Abandoned (Scotland 2013)

The theme for this selection of photographs from the Scotland trip in 2013 is abandoned homes, or crofts, on the Isle of Harris. It was not subject I would have pursued myself but other photographers on the trip were keen, so I joined in, albeit a little halfheartedly.

It appeared, particularly in one croft, that the last residents had left suddenly leaving behind some furniture and a few possessions. I guess, I didn’t feel totally comfortable with this at the time and subsequently I did nothing with the photographic results when I returned home.

On reflection, I am surprised how much of the photography from this Scotland trip went unprocessed with only a few landscapes cherry-picked for competitions or display online. Revisiting the Scotland trip has allowed me to take a fresh perspective on my photography in 2013, something I have enjoyed doing, including re-looking at the abandoned homes images.

Although I would not have been able to articulate this in 2013, I do see an attempt at describing a sense of place, going beyond representational landscapes, and saying something more about the Isle of Harris. Of course the results are not coherent in this respect, and even today I would identify the development of a refined sense of place as my biggest photographic challenge...