Most of us will be having a bonfire or attending a fireworks display tonight. But no one will be (or should be) getting as close to the flames as Jamie Whyte.
The Dundee-born photographer has been generating some heat with his fire breathing.
The former engineer was a finalist in a national photography competition despite only getting his first camera in April.
Jamie (35) worked as an engineer for Sky before an accident shattered his knee.
“I was messing around on Heelys and I fell,” he explained with a wry smile. “I shattered my knee in five places. I’m almost better now but I can’t work as an engineer again one more fall and it could break for good.”
To while away the time during his convalescence he started taking pictures on his mobile phone. At first it was just of the usual choices of subjects sunsets and sunrises but his inspiration was soon ignited.
He says: “A friend of mine is a fire eater. I thought that would make some amazing pictures. I’d seen people doing it before but as far as I’m aware it’s never been done in Dundee before.”
Aware that he couldn’t keep asking his friend to spit fire any time he wanted, Jamie decided to learn for himself.
After singing his eyebrows and eyelashes several times, and finding himself laid up for a few days after swallowing paraffin, Jamie finally mastered the dangerous art.
He’s now put it to good effect, creating a variety of fiery photos with Dundee as its background.
Remarkably, he only got his first real camera a Nikon D3200 when his grandmother bought him it as a present six months ago.
It has allowed him to create a number of remarkable new effects by using long exposure to create sweeping backdrops of flame and sparks.
Jamie lives in Dundee with his wife Leigh-Ann and their four children. His oldest son is his assistant on some of his fire shoots.
“I set up the camera and the settings then go and breathe fire and he hits the button,” he says.
He has now set up a business, Foxhound Photography, to try to make a living out of his hobby and he has already been a finalist in a competition run by the National Historic Ship website.
Many of his shots have taken place on beaches at Broughty Ferry, Newport and St Andrews, but Jamie is now looking at some more unusual locations.
“There are a limited number of places where you can go around lighting fires without getting into trouble,” he says. “I always let the police know what I’m doing and when. But now I’ve started asking permission to take pictures in some more interesting places.
“I’ve taken pictures behind HMS Unicorn at City Quay. And I’ve got permission to shoot outside McManus Galleries. I’m currently in negotiations with the Tay Bridge board to do some stuff there. I want to go underneath the bridge so you can have sparks bouncing off the underside.”