Nominee Summary
Charlie works full-time (and then some!) as a professional deerstalker, but anyone who follow her work online know that her interest in the outdoors goes far beyond stalking deer. A keen fisherwoman, hillwalker, skull collector and dog enthusiast, as well as a talented film maker; she shares her adventures and tells stories about all aspects of the great outdoors of Scotland and further afield in Europe and the United States.
In no more than 350 words, tell us why you think you/your work should win this award. You may wish to consider factors such as what inspired you, the challenges involved, the impact of the output, and what makes your work stand out?
I think that Charlie should be considered for a Helping It Happen award as I struggle to think of anyone in Scotland who is as able to communicate as clearly and thoughtfully as she does about such potentially emotive topics as hunting and land use. I can’t say what inspires her personally, but I know that she creates videos and media with narrative and thought, tapping into an interest in land, folklore, myth, science and culture to inform her viewers about what they’re looking at. Charlie doesn’t come from a traditional field sports background and so she’s had to learn and upskill in order to get to the point where she can operate as a self-employed deerstalker. Difficult enough as it is, being a woman in this sector adds another level of complexity, with people failing to take you seriously when you decide it’s what you want to do! However, she has very successfully carved her own niche and is now branching out into film making, alongside deerstalking. The films that Charlie creates are accessible and watchable by a range of ages and interests – my young children sit enraptured by her fishing content and a friend in his 80’s happily watches her films about deerstalking. The impact of this is that a broad range of people can be reached and educated about all things rural. In this era of “fake news”, generative AI and misinformation, there is something comfortingly real and genuine about Charlie’s work. She has a distinct style to her photography that evokes a sense of nostalgia, an eye for detail and an ability to communicate that I think deserves to be recognised.
