Hello and happy Friday! Thanks so much to anyone who’s back for more and welcome to everyone along for the first time. This is my little space for fortnightly sharing, of photographs or music and musings. It’s a slow-down from social media and a chance to go a little deeper.
This week I’m answering the question I’m asked more than any other; how I got into photography, and specifically shooting bands.
Thanks so much for being here.
A camera saved me from a miserable life.
I was pretty good at school, but I was lazy.
Accounting came easy to me, so I gravitated towards that path of least resistance. Minimal effort for high reward. I packed up and headed to Stirling University to study Finance.
I met and discovered people there who were learning things much more interesting than taxes and balance sheets. I would sit in on English Lit and Philosophy lectures more than my own. A disorienting seed was planted.
At the local pub quiz, there was a rollover big money question. Hawaii was the answer I never knew I knew. I won a couple hundred pounds, a windfall to a broke student. In Argos the next day I bought a camera. It was a junky little point and shoot digital, a few megapixels at best. Romantic beginnings right?!
I began to photograph. Everything.
Discovering my new interest on a visit home, my mum pulled that old camera, my Papa’s, from the loft.
It felt like magic. I was holding the same camera he’d used to make the hundreds of slides that I’d held up to the light to get a glimpse of his history. The photos of my mum and her sisters as kids.
I cleaned it up, bought some film… and realised I had no idea what I was doing.
Clueless
Like so many of my interests in my early years, my best pal and wee cousin Iain had beat me to it. Some might say I was intent on copying him. From music tastes to picking up a guitar, he was already several steps ahead of me in the photography world and gave me my early lessons on how to work the camera. We’d wander and explore, taking shots on his DSLR before replicating the settings on my film camera. We started making pinhole cameras and photographing Portencross Castle near our homes.
Although the Accounting degree was a mistake I was stuck with for a few years, Stirling was far from a bad move. I met people there who would go on to shape my life. In the wake of studying, my pals Ally & Weaver would kick off a new music enterprise called Detour.
This changed everything
Being the only one old enough to hire a van, I ended up at Detour ‘Kidnaps’, ‘Wee Jaunts’ and touring shows with some of Scotland’s coolest bands at the time. It got me into close quarters with Franz Ferdinand, Frightened Rabbit, Admiral Fallow, There Will Be Fireworks and a whole world of exciting creative people. Initially still using the old Olympus, I’d document these events, trying to extend my usefulness beyond bus driver. Ultimately massively pushing our boundaries in making a Youtube tv show.
T In The Paaaaaaaaaark
Eventually I ‘upgraded’ to a digital camera, meaning I could more reliably shoot dark basement shows around town and lend my services to the bands I was meeting. I started to photograph for The Skinny and The Scotsman, who were both incredibly supportive. This also got me to shooting much bigger shows, which eventually led to working T in the Park for BBC and ultimately as the official festival photographer.
I remember sitting in the Detour offices in Patrick pretty clearly when the first email from NME dropped. My grin gave it away to Ally, sitting across the desk. It felt like something very cool had just happened.
Working with NME & Kerrang! taught me that access is everything. In most photo pits, there was a scrum of people, mostly producing the same work. My eyes were opened to finding something different.
Biffy
Nothing catalyses this more for me than this image of Biffy Clyro, which I have on my office wall. The performance that cemented them as the most prolific T in the Parkers in history. Simon in his moonlit glory treading the catwalk of the stage. I’d guess 50+ photographers ran towards him as I backed away. This image was used by the festival as a presentation to the band in honour of their appearance record.
Proud of this one!
Early YouTube and pre-insta, I was learning from forums and the elite OG Strobist, which is where I learned almost everything I know about how to light.
Photographing portraits of musicians was a natural evolution and is still a big part of what I do today even as the majority of my work now is commercial projects for brands and companies, helping them tell their story.
My heart will always be in music photography. When I’m back in the pit, side stage, or hiding behind amps, the buzz is unparalleled.
When the lights go down and the crowd go mental.
There’s no better place to be.
A Share
Did you see Mark Seliger’s backstage portraits at The Oscars? He’s an absolute Don, and these are gorgeous. Also, so delighted Emma Stone, how good was Poor Things?!
Doubler this week, an almost comprehensive playlist of bands that Detour featured over the years. Some very familiar names (hi early Young Fathers) and some you might not have heard. A lot of listening in here.
Since Last Time…
Got buzzed on stage at the Hydro with Brothers Osborne for Country 2 Country Festival
Had an epic Sunday roast for Mother’s Day. Big love to the mums and mum adjacents out there ❤️
Made a couple of trips back to the seaside for some fresh air and head clearing
Getting back in to some kind of fitness routine, that had long since lapsed. The weights seem heavier, the pavement seems harder
Do you have a friend who would like getting some photo chat every now and then? I’d love if you shared this with them.
Until next time…
Biffy fucking Clyro indeed! Another fabulous post Ewan: thank you so much 👏 🤩