The absence of loss.

If you've read this blog on and off over the last year or so you'll perhaps recall my partner's brush with death. If you've not, I've written about it here, and......

National Poetry Day.

As the ice forms © John MacPherson   A poem that continues to move me, puzzle me, and......

Fashion. Victim..

The way stuff pops up in Twitter often surprises me. This morning it knocked me for six. Two tweets, two images, related. But miles and miles apart. In so many ways. First I saw this (posted by......

Photographers S.H.A.M.E..

Yes, SHAME. 'Stopping Harassment And Male Exploitation' of women in the photography industry. (But may be good to bear in mind it might equally have happened to some men.) Colin Pantall raised it on......

Floating in a sea of stories.

Charlie Beckett used a metaphor in a recent (excellent) article that has become more commonly used of late "drowning in a sea of stories about our world". (Sometimes also seen......

Photography, curation & the power of time.

Synchronicity. It's an odd concept, but when I see something that's 'related' in some unexpected way to something else, it makes me smile. I had such a moment this week. And grinned broadly, as......

The picture that changed a life.

In many ways it is an unremarkable image. It shows a young boy. It got shared on social media numerous times. It had 'power' and prompted an unexpected outcome. It has changed at least one life, profoundly. But this......

Drowning in a sea of photographs.

This appeared recently on Change.org to elicit signatures for a petition titled: No more drownings. Immediate sanctuary for those fleeing from war ...

Missing the moment.

Several years ago I was commissioned to photograph a Highland estate by the owners. The estate is glorious, with rugged crags behind 'the big house' and a long desolate glen leading off to the......

Ice work, if you can get it..

Ice shards catching sunset light. © John MacPherson "PYINNNNNG  PYINNNG PUH-PUH-PUH-PYYYYYINNNNNNG" The rather eerie noise echoed around......

Free thinking….

A thought-provoking (and highly opinionated) read by Alan Graham for anyone interested in creative work & payment, published in The Trichordist (Artists For An Ethical......

The Prince of darkness.

*Update 16 July 2015.   Prince responds to self-proclaimed "I'm a thief" comments:   And points out in his customary erudite fashion that the comments he offered previously, and......

“My knickers are well known all across the country…”.

The Kyle of Tongue, Sutherland, Scotland © John MacPherson ...said the elderly lady, her reply......

Politics, power, photography and people.

Drug addicts. Bronx. Vulnerability. Exploitation. Power. Journalism. The Bronx Documentary Center (BDC) is running a show. Here's the message they sent to documentary photographer Chris Arnade explaining his inclusion:   Chris Apologies for the late email, we......

Fact, Fiction & Manipulation.

I came across two thought-provoking image series one day last week. Each one was technically superb, the result of painstaking work by talented and committed photographers. Both dealt with difficult and contentious issues, of......

The Misery of Scotland.

Aye, misery. Scotland's been in the news a fair bit prior to, during and subsequent to the recent General Election. For many people Scotland conjures up images of mountains, rain, and more rain. I read......

Playing the hand you’re dealt.

Some fine, thought-provoking pieces of writing gave me respite from the election hoo-ha last week. That doesn't mean however that what I'm writing here will make much sense. It sort-of makes sense to me,......

The Tannery.

This animated short film by Iain Gardner is beautifully done, thought-provoking and moving. Make some time for this. I watched with my 6 year old, he loved it and was intrigued and said "Daddy,......

Not ruin porn: Industrial Archaeology.

I'm not a fan of the term 'Ruin Porn'. I like my ruins to have their story, preferably the real story of what went on in them, why it all went wrong and what......

Not just a number.

This is what 191 dead migrants looks like.   ...