ABOUT MARIO MOENS
I am a Dutch photographer now living in the Highlands of Scotland. I was raised in The Hague, the royal capital of the Netherlands, and from a young age I was drawn to photography, especially landscapes. I spent much of my time outdoors, capturing whatever caught my eye.
Some of my earliest memories are of my grandmother using her 35mm film camera, and my father’s Canon EOS, with its collection of filters and accessories. Those moments quietly shaped my interest in photography.
I remember that in the late 1990s I got one of my first cameras, a Kodak APS Advantix F350 with a panorama feature. Picking up the developed photos a week later was always exciting, even if many of them didn’t turn out. By 2005, I bought my first digital DSLR, a Canon EOS 350D, from the shop where I worked part-time on Saturdays. A few years later I added a second-hand Canon EOS 20D. Digital photography opened up a new world. I could take as many shots as I liked, experiment endlessly, and learn without waiting for film to be developed. I focused on mastering manual mode and discovering what digital cameras were truly capable of.
A few selections of cameras I have used over the last few decades, with the Canon EOS R and the RF 100-500 lens being part of my current setup.
I have dabbled in all sorts of photography. Wedding photography was not my thing. I am quite introverted and never felt comfortable in crowds. Interestingly, all the couples whose weddings I photographed have since divorced. Perhaps my discomfort reflected the fragility of their relationships, much like the role of a wedding photographer never really suited me.
One of the most memorable shoots I have done was photographing the arrival of royals at the christening of Dutch Princess Cecillia de Bourbon de Parme in Piacenza, Italy, in 2014. Flying from Amsterdam to Milan and back within 24 hours felt like a glimpse into the life of a paparazzi. It was exciting, but not something I wanted to pursue.
Another project I really enjoyed was photographing 40 recipes for a cookbook in 2012. No crowds, no fuss, just the quiet challenge of making freshly prepared dishes look their best.
The picture on the left shows me working on the cookbook project. On the right I am in Piacenza, Italy, photographing the arrival of royals at the christening of Dutch Princess Cecillia de Bourbon de Parme. The woman on the left is Princess Margarita and on the right is the former Queen of the Netherlands, Princess Beatrix.
The Netherlands, with its famously flat landscape and high population density, eventually began to feel a little too crowded. Visiting Scotland in May 2019 changed everything. Wide open landscapes, quiet roads, and hills stretching across the horizon. I was hooked. Later that year, I moved to Scotland. Suddenly, hills and mountains were part of everyday life, something you rarely get in the Low Countries. It felt like the perfect place to slow down, explore, and spend my days outdoors with a camera.
That is how BRAWSCOTLAND began. One of the first Scottish words I learned was “braw”, meaning excellent or beautiful. It seemed fitting, so I combined it with Scotland, and the name more or less created itself.
With a background in graphics, I built BRAWSCOTLAND to showcase Scotland’s landscapes, from mountains and lochs to forests, coastline, wildlife, and architecture.
Through BRAWSCOTLAND, I offer a selection of mounted and framed prints, produced in my home studio on premium paper using Canon archival inks. I also put together an annual wall calendar featuring twelve of my favourite images from the year.
Since the start of 2024, I have expanded into Highland Stays Photography. This felt natural because I love the stillness of a subject and enjoy working with lines. Photographing holiday lets and hotels across the Highlands lets me treat spaces with the same care I give to landscapes. Many owners rely on quick phone photos, which do the job but rarely show a property at its best. A well-lit, well-composed image can make all the difference to how guests experience a place.
Ultimately, BRAWSCOTLAND is about sharing the Scotland I see and feel every day. From quiet lochs and rolling hills to the spaces people live and stay in, I want my images to tell a story and maybe make someone pause for a moment. Photography keeps me outside, exploring, and learning. It is as much about the journey as it is about the image. If my work inspires you, sparks a memory, or simply brings a bit of Scotland into your day, then I’ve done my job.
