Extract from Edinburgh: A New Perspective

Rosslyn Chapel

It's been around since the fifteenth century, but Rosslyn Chapel has seen a remarkable rise in profile in recent years. The subject of a number of provocative and speculative theories regarding the Knights Templar, the Freemasons and the Holy Grail, regardless of what you believe, it is a fascinating and compelling building. I was quite lucky to be able to get this image, as when I turned up at the agreed time to take the shots, the whole site had been taken over ahead of schedule by the crew filming The Da Vinci Code. Luckily, we managed to work around each other, but I am disappointed to report that I do not make an appearance in the film!

Charlotte Square

Every photographer is on a quest for their ultimate shot, and, at the moment, I think that this is mine. The simplicity is what makes it so special - the three bare trees and the statue make a striking composition with the backdrop of the snow giving an unusual texture and tone. There was nothing terribly fulfilling about stumbling through a blizzard first thing on a Sunday morning, fighting a howling gale to keep the tripod upright while trying to keep the snow off my camera, but every time I look at this picture I think that it was worth every second.

Landform

Opened in 2002 in front of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, I've been intrigued by this landform since I first saw it taking shape. I was desperately impatient for it to be completed so that I could photograph it. The key here was to pick a clear day with not a breath of wind so that the water was mirror-smooth and gave maximum impact. It was autumn, so the leaves had just started to turn, giving wonderful depth to the colours.

The Charlotte Square and the Landform photographs have been commissioned by the British Airport Authorities to be displayed, alongside author photographs by Jason Baxter, on 10 metre billboards at Edinburgh Airport. They will be unveiled on 28th August 2006.