This month, I had the incredible privilege of working with the National Trust for Scotland to capture a major milestone: the reopening of Canna House, a hidden gem nestled in the heart of the Inner Hebrides. My role on this project was to provide a full suite of production services—drone footage, interview recording, gimbal operation, and photography—all aimed at telling the story of this remarkable place and its cultural significance.

In addition to the aerial work, ground filming was essential to the Canna House project, particularly for capturing interviews and detailed visuals. We used the Canon on sticks as our main camera to ensure steady, high-quality shots with classic framing, while the Ronin 4D with the Flex system served as a secondary camera during interviews, offering an additional angle with smooth, cinematic motion. With the constant island wind, achieving clean audio was crucial, so we equipped our mics with the RYCOTE Windshield Kit and Dead Cat, which performed flawlessly. It’s rare in Scotland to need a 2x2m sun diffusion panel, but the bright conditions on Canna made it indispensable for softening light during every interview.

The role of the gimbal operator was crucial to the success of the project. With travel to the island, equipment space was always going to be limited, so the versatility of the Ronin 4D was a major advantage. Its 4th axis stabilization allowed us to capture smooth, fluid footage inside Canna House and throughout the gardens, while its dual function as both a gimbal and a secondary camera for interviews made it the ideal all-in-one tool for such a demanding shoot and tight deadline.