FACES OF EIGG
When photographer Charles Delcourt began visiting the island of Eigg he made it his mission to capture the spirit of island life
Images capturing the spirit of island life on Eigg by Charles Delcourt
i“The interaction between people and place s what I aim to capture in my work
French photographer Charles Delcourt’s love affair with the island of Eigg began after a chance encounter at a Lille restaurant. He overheard a woman discussing the island’s 1997 community buyout, when the residents took control and purchased the land for themselves. Two decades on the island has flourished and the number of people calling the island home has grown from just 64 in 1997 to over 100 today.
‘I know it was a bit rude but I just started listening to her and was immediately interested,’ he says. ‘I knew a lot of people would know the story of Eigg’s community buyout because at the time they had a lot of journalists visit. The interaction between people and place is what I aim to capture in my work.’
Charles first visited the island in August 2016 and, five visits later, is a familiar face to the locals. ‘I don’t walk anywhere on the island any more; people now pull over and offer me a lift when they see me at the side of the road.’
Using a old medium format film Hasselblad camera without a viewfinder means that Charles is face to face with his subjects, allowing an interaction that is captured on film. ‘The subject can see my face whilst I’m taking photos so the whole thing feels friendly. The quality of image is also sharp; I’m even able to capture everything, even the reflection in the subject’s eye.’
Charles plans to keep visiting the island in order to continue capturing the spirit of the community. ‘My photos only tell part of the story of life on Eigg. Hopefully I can work with a writer who can add to the island’s story and together produce a book that captures the mood of Eigg.’
My photos only tell part of the story of life on Eigg