Show captures nocturnal views of the last days of a Scottish culture
She grew up on a farm and now Heather Buchanan is determined that the old days will not be forgotten
Young Scottish photographer Heather Buchanan has recently completed a graduate diploma in photography in London and for her graduation show she went back to her farming roots for the exhibition, entitled Nocturnal.
Coming from a farming family, she wanted to
highlight the major issue of the deterioration of the farming industry in the west of Scotland, which she said has become more prominent in recent years. As local farmers are pressed to sell off their land for property development or to other, larger farm owners, they’ve become victims of this shift in culture and industry.
A series of six night-time landscape farming images, Nocturnal captures what is left of the old before this rural landscape becomes fully transformed.
She says that the current collection of images are just the start of an ongoing project – and now she is keen to take the show on tour throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK to raise awareness of what has been an important part of Scottish culture.
Where are you from in Scotland and what does the family farm specialise in?
“I am from Loch Lomond and my family specialise in sheep farming. My mother’s side of the family have been here for three generations and they specialise in dairy and meat farming.”
What was it like growing up on a farm? Was that a career that you ever thought about pursuing? How did you discover photography?
“Growing up on a farm, my life was always an adventure. Once you were around the corner from the house and out of sight of the adults, the world was yours. I came from a large family and I was always surrounded by cousins and siblings, which only enriched those adventures.
“I didn’t realise how fortunate I was to have such a childhood until I was much older. Now, when I look back on the time spent on the farm, I’m so proud of where I came from and how lucky I was to have that extraordinary life. I think of my relatives – their hearts and souls are a part of the land but their days were a struggle.
“I believe you have to be a unique type of person to become a farmer and I didn’t think I would have been able to live up to the role.
“However, now that I’m older and I’ve travelled and lived in different countries and cities, I would like to work more on our farm.
“My dad was always interested in photography and his grandfather was also a photography enthusiast, so it’s always been something in our home. Photography was a hobby of mine for a long time.
“In 2016, I spent six months in Bogotá, Colombia, where I began to develop my photography career, completing a photography and documentary course.
“This was a life-changing
“I wanted to document what is left of the old before this rural landscape becomes fully transformed”
experience and it was there that I produced my first photography series titled Un día en la playa, documenting a day in the life of a mariachi band.
“However, it wasn’t until last year that I decided to take the leap and pursue photography as a full-time career.”
You talk about the romance of some of your images – but also the harsh realities of making a living from farming today – how is that true for some of the farming families that you know?
“In this series, I wanted to highlight the issue of the deterioration of the farming industry, particularly in the west of Scotland. This has become more prominent in recent years.
“As local farmers are pressed to sell off their land for property development or to other, larger farm owners, we’re witnessing a shift in culture and industry. I wanted to document what is left of the old before this rural landscape becomes fully transformed.
“One significant change in the local farming industry is that most neighbouring farms once had a working dairy. Now only a handful still have a working dairy.”
Why did you shoot at night and pick the title Nocturnal for your exhibition?
“The photos have a somewhat melancholic beauty that comes from the night-time light, reverberating stories from generations and generations. There’s a comforting silence and a stillness that can almost be heard in the series and for me personally, there’s a sort of nostalgia that lies within the night-time imagery. I chose to name the series Nocturnal, not only because the series was created during the night, but because the land and nature is always alive and living and creating.”
How can people see your farming images? Are you planning more?
“Nocturnal was exhibited in the Enprint photography show at the London College of Communication at the end of last month.
“It will also be exhibited in the Free Range festival, from 28 June to 1 July at London’s Old Truman Brewery. The current collection of images are just the start of an ongoing project in which I hope to capture as many of these farm landscapes as possible before they disappear.
“These images will hopefully act as a record for future generations of a once thriving farming culture. I am currently seeking funding to develop and continue this project and hopefully exhibit the series throughout Scotland and the UK.”
● You can view the series on Heather’s website: www. heather- buchanan.com/ nocturnal And her Instagram: @heathermariannefoto
● Having already been on show at the London College of Communication, her exhibition is on from 28 June to 1 July at the Old Truman Brewery in east London