What is a sense of place?
Place is a subject I think about a lot. Whether it’s being in the ‘right place at the right time’ to capture a moment with my camera or that object that just happens to be ‘perfectly’ placed. There is also another meaning, for the spaces we make our own, our homes becoming ‘our’ place or ‘your’ place. Then there are also the places we travel to or travel through and places where you stop to consider the past or the future.
Here's a collection of my work that explores some of these different meanings of place.
Size is subjective
The place we call home is as big or as small as it needs to be. So are the communities in which we make our home. I’ve had the opportunity to live in the sleepy small town of Auchermuchty in Fife and the historical melting pot of the City of Edinburgh. Both places bring special meaning to the people that live, work and visit there and it’s the memories we create there that make where we choose to live just the right size.
Places of worship
Having a connection to something that’s bigger than you can seem to be an important part of the human condition. For centuries organised religion fulfilled this need. The places we gather to worship, pray and reflect come in all shapes and sizes but they all speak of congregation and community. In these two shots places that people worship speak with different voices but the message is still the same.
Travelling
When travelling people talk about getting from A to B. Two defined places that signify the start and end of a journey. What about the places you pass through on your journey?
Life shows us that it’s the journey and not the destination that’s important and by paying attention to the places you pass through on your way you learn more about yourself and others.
In my time as a commuter, living in the kingdom of Fife I discovered the drama, colour and light of the places I passed through every day.
Life shows us that it’s the journey and not the destination that’s important and by paying attention to the places you pass through on your way you learn more about yourself and others.
In my time as a commuter, living in the kingdom of Fife I discovered the drama, colour and light of the places I passed through every day.
The ties that bind
Places that mean something to individuals for emotional or personal reasons are one thing, there are also places that are created to mark moments of historical or cultural importance. Our experiences of these places connect us to others who have had experiences of these places of their own.
It’s the differences and similarities of human experience that helps us understand the world around us.
It’s the differences and similarities of human experience that helps us understand the world around us.
