1. Why did you enter the ‘Dundee’s Heritage and Nature’ Special Award Competition?

“I entered the competition for quite a few reasons. Firstly, I hadn’t been doing photography very long, but I had mainly been shooting in and around the old industrial centres of the city. Capturing the interplay between this old heritage and the nature in the area posed an interesting challenge.

“More philosophically, I think valuing the history and identity of a city whilst creating quality green space is the key to improving our urban living and updating cities. Dundee is a uniquely interesting subject for this, as much of the imposing industrial structures still stand. Capturing this was difficult, but gave a great impetus to learn more about the heritage of the city, in order to take photographs that were not just pleasing but also meaningful.”

2. What does it mean to have been awarded?

“Winning has given my photography a kind of validation and since the results were announced, I’ve taken to capturing the surviving industrial heritage of the city in more in-depth ways. As I had been doing photography less than a year, I wasn’t confident that what I was doing had any kind of value to anyone else.”

3. What does it mean to have your photographs displayed in the exhibition at Verdant Works Museum?

“As a lot of my photography involves shooting the old textile mills in the city, there’s no place more ideal for my photos than the High Mill in Verdant Works Museum. I have a strong connection with the Verdant Works Museum, as I walk past it every day on my commute.

“In fact, I often find myself stopping to take shots of the mill as I love how the light plays off the stone, so the Verdant Works has been core to my photography experience so far.”

4. Can you tell us more about the photographs and your process behind them?

“All of my Special Award competition entries (and all of my photography) were shot on film. I started using point and shoot cameras, but as my understanding of the technical aspects of photography improved I graduated to a fully mechanical and manual SLR camera with interchangeable lenses; an Olympus OM1 from around 1971.

“I like exploring the properties of different film stocks, but for my competition entries I mainly used Kodak Portra 400 for its colour accuracy and fine detail.

“I like to walk around Dundee planning what I might like to take pictures of and how I want to frame it, so for my competition shots, I planned them in advance and waited until the weather was right. Many people have written on why they shoot with film but for me working within the limitations of this old technology encourages deliberation and intentionality, which I argue makes you think more about what you’re photographing.”

5. Where are some of your favourite photography spots in Dundee and why?

“It’s hard to choose a favourite spot – Dundee is graced with a “ludicrously ideal” (as Stephen Fry put it) setting on the bank of the River Tay, giving loads of dramatic views. I like shooting around the City Quay area, looking for signs of the old docks and the maritime industry that gave the city its global significance in whaling and shipping.

“I do still find myself shooting mostly in Blackness and around the Dens Road areas, the two industrial areas of the city built around and powered by the Scourin’ Burn and Dens Burn. Whilst around two-thirds of the mills were knocked down, you can still get a sense of the atmosphere the city had, by looking at old photographs and revisiting these areas to see how they’ve changed.

“This process has given me a broader appreciation of industrial architecture not just in Dundee. Recently I have also started experimenting with street photography as I feel the pedestrianised centre has a lot of potential for that.”

6. What is one of your favourite stories that you have learned about Dundee’s history?

“The industrial history in the city feels almost impossibly storied, and I’m quite sure you could spend lifetimes studying it and not learn everything there is to know.

“Recently I’ve been trying to capture the Coffin Mill, also known as Logie Works, which sits on the west end of the city. Since it was built in 1833 it has been considered to be haunted by many, however its name actually derives from the shape of its courtyard. It sat derelict for years at the end of the 20^th century (during which some amazing photographs were taken of its decay) but was converted into housing in 2004. Many have reported sightings of the ‘white lady’ who is said to walk along the cast-iron bridge at night. In the 1850s it was also the site of the only large boiler explosion the city ever had, blowing a huge part of the mill apart and leaving the bridge hanging on one side. You can see where they rebuilt it, as the angle of the wall doesn’t quite line up!”