There are those rare few people who not only manage to maintain a passion for a particular subject, but also dedicate enough time from their busy lives to perfect an online blog on their hobby.
Rarer still, are those who not only manage to do this with one love, but two, and not only that, combine them into something wonderful that somehow elevates them above their component parts.
This is the case with Scotch Trooper, a photo blog dedicated to the love of Star Wars and Scotch (with a little American and Irish thrown in for good measure) whisk(e)y.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BF1B-A7jI3R/?taken-by=scotch_trooper
The photos, set up using whisky and bottles from Scotch Trooper's own collection, and Star Wars toys that he has collected since he was a young boy, poke fun at the sometimes serious nature of the whisky industry by recreating scenes from the popular film franchise.
The photographer explains that the idea evolved from wanting to reach out and connect with other whisky enthusiasts, using engaging and playful content, he said: "When I first created my account, I wanted to interact with and learn from other whisky enthusiasts, but wanted to keep it light hearted. So I decided to include my other geek passion, Star Wars.
"Being a freelance photographer, I started to add in some toy Stormtroopers here and there. Then it slowly became 'my thing'. As the response grew, so did the amount of effort I put into each shot. I am just having a blast combining two things I love."
The pictures mostly involve the ubiquitous troopers but also occasionally feature fan favourites such as Darth Vader - pictured below using the force to grab his favourite bourbon - and Boba Fett.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE_LXOfDI14/?taken-by=scotch_trooper
The blog has grown to become incredibly popular on Social Media sites Twitter and Instagram, and the site itself has expanded to feature not only the pictures but also news, educational posts, reviews and even custom-made whisky bottle lamps created by the blogger himself.
"The response has been incredible. The ability to 'geek out' and chat with my followers on both whisky and Star Wars with each post is the best of both worlds.
"To some, I think it's a breath of fresh air bringing a lighter side to a product that is normally seen as a high end luxury item. However, my posts are not just playful, they serve as product review as well. I love hearing from followers 'I bought this based on Scotch Troopers recommendation, and love it!'."
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEOZmpgjI5Z/?taken-by=scotch_trooper
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCOG3-6DIwl/?taken-by=scotch_trooper
And does he have a preference when it came to his art, in terms of the pictures he likes and doesn't like?
"It's funny, sometimes my least favorite photos are the ones that end up with the greatest responses.
"But I think my favorite photo was one of the hardest ones to setup. The shot with the bottle of Monkey Shoulder on the shoulder of the Trooper. There is 0 per cent photoshop trickery in that shot, but 100 per cent nervousness on my part as I took the shot expecting the Trooper to fall over and the whisky to spill everywhere."
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEBm5GAjIzX/
So what's next for Scotch Trooper?
"At this point, I am taking in everything that the Whisky World has to offer. I am enjoying interacting and sharing with my Instagram and Twitter family. I have been hired by a few Whisky Instagram accounts to supply them with images/content.
"I make lamps out of empty whisky bottles. I recently started a blog where I am sharing my stories over the last few years of my whisky journey. Earlier this week I organized and hosted a whisky tasting here in Atlanta. And in July I am heading to Scotland for a quick trip with my wife. I am having a great time, but always looking for ways to dive deeper into the World of Whisky.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BB0TaC5jI-f/?taken-by=scotch_trooper
"But I think there is more to the story of Scotch Trooper. I would like to see his story continued in Scotland. I would like to see my favorite distilleries from his point of view. It seems like the perfect next step. I think we are close to making this happen. But it will take more than my trip in July to get the amount of material that I want."
Though it seems that time is not the only barrier to getting those shots on the vacation to Scotland.
"Well, I doubt my wife will want to stand around all day for me to set up my toys for the perfect shot, she gets to see me do that all day at home."
https://www.instagram.com/p/819GQgDI6F/?taken-by=scotch_trooper
• You can follow the Scotch Trooper blog via the links below:
• Shop