La Caverne du Pont Neuf
How far is a bridge too far (to paraphrase and quote an ol’ movie title)? In this case not too far, a quick plane journey, this bridge was situated on the River Seine in Paris. Last week saw me over there for a few days - a few days away from photographing my usual Glasgow, and a change of scenery. My assignment was to photograph La Caverne du Pont Neuf art installation by French artist JR, and which takes over as an installation the oldest bridge on the Seine, the Pont Neuf.
Collection of National Significance.
Great to read this morning that the University of St Andrews Photography Collection, which in 2021 acquired the complete archive of my photographic career, has been formally recognised as being a Collection of National Significance by Museums and Galleries Scotland.
Paddy’s Market
“The type of place you go to buy one shoe lace”, was how Paddy’s Market was once described to me. But your opportunity to buy that shoe lace, or the second of the pair, is now gone, the famous and historic Paddy’s Market was finally closed down on this day in May 2009 by Glasgow City Council.
Trainspotting - 30 years on.
“I thought Trainspotting would be a cult book, but not generation-defining’, said Scottish author Irvine Welsh about his generation-defining novel of thirty-three years ago. I wonder then how he’d feel knowing the movie (of the book), released thirty years ago today, is still discussed, still highly regarded as a cultural touchstone of that period…
Wassailing the apple trees
It’s always great to get out and photograph in your own community, even more so when it’s an event you’ve known about for a couple of years but never quite managed to make it along to. But today, I went along to listen to the singing and view the dancing at the ‘Wassailing of the apple trees’, in the orchards of Queen’s Park, in Glasgow Southside.
Kenmure Street, 2021
Protest! Protest! Protest! - Following on from my announcement of two days ago that I’m doing new zines ‘Save Our Pool, 2001’ and ‘No M77 Carhenge, 1994/95’, I’ve decided to add a further publication making a trilogy of zines of seminal protests from Glasgow Southside. This third zine will be ‘Kenmure Street, 2021’. All three zines will be on sale soon, please sign up for my newsletter to be the first to hear when they are released.
Clydebuilt, from Glasgow to the stars
Clydebuilt - a term synonymous with precision engineering from the Glasgow shipyards, but perhaps now can be used to refer to the growing number of 'cubesat' satellites being built by AAC Clyde Space in Finnieston, Glasgow, and heading to space...
New zines! - Protest in Glasgow Southside
My next two zines are in production! Both will feature historic community protests from the Southside of Glasgow. ‘Save Our Pool, 2001’ and ‘No M77 Carhenge, 1994/95’ will be available soon!
Archival Studies
Inspired by my own career’s archive of photography being acquired by the photography collection of the University of St Andrews, I decided to further my knowledge of archives and undertake some professional studies, this week graduating from the University of Dundee with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Archives and Records Management, and somehow I even squeezed in a ‘With Distinction’.
The Gerry McCann Archive
I’m delighted to be able to write that the photographic archive of Scottish photojournalist Gerry McCann has been acquired by the University of Edinburgh for their growing photographic collection.
It gives me pleasure and pride to have had a role in making sure Gerry’s valuable archive of photography was acquired and that future generations of students will be able to research and utilise his photographic work via the University collections.
Roma of Sintesti
I read today that philanthropist George Soros, founder of the Open Society Foundations, has received the European Civil Rights Prize of the Sinti and Roma, and this made me think back to the inclusion of my photography from my ‘Roma of Sintesti’ project in the first ‘Moving Walls’ exhibition at the Open Society Foundation in New York, in 1998-99. The exhibitions seems a long time ago now!
“five hours traversing ridges and rough heather”
Twice this year I’ve been out to photograph deer stalking, for stories for a client on land management and the clash between land owners and their estates, and those in favour of the nature restoration bill…
Double Lucky/Unlucky
It sounds unlucky to survive one atomic bombing, but to survive two? Does that make you extremely unlucky to have been under the bombing twice, or extremely lucky to have survived on both occasions? Back in 2005 I was fortunate to work on an assignment in Japan, photographing three men who survived both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings - an assignment I’ve never forgotten.
Romania, Summer 1990
I’m delighted that some of my very early photograph from Romania, photographed during the summer of 1990, appears in the latest issue of Studies in Photography magazine.
A Window on Glasgow
I’m delighted this exhibition will be seen again, and nicely includes four of my black and white images, two being from Kvaerner shipyard in Govan, Glasgow, in the early 1990’s, and a further two being of Nelson Mandela in Glasgow in October 1993.
A Window on Glasgow
19th July – 31st August 2025
Gallery 103, Trongate 103
Glasgow,
G1 5HD