The Hielanman's Umbrella

“I suspect it is for one’s self-interest that one looks at one’s surroundings and one’s self. This search is personally born and is indeed my reason and motive for making photographs.” – Lee Friedlander.

The Hielanman's Umbrella, seen from Argyle Street, Glasgow

The shops under the bridge are painted in a uniform, green colour 

The glass walled railway bridge which carries the the platforms of Glasgow Central Station across Argyle Street is an iconic landmark.  It was given the name "The Highlandman's Umbrella" locally, because of its being a meeting place for many Gaelic speaking Highlanders who had come to Glasgow seeking work, from the late 19th century onwards and remained so well into the 20th century, where Highlanders kept in touch mainly at weekends, by meeting under the bridge.  Having been a student in Glasgow in the late seventies, I was aware that although the practice had ceased long before then, my father had participated in the "Gaelic community gathering" in his young days but I would suggest that few young Glasgow Gaels today are aware of the landmark connection and nickname.  I considered the social impact on society today, with the advent of the technological age and the ease of communication as people connect through social media.

The nail-bar lady with whom I connected was from Vietnam 

Eric Kim, of whom I have already blogged, is a very dynamic online facilitator of street photography who studied sociology in University.  He likes to define street photography as "proof of humanity. (Nov 2013, petapixel.com, An Interview with Eric Kim).  In his writing, Kim refers to identity and that it is insightful for photographers to work on projects that are personal to themselves, citing that sociology has been the biggest influence on his own photography.


Kim's free online blog posts and e-books are inspirational, especially for the street photography beginner and he published his first book in 2015, "Street Photography: 50 Ways to Capture Better Shots of Ordinary Life." He gives lots of techniques and tips as well as drawing on the wisdom of the great classic photographers, using their experiences in his teaching.

Mirror reflections of the East African barber and his client 

This multi-cultural community of workers, were happy to engage with me, and my photography subjects showed an active interest in the fact that I had travelled from the Isle of Skye to photograph people in urban contexts such as the businesses under the "umbrella". 

Capture through the window of the Kothel Grill House 

Chat from the Kothel Manager

Melissa from the shop next door buying lunch 

Returning to Glasgow in March, one month after my first visit I decided to call in at the Kothel Grill House (this was a result of me being captivated with the image I had taken on my previous visit, shot through the window).  I chatted to the Greek manager about the working community under the bridge and was pleased to discover that he knew the story about the Hielanman's umbrella.  In a true spirit of welcome he practised his only word from the Gaelic language for my benefit, using the word "fàilte"!

Fàilte from the Kothel Grill House!

Paul Halliday a sociology academic at Goldsmiths, London University and a practising urban photographer whose 20-year long street photography work on "The London Project" was featured on Channel 4,  easily identifies  the links between visual art and sociology.  He writes:-

"through engaging with the social world, we have access to a set of new experiences that take us into hitherto unimagined worlds; . Engagement comes in different forms, but what drives it, to my way of thinking, is a desire to contemplate that there may be a multi-verse of lived experiences being played out on the streets." 

(Paul Halliday, Creatve Director of Urban Photo Fest, London 2013)


Undoubtedly the taking of street photographs can impact on the photographer as a self-connecting experience with people in all forms of society. I did feel a strong connection with the people I photographed on these two occasions and through this I am able to define the added value of this project.


"For me the most memorable street photographs are always the ones that hit you in the gut, evoke some emotion, and burn themselves into your mind.  They are photos that challenge you to rethink what it means to be human, that challenge you to see society differently and to connect. "  Eric Kim

People Make Glasgow

"The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street."   Robert Doisneau 

PEOPLE MAKE GLASGOW -  visual sociology

Arriving in Glasgow on a sunny afternoon in February, I felt I was truly in the role of a street photographer.  Unlike my previous photoshoot, this time I had researched and prepared for the outing.  Having read that when photographers take to the streets prime lenses are out in full force, I decided to trade in my DX lenses beforehand and invest in the second-hand purchase of both an 85mm and a 35mm lenses for my FX camera.  This meant that using a prime lens would encourage behaviour which in turn should lead to an improvement in photography skills, for example, your feet become the zooming action.  Thomas Leuthard, a contemporary international street photographer from Switzerland, travels all over the world and offers online courses as well as street photography e-books available on the internet has been an inspiration to many starting out taking photographs on the street.  
http://thomas.leuthard.photography/    

Leuthard  writes that "a prime lens is best because it is sharp, fast, small and affordable" and that it is also important to know the exact distance from where you should stand.  He advocated the 85mm for a full-frame camera so starting with the 85mm to allow me a longer focal length and therefore more reach, I had a wander round the city. Capturing candid shots was quite exhilarating and I felt very animated as I focused on studying human behaviour on the streets.

 Ladies waiting for the bus in West Nile Street 

Girl waiting to cross the road

Chatting in Buchanan Street

Taken through the glass canopy of Buchanan Street Underground

Couple absorbed with mobile phone 

This made me recognise the relationship between sociology and street photography and how they are inter-linked.  It was good not to have any preconceived ideas of what I would capture but to have an open mind and be prepared to adapt, rather than photograph evidence to support a pre-chosen theme.   All the above shots were candid and I especially liked capturing the girl waiting to cross the road, as I followed Leuthard's  e-book advice and stood across the road from her at the traffic lights on the other side of the street.

An original candid but after interaction I got in close and took some  portrait shots

While some street photographers believe purely in candid photographs, street photography can also happen when you engage with the person being photographed such as I did in the following images.  

Chips and Irn Bru

On duty at the Argyll Arcade in Buchanan Street

Eric Kim, a young South Korean street photographer, based in California, has had his work exhibited and published.  He has been interviewed many times for photographic articles, stating that he sincerely believes in the ethos of Open Source learning, as he shares videos, interviews and e-articles along with regular blog posts.   He has a huge following on the internet, especially his blog which is considered the defacto Street Photography blog:- http://erickimphotography.com/blog/start-here/

Busking in Argyle Street

Kim states that street photography does not necessarily have to be candid.  "To me plainly put, a "street portrait" is simply a photograph of a stranger in which you ask for permission".  He thinks there isn't really a difference between street portraits and street photography but considers street portraits a sub-genre of street photography.  He puts emphasis on the sociology of street photography and what we can learn from studying humanity and engaging with people from all walks of life whom we meet on the streets.  Certainly, I found that once you overcome your fear of approaching strangers, interacting with people on the streets of Glasgow was a very enriching experience.  

Indeed, People Make Glasgow!

"For me, a great street portrait is an image where I can look into the soul of the subject, and relate or empathise with them on a human level."  Eric Kim