Margaret Thatcher‘s passing in April 2013 brought to an end the life of one of the most controversial and influential post-War British politicians. The Conservative leader, who had served as Prime Minister from 1979 until being deposed by her own party in 1990, divided opinion. What cannot be doubted, is that she changed society and […]
We thought we’d add a few little bits of news, in case you’ve missed them on our Twitter feed, which you can find here @DocuScotland, and also we have a Facebook page where you can keep up to date with little bits of news, it’s here at Document Scotland Facebook page. We’re pleased to […]
The A41 Project was Colin McPherson‘s year-long exploration of the causes and effects of inequality in our society, which used one of England’s celebrated Trunk Roads to metaphorically illustrate the concepts behind the photography. Here he explains the background to the project and how it materialised: “The A41 Project had its genesis at Look11, the […]
We’ve decided to showcase some of our many projects and work in a new Document Scotland publication, a 16 page colour newspaper, with the catchy title of DOC001. Primarily designed and published for our own use, we’re so happy with the look of it that we thought we’d also offer them to the readers of […]
In 2013, Colin McPherson looked back at a moment in time 20 years previously, and delved into his archive of photographs to show some contrasting sides to Auld Reekie, his home city of Edinburgh. Here he explains more about the process: “The portfolio of images Document Scotland presented last week to mark the 20th anniversary […]
The mission: put down the bevy, pick-up the camera and bring a bit of festive cheer by photographing Scotland leaving 2012 behind. Witness the renewal of friendships, goodwill being shown to neighbours and strangers alike, and reflect a desire for better times ahead. Document Scotland wishes all our colleagues and the wider Scottish photography community […]
In honour of Scotland’s patron saint and also of Document Scotland’s first ever St. Andrew’s Day together as a collective in 2012, we decided to undertake a little group project. Each of our photographers took a wander with our cameras to see what was happening in our neighbourhoods, we found ceilidhs, balls and festivities. Some […]
In 2005, Colin McPherson was commissioned to travel to Brazil to report on the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. During his trip, he made a surprising discovery: “In the middle of the Brazilian Amazon jungle, on the banks of the mighty Tapajos river, the intrepid traveller comes across a truly lost city: Fordlandia. Named after […]
In 2004, Document Scotland photographer Colin McPherson visited the newly-built Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood before it opened. Here he explains the details behind the commission: “Exactly one month before its official Royal opening in September 2004, I was granted a preview of the newly-completed Scots Parliament building in Edinburgh, forever after to be known […]
Easily the most pleasurable aspect of working on assignment as a documentary photographer is meeting and getting to know the people you photograph. One of my most memorable experiences was being commissioned to travel to the Hebridean island of Eigg to do a profile of the island’s postman, John Cormack. Like the protagonists in the […]
Colin McPherson We all get 15 minutes of fame, so the story goes. To stretch the Warholian reference, in 2005 I got the best part of half-an-hour starring on prime time television. Not strictly true, I admit. It was my photography and the subject of my work which captured the attention of the nation. I […]
Document Scotland photographer Colin McPherson presents a portfolio of monochrome images entitled Working Way Out West, which looks at aspects of life on the western fringes of Scotland. “I’ve been fortunate to spend much of my working life as a photographer on Scotland’s long and rugged west coast. Often described inaccurately as ‘remote’ (from where?) […]
From 1996, Document Scotland photographer Colin McPherson spent a number of years looking at the lives of Scotland’s Tibetan clan, Buddhist communities who were based at locations around the country. The work has been published at home and abroad. Here he reflects on the work. “My first encounter with Scotland’s clan of Tibetan monks and […]