Photography:
ARCHITECTURE, HISTORIC BUILDINGS & PLACES
P H OTO G R A P H Y
INTRODUCTION Colin McLean has been photographing his surroundings since his teens. After a career in the heritage sector, he established Colin McLean Photography in 2015 and has grown an impressive list of clients, publications and exhibited work. He blends his knowledge of historic buildings and the heritage sector with his photographic skills to produce images that capture the very essence of his subject, whether it is an ancient site, a museum interior, or a piece of modern architecture. Capturing people at work has also been a feature of his practice. This portfolio brings together a selection of his work. CONTENTS 2-31 32 33
the photographs notes to the photographs the photographer and clients
P H OTO G R A P H Y
73 Whitehaugh Park, Peebles EH45 9DB, Scotland 07980 750301 colinmclean100@icloud.com www.colinmcleanphotography.com all images © Colin McLean Photography 2021 front cover: London Aquatics Centre opposite: The Magi, Yarrow Parish Church back cover: Old Milton, Kingussie
2: Grangemouth Refinery
3: Stonehenge
4: Wood turning, Ring of Gullion
5: Windermere Jetty
6: Grand Fountain, Paisley
7: Pomona, Ingliston House
8: St Mary Magdalene in Paddington
9: Cromford Mill
10: Glencoe Visitor Centre
11: Museum nan Eilean & Lewis Castle
12: Micklegate, York
13: Glasgow Botanic Gardens
14: Old Milton, Kingussie
15: The New Forest
16: York Minster Stoneyard
17: York Glaziers Trust
18: Canterbury Cathedral
19: Lady Peckett's Yard, York
20 & 21: National Museum of Scotland
Lady Peckett's Yard, York
22: Burrell Collection
23: Forth Bridge
24: Principal's House, Stirling University
25: The Quarry, Gullane
26: Murphy House, Edinburgh
27: Tim Stead House, Blainslie
28: Playfair Library, University of Edinburgh
29: Royal High School, Edinburgh Edinburgh Castle & Princes Street Gardens
30: Lincoln Castle & Cathedral
31: National Slate Museum, Llanberis
Notes to the Photographs Front cover: London Aquatics Centre, 2012 by Zaha Hadid Associates for the London Olympics Inside front cover: The Magi, stained glass by Douglas Strachan 1927, Yarrow Parish Church 2 & 3: Windermere jetty is a museum of boats and boating, with a skilled conservation workshop 4: Grangemouth Refinery on the River Forth processes all the oil and petroleum refining in Scotland 5: Stonehenge is the best known stone circle in the UK, with all the attendant issues of visitor numbers 6: the colour scheme for the cast iron Grand Fountain was designed by Daniel Cottier 7: the stained glass at Ingliston House is also the product of Daniel Cottier 8: St Mary Magdalene in Paddington was designed by George Edward Street in 1867, and completed in 1873 9: Cromford Mill is the first water-powered cotton spinning mill, designed by Richard Arkwright in 1771 10: Glencoe Visitor Centre is operated by the National Trust for Scotland and the interior and interpretation were refurbished in 2019 11: Lewis Castle in Stornoway was refurbished and extended with a new building to house the Museum nan Eilean whose contents include the famous Lewis Chessmen 12: Micklegate, York. York Conservation Trust's portfolio of some 80 properties includes this set of apartment, managed for letting 13: The Kibble Palace at Glasgow Botanic Gardens was the subject of an extensive conservation programme in 2012 14: Old Milton, Kingussie is a former shooting lodge upgraded as a family home 15: The New Forest - a herd of Fallow Deer grazing at Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary 16: York Minster Stoneyard is the workshop for the stone masons and carvers repairing and replacing stone features on the Minster 17: York Glaziers Trust has been working on the major conservation project for the Minster's famous East window 18: Canterbury Cathedral - the fan vaulting in the crossing 19: Lady Peckett's Yard, York - a medieval complex now partly in use for retail purposes 20 & 21: The Museum of Scotland re-opened in 2017 following a major development project that included new galleries for the science, technology and design collections 22: The Burrell Collection in Glasgow, photographed here shortly before closure for a major redevelopment 23: The Forth Bridge, photographed from the top of the north tower, looking towards Inverkeithing and Fife 24 & 25: The Principal's House at Stirling University and The Quarry, Gullane are two examples of the early modernist houses by Scottish architects Morris & Steedman 26: Architect Richard Murphy’s house for himself in Edinburgh’s New Town was RIBA House of the Year in 2016 27: The home of sculptor and furniture maker the late Tim Stead is perhaps the best example of his particular style of work 28 & 29: the Playfair Library, Princes St Gardens with the Castle, and the Royal High School are photographs from the Classical Edinburgh exhibition in Edinburgh City Art Centre in 2019/20 30: Lincoln Castle and Cathedral sit atop the hill that dominates the City 31: The National Slate Museum at Llanberis used story tellers to deliver the best first person interpretation I have experienced
