Tripod - Spring 2016 newsletter from Colin McLean Photography

Tripod

SPRING 2016 St Giles Cathedral Surgeons’ Hall Museums Bernat Klein Studio David Livingstone Centre Morris & Steedman Houses River Tweed Project

Welcome to this first edition of my newsletter - Tripod Here we look at recent projects: St Giles Cathedral Surgeons’ Hall Museums Bernat Klein Studio David Livingstone Centre Morris & Steedman Houses River Tweed Project Front cover: 5 Merchant Square, Paddington Basin, by Mossessian Architecture All images © Colin McLean Photography

St Giles Cathedral There has been a church on this site since the 12th century, and Edinburgh’s High Kirk of St Giles has been amended and adapted many times over its long life.

Its dark interior creates a wonderful, peaceful atmosphere, but is a photographer’s headache. I wanted to capture the detail in the shadowed stonework and in the bright stained glass windows. The soft, ghostly figure in the centre was a happy co-incidence, and provides scale.

And ....

..on the subject of historic buildings, my photographs of Mavisbank House supported the recent submission to Europa Nostra. The house has now been shortlisted for the “Seven Most Endangered 2016” Programme.

Surgeons’ Hall Museums, Edinburgh Working with Campbell & Co, John McAslan + Partners undertook a complete redevelopment of this complex in Edinburgh’s South Bridge, inserting a new glass link between the two existing buildings. The exhibition spaces were largely unchanged in location and volume, but completely redesigned and refitted. Visitors’ responses have been universally positive.

Bernat Klein Studio Bernat Klein (1922-2014) injected new life and colour into the Scottish textiles industry. He had commissioned architect Peter Womersley to design a house for him near Selkirk in 1955, and returned to Womersley for his nearby studio, which was completed in 1972. The Studio is A-Listed in recognition of its significance.

I have photographed it on many occasions, which has led to two initiatives. I’m involved in planning a celebration of Peter Womersley’s work, to take place in October 2016 as part of the Festival of Architecture. I was fortunate to have my photographs of the Klein Studio selected for an exhibition at Dundee Contemporary Arts titled “Grey Gardens”, looking at modernist architecture and its landscape. It runs from February 27th to May 1st (more about the exhibition on the DCA website http://www.dca.org.uk/whats-on/event/grey-gardens ).

Bernat Klein oil painting from a recent exhibition at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh

David Livingstone Centre The Heritage Lottery Fund commissioned photographs of Lila Ruhurimbere, an intern at the David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre. This is one of a series of placements funded to assist Scottish museums in understanding ethnic minority audiences and how to better engage with them. Lila is carrying out research in the Centre’s archive and leading guided tours of the David Livingstone Birthplace. Her long term plan is to return to the Congo to assist museum development there.

The photographs will be used in HLF’s new Real Lives Making a Difference campaign

Morris & Steedman, architects James Morris & Robert Steedman built a very successful practice from its launch in 1957. They designed a range of buildings in the industrial, health and academic sectors, but it is for their private villas that they are perhaps best known. A selection of these villas will feature in another Festival of Architecture exhibition titled HOME, to be in the Royal Scottish Academy from April 16th to May 25th. I have been commissioned by the practice to provide new photographs of eight Morris & Steedman houses, to be shown alongside images from the time of construction.

The building below is the Sillitto House, on the south side of Edinburgh. It was known by some as the “Upside Down House” as the living accommodation was placed upstairs to give the best views of the Edinburgh skyline.

Recent Clients John McAslan + Partners, Jura Consultants, Renfrewshire Council, The Willow Tearooms Trust, Penicuik House Preservation Trust, Heritage Lottery Fund, Mavisbank House Trust, The Secret Herb Garden, The Edinburgh Larder, GalGael Trust, Morris & Steedman Associates.

“We commissioned Colin to produce architectural photographs of our completed redevelopment of the Royal College of Surgeons Museums in Edinburgh. The images were just what we were looking for and we have used them on our web site and elsewhere.” John McAslan, Executive Chairman, John McAslan + Partners “ To mark Jura Consultants’ 20th year we were keen to have a tangible representation of our work in our office, and we are indebted to Colin for accepting a challenging brief and exceeding our expectations. Colin’s defining images of a selection of our projects have proved to be of real interest to clients, staff and fellow consultants.” Paul Jardine, Managing Director, Jura Consultants Ltd “Colin produced beautiful photographs of our flower salads for my article, and we were delighted that one of his images was selected for the front cover of Scottish Gardener.” Hamish Martin, Owner, The Secret Herb Garden

River Tweed Project As with many photographers, I do like a project, and I have decided to document the River Tweed and its catchment. I live by the Tweed and have photographed stretches of it on many occasions over many years. Like so many projects, the scale of it only really became apparent after I started my researches. The Tweed itself is 97 miles long from its source at Tweed’s Wells to Berwick on Tweed, and the catchment area is some 5,000 km2, on both sides of the Border.

But it’s the number and length of tributaries that really struck me. - I may be busy for some time!

The image on the right is of the Ettrick Water, approximately two miles upstream from the hamlet of Ettrick. Below is the Tweed from the recently-rebuilt bridge at Tweedsmuir.

If you need high quality photography to promote your project, support your funding application, or advertise your product, service or site, get in touch.

73 Whitehaugh Park, Peebles EH45 9DB, Scotland T 01721 788005 M 07980 750301 colin@colinmcleanphotography.com www.colinmcleanphotography.com