myself to do it every day. I’ll aim for quality over quantity and hopefully as we become able to travel more, I’ll explore some fantastic new settings with some wonderful new cars.”

You can see Ross’s year of car pictures at www.instagram.com/scot.wheels.

Toy cars are the stars of quirky Edinburgh photo project

An Edinburgh dad is showcasing the city in an unusual manner – through photographs of his son’s toy cars.

From Wester Hailes to Calton Hill, the National Gallery of Modern Art to Murrayfield Stadium, Ross Burns has taken toy cars to them all. 

Posting an image a day on Instagram under the name Scot.Wheels, Ross is keen to showcase both the details of the miniature cars but also the city he loves.

Ross said: “I’m working from home at the moment and it can be challenging to get out in the fresh air. So back in September I started going for a walk each day with a car from my son’s vast Hot Wheels collection. I quickly became obsessed and I’ve been doing it for more than 100 consecutive days now.”

Ross, 40, has also taken cars to the likes of Tynecastle Park, the Royal Infirmary, the Royal Botanic Garden, Saughton Park, and Edinburgh Napier University, where he works.

“I’m lucky to live in such a beautiful city. A lot of the photos are from the west of the city, where I live, but I love getting into town and photographing the cars against some of Edinburgh’s most famous sites. People like those ones too – a 1968 Copo Camaro next to the Scott Monument is currently my most popular post.

“It’s obviously been a weird year but this has given me a little creative outlet every day, away from the pressures of work and parenting. No matter where I go now, I always have a car in my pocket – even when we had various medical appointments recently after my four-year-old son Daniel broke his arm. I get some strange looks but I’m too old to be embarrassed!

“I aim to keep going and posting every day – I just have to hope my son’s grandparents continue to feed his and my habit by keeping up a regular supply of new vehicles. Christmas could be make or break!”

Ross’s Instagram feed with all his photos can be found at www.instagram.com/scot.wheels