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Urban and street photography news and essays

Moxie and Co | Urban Portraits Dumfries (Part 1)

Moxie and Co | Urban Portraits Dumfries (Part 1)

It’s the first shoot for Urban Portraits Dumfries project – and an exciting challenge. Moxie, the Herald at the Stove, responded to my open call for volunteer models and enlisted her family of 5 to be photographed after hours when most of High Street shops were closed. We had a phone consultation…

#existinphotos – a moving message from Sue Bryce

#existinphotos – a moving message from Sue Bryce

I had a lump in my throat when I watched Sue Bryce, a portrait photographer and educator, encouraging people to #existinphotos during her CreativeLive workshop. Everyone deserves a beautiful portrait of themselves, especially women – wives, mothers, mothers-in-law, grandmothers. I heard Germain Greer speak in Birmingham about this phenomenon of the…

Nithraid 2014 – another success for the Stovies!

Nithraid 2014 – another success for the Stovies!

Nithraid 2014 is a return of a fun and spirited public celebration of the River Nith crossing Dumfries. Masterminded and organised by The Stove artists’ collective, this year’s Nithraid is bigger and more eventful and colourful. Some 5000 spectators lined the riverbanks on September 13 to see the Salty Coo parade, BMX…

Last day of summer at Crichton gardens

Last day of summer at Crichton gardens

On the last day of summer, an hour before sunset I found myself walking in Crichton gardens trying to compare how much they changed since my last visit. Also I was not over my obsession of the colour purple thus hoping to find some flowers that would fit the ‘brief’. I…

Murray the Magician for In Our Town Programme

Murray the Magician for In Our Town Programme

It is nearly mid September and the two-month In Our Town programme of street entertainment in Dumfries is drawing to an end. But not yet. Last Saturday we saw Murray the Magician and Fearchara performing for a crowd of kids, their parents and interested onlookers basking in the sun in…

Why I love urban portrait photography – and you should too

Why I love urban portrait photography – and you should too

Over the years, using a city or town centre as a portrait location has become my trademark style. Admittedly, urban portrait photography is challenging because a photographer has to control light in constantly changing conditions. Weather can be often unpredictable – sometimes you have to re-schedule  because of heavy showers or a snow…

7Stanes mountain bike display at Dock Park

7Stanes mountain bike display at Dock Park

Yesterday’s performance of  7Stanes Mountain Bike Display Team for In Our Town programme of free events in Dumfries town centre attracted many young spectators and grown up visitors to Dock Park. Platforms and ramps were erected on the lawn and a trailer brought in to aid the stunts. The bike team worked hard…

Urban Portraits Dumfries project is launched!

Urban Portraits Dumfries project is launched!

On August 5 2014 I sent out an open call via Facebook , Twitter and Google+ for volunteer models that would like to take part in a new photography project called URBAN PORTRAITS DUMFRIES. The project aims to create collaborative portraits of Doonhamers in various Dumfries town centre locations where the…

Kingholm Quay – an ideal place for idyllic family portraits

Kingholm Quay – an ideal place for idyllic family portraits

I have a one track mind – everywhere I go in Dumfries I look for ideal portrait locations. Kingholm Quay, with its picturesque harbour, rustic flock of chickens running freely in the neighbourhood, the abandoned telephone box, the river, hazy hills in the distance, the soft pastel waves of summer…

Purple shrubs of Kingholm Loaning

Purple shrubs of Kingholm Loaning

I have a bit of obsession with hues and shades of purple going on. Every time we walk to Dumfries town centre up Kingholm Loaning our neighbour’s purple shrubs catch my eye, and I wonder how the old photosynthesis works without green chlorophyll pigments. Obviously those shrubs go by but I…

The Globe Inn, Dumfries – in memory of Robert Burns

The Globe Inn, Dumfries – in memory of Robert Burns

John had a morning meeting in Glasgow and dropped me in Dumfries town centre early in the morning because I wanted to scout for portrait locations and check the light (as one does). Thus I found myself wondering around High Street before shops and pubs were open and  saw a…

#print2014

#print2014

#print2014 is a hashtag for a campaign that aims to encourage people to print their photographs, and not let them get corrupted or deleted by accident from hard drives or phones. It’s underpinned by a belief that despite the fact that we are the most photographed generation in the history of…