A Dundee photographer is set to front a BBC show this week – taking viewers on a tour of his favourite Scottish beauty spots.
Shahbaz Majeed will feature on Landward, after being contacted and asked to present a regular segment after they spotted a rare skill of his.
Shahbaz told The Courier: “They actually noticed I was able to walk and talk on camera. Apparently that’s quite unusual.”
His visits will include the Bell Rock lighthouse in Angus.
The first show in the series will air this Thursday on BBC Scotland, and again on Friday, with Shahbaz set to appear on BBC One at 7.30pm.
It is not the first time his work has had a national showing, with pictures he took appearing on the polymer £5 and £20 notes that Scots use every day.
An image of the Forth Road Bridge captured by Shahbaz, who also works in IT at Dundee University, is featured on the polymer £5 note.
BBC success for Dundee photographer
Shahbaz says he is proud to share his connections to Scottish landmarks on Landward – which regularly features the likes of chef Nick Nairn and presenter Dougie Vipond.
He said: “What they were looking for is personal connections to the places, and one of the first locations I chose was the Bell Rock lighthouse in Angus.
“The story behind that is when I was much younger, my dad was taking us to Arbroath one day, and he pointed out that over in the distance there was a lighthouse in the water.
“As a child it blew my mind that there was a lighthouse floating in the water. As I’ve got older I’ve told my kids the same story, and they reacted the same way.
“It’s amazing because it seems as if it’s in reach but you can’t just drive to it, you need to go on a boat.”
The segment that will air this week features the lighthouse, with Shahbaz sharing his journey out to the landmark and his experiences photographing it.
Shahbaz, who has won awards for his work, previously thanked his dad, Broughty Ferry shopkeeper Abdul Majeed, for his success.
Abdul left Pakistan for Dundee in the 1970s, and Shahbaz says his dad was especially proud when his images made it on to the bank notes.
“He came over to Dundee with my mum Naseem in the 1970s when they were bringing workers over from Pakistan to work in the jute mills,” Shahbaz said.
“They came knowing that if they ever had any children they wanted a better life than the farming background they had in Pakistan.
“My dad was just like, ‘my son has a picture on my adopted homeland’s currency. How can you kind of cement more Scottish than that?’”