Colin McLean is an architectural photographer, based just south of Edinburgh. He studied history of archi-
tecture at Edinburgh University and blends that knowledge with his recognised photographic skills. His work has appeared in books, journals and the print and broadcast media. His photographs have featured in exhibitions: "Grey Gardens" Dundee Contemporary Arts 2016; "Home" Royal Scottish Academy 2016; "Classical Edinburgh" Edinburgh City Art Centre 2019/20. He was awarded a distinction by the Royal Photographic Society in 2014.
“With Colin one gets a lot more than artistically and technically superb photographs, one gets an incredible knowledge, passion, interest and a dedication to the commission that does complete justice to the subject. In addition, it is always the greatest pleasure to work with Colin.” Ben Tindall, Principal, Benjamin Tindall Architects “York Conservation Trust is about the past but trying hard not to be stuck in it. In 2020, our seventy-fifth year, we sought a fresh approach to capturing the essence of our historic buildings through photography and through the people who live, work and run their businesses within our portfolio of significant properties. Colin’s determination and patience to find the best in the detail of the built environment and those involved with it shines through the work.” Jonathan Bryant, Secretary & CEO, York Conservation Trust “We were delighted Colin accepted our major commission to photograph the investment the Heritage Fund has made over the last 25 years across the UK. Colin has a brilliant ability to capture both the image and the essence of people and place at the same time. The portfolio Colin created has given us a hugely impressive array of imagery that not only showcases our investment but demonstrates the vitality and value of heritage. From the micro to the macro Colin has an unerring eye that can see beyond the immediate, and he conjures an especial imagery that fires the imagination of the story and the narrative that lies behind the immediacy of the photograph. Enormously talented across a diverse spectrum of photography, Colin captured for us the natural landscape across to the historic built environment and to the character and personality of the people engaged in our projects. It is a masterclass in creating a portfolio.” Colin Bailey, Executive Director, Business Services, National Lottery Heritage Fund "Colin made an outstanding contribution to our forthcoming book on the Scottish designer and entrepreneur Daniel Cottier, creating a series of photographs which capture the essence and atmosphere of Cottier’s stained glass and interiors. Sometimes surprising and always delightful, Colin’s photographs amplify the text and illuminate our appreciation of Cottier’s achievements." Max Donnelly, Art Historian (Curator of nineteenth-century furniture, Victoria and Albert Museum, London) Clients include: Aberdeenshire Council Airdrie Savings Bank The Architectural Heritage Fund Borders Forest Trust The Citadel Youth Project Alan Couper Consulting Cringletie House Hotel DesignMap Discover Scottish Gardens Form Atlarge The GalGael Trust Jura Consultants LDN Architects The Mavisbank Trust John McAslan + Partners Metaphor Design Morham + Brotchie Partnership
Morris & Steedman Associates Richard Murphy Architects National Lottery Heritage Fund (formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund) Page \ Park Architects Paisley Museum Paul Mellon Centre (Yale University) Penicuik House Preservation Trust Renfrewshire Council Scottish Historic Buildings Trust The Secret Herb Garden Fiona Sinclair, Architect The Tim Stead Trust Benjamin Tindall Architects The Unicorn Preservation Trust The Willow Tearooms Trust York Conservation Trust
P H OTO G R A P H Y