The covid lockdown of 2020 was the most extreme event of my adult life. Here in Scotland, there were times when we were restricted to our homes, allowed to go out only for “essential purposes” and – once a day – for exercise. The exercise rule was strictly enforced. Yes, you could walk the length of the prom, getting your 10,000 steps. But woe betide anyone who stopped for a seat because sitting isn’t exercise.

But how does a photographer react to such extreme events? If you answered “by documenting them”, then you have the same thought process as me. Once a day, I popped my Olympus XA3 in my pocket and wandered out for my daily exercise. The camera was chosen for its small size. Photography wasn’t essential exercise so I wanted to take a quick snapshot, without drawing attention to myself in the almost-deserted cityscape. And film instead of digital? Well, every frame you shoot costs money, and that forces you to make choices. Every day I went out for a walk, I took my film camera with me and shot a single frame. That roll of 36 exposures probably has the biggest number of “keepers” I’ve ever managed in my life.