Close Up @goNORTHFEST on the Road

In Stornoway on the Outer Hebridean Isle of Lewis for a mini goNORTH Festival in a day.
This picture shows actress Libby McArthur, well known to viewers in Scotland for her starring role in long running soap, River City, being photographed (make that organised by photographer, Alan) and filmed down on the pier.
What a fab creative and inspiring day it was too.
Libby's session on front-of-camera technique kicked off a packed programme of presentations from a host of seasoned creative industry professionals.
She burst into spontaneous floods of tears - all in the name of her craft, of course.
Her audience - myself included - didn't know if they should laugh or cry. I opted for the former...
Libby is gallus, grounded and an inspiring speaker to boot.
The best way to describe goNORTH is to call it a mini South by Southwest, the big creative industries jamboree which takes place in Austen, Texas.
It's held in Inverness every June and over the course of two days, there are master classes, panels, workshops, talks, screenings and more from well-connected seasoned individuals working in film, TV, music, fashion, craft, textiles and publishing.
Amanda Millen, the festival director, wants to do more mini goNORTHS on the Road like this one.
Her brief is to reach out over the vast area of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and help people make their way in forging creative careers.
It's a great way to access all areas of the creative industry maze.
One session was about music licensing and I have to say I'd never really given much thought to how music finds its way into ads, films, film trailers or tv programmes.
The two guys who did the session were swamped at the end by eager musicians! (Well, they did say they were looking for unsigned talent.)
The day was rounded off by a great meal in Digby Chicks, a short walk away from arts centre An Lanntair, where the day's proceedings took place.
Then it was on to a music showcase, a regular feature of goNORTH, in which up and coming musicians play for a mix of talent spotters and members of the public.
All three musicians were from Lewis. Willie Campbell is a fairly weel kent face on the Scottish music scene. He used to be in a band called Astrid who were tipped for great things in the late 1990s. Willie is a real singing/songwriting talent. Soulful indie sound - straight from the heart.
He's made an album of original self-penned contemporary Gaelic songs which will be released in March. I had a listen to a couple later on a soundcloud link he sent me and they're very very good.
The other musicians were; singer/songwriter, Miss Irenie Rose, who has a very unusual voice - a bit Joni Mitchell but all her own voice and 15-yr-old Eleanor Nicolson - another girl on a guitar with a lot of talent.
And so to bed - late. That is to say 2am. On a school night too.
So unlike my real life...
Even managed a long overdue catch up with old pals, photographer, Alan Peebles, and journalist Ruth Walker. Such fun.
As Ruth says Stornoway Rocks!