Glas - Backstory Part 1
Glas. Large, heavy, luxurious, calm, gentle, amusing, deep
"Glas", which is Scottish Gaelic for "grey" (among other meanings like pale, wan, grey-green, dawn, ashy), is the culmination of a seventeen-year photographic journey through the Isle of Skye, Scotland's most iconic island.
Glas isn't just a photography book though. As well as over 220 pages of black and white images that capture the character and beauty of Skye, it includes specially commissioned poetry in Scottish Gaelic with English interpretations. The words of Rody Gorman, in response to the images in the book, give Glas something really unique.
Lord Macdonald, High Chief of Clan Donald, has written the foreword, describing Glas as “a masterpiece of the highest order”, which makes me immensely proud, or “chuffed” as we say here in the UK.
An early reviewer, artist Peter McDermott, said “I had the privilege of previewing a proof copy of this book, and I was utterly captivated by Andrew’s imagery. In my view, it stands as the most definitive portrayal of Skye - its landscapes, shifting light, and ever-changing moods. No other publication comes close to capturing the island’s mercurial character with such depth. Presented in striking black and white, the work places Andrew in the company of some of the world’s great photographers, evoking comparisons to masters like Ansel Adams and Minor White.”
Needless to say those two comparisons are music to my ears and trigger significant imposter syndrome symptoms in my brain. Just to be even considered in the same sentence as two such greats that I deeply respect is astonishing for me.
The first photograph in the Sea Views chapter of Ramasaig Bay in Skye.
I wanted to capture the essence of the Isle of Skye—not just its scenery, but its raw, dramatic spirit and its quirky character. I also wanted to convey some deeper messages that are very human and personal. But how to do this? It is a puzzle that photographers have agonised over for decades. How can you translate what you see, hear, smell and feel into a two-dimensional image that conveys those same sights and feelings?
In this first part of a two part “backstory”, I'll describe how I have tried to do it, and the underlying philosophy behind my approach. In a second article I'll go into some of the photography techniques and gear that I have used, and the mechanics of creating a book like Glas.
The Philosophy of Glas
Power poles silhouetted in front of an epic storm, from the “Poles” chapter in Glas.
I had three non-negotiable, foundational principles that I have stuck with during the seventeen years it has taken to produce Glas.
Firstly, I want to encourage calmness, quietness and contemplation in those who read the book. These days we are bombarded with hypersaturated digitality, an endless scrolling stream of attention grabbing blurb. It is draining and sapping and has become more so in recent years. I want Glas to be an escape route. A gentle place where peace can be found.
Secondly, I want to allow space for the reader to construct their own interpretation. The best books are ones that leave things out, allowing your imagination to fill in the blanks. In the case of Glas I would like reader to ask themselves how cold it is. Does the wind scour or caress? Is the grass green or brown? What does it smell like? Does the ground squelch or crunch underfoot? Has it rained, is it raining, will it rain?
Lastly I want to be "true" to the Isle of Skye. What do I mean by this? Skye is much more than the Old Man of Storr or the Quiraing or the Fairy Pools. Sure there are spectacular highlights enjoyed by tourists all year round, but there is so much more, including the Gaelic language of course. By being observant, alert and looking deeply it is possible to get into the soul of the place, warts and all.
From Philosophy To Photography
Just a road in a beautiful landscape. With a sun beam reflecting off its wet surface. With a small house. And two vehicles kicking up spray. In front of snow capped mountains. With a great sky. Less is more, and more is more.
I am a strong believer of the "less is more" idea. It is particularly appropriate in photography, where one composes to remove distracting elements, bringing the attention to the intended subject in the best possible way. This is something I have learned from following David Ward's work intently over the years. He doesn't know it but he has been my silent mentor for a long time.
As well as "less is more", I also believe "more is more". These two seemingly opposite statements hide one of the joys of photography for me. By "more is more" I mean how a composition, carefully designed to be free from distractions, can be improved and resonate more strongly by the addition of some features. For example, if the scene is lit dramatically by a sunbeam, and there is snow on the mountaintops, and a moody sky. Such additional elements can make an image really special due to the rarity and uniqueness that they can convey. This also means it can take a long time to get the photograph that I’m looking for, hence this being a seventeen-year endeavour.
Ornsay Lighthouse from the “Weather” chapter in Glas
This less-and-more combination is a real delight for me. It makes me think deeply about my photography, making it very purposeful and deliberate. It also means it can take a long time, sometimes years, to get the image I really want. It is important to be careful though, not ending up creating "clutter" by adding too much back in.
It is also important not to get too hung up on creating something perfect. Some of the best photographs in Glas are the product of the instant recognition of a fleeting moment that captures some little special thing that speaks volumes about the Isle of Skye.
And then there is colour. To follow my second principle of allowing space for the reader to create their own vision, all of the images in Glas are black and white. By removing colour, I let the reader imagine what the scene was like. Black and white also brings out shape and texture far better than colour in my opinion, so it was an easy choice for me.
Poetry In Action
As my library of candidate images for Glas started to take real shape, I started to think about how I could make Glas really special. An indulgent set of photographs is all very good, but could it be improved?
Then I had an idea. In the same way that the images are designed to give space for the reader, could I use words to do something similar?
The Gaelic and English poetry in the Weather chapter of Glas
I am not a writer of any note whatsoever. I can pen a blog post, but being creative with words is significantly beyond me. So why not find someone who can? And what better than poetry to paint with words? And even better, let's have those words in the native language of the Isle of Skye, Scottish Gaelic.
Just up the road in the Isle of Skye is Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture. Very handy! It was there that I found Rody Gorman, a poet of significant renown in the Irish and Scottish Gaelic world. I was a bit apprehensive when I first met Rody in order to show him a prototype of Glas. I have never knowingly spoken to a poet, let alone commissioned one to create some poems for something so close to my heart. I need not have worried. Rody understood the assignment straight away, and started making copious notes as he looked at some of the photographs I had selected.
And wow, the results are breathtaking. Rody created poems for each of the twelve themes in Glas. Some very short, some longer. Sometimes just one poem per theme, sometimes as many as four. All in Scottish Gaelic with English interpretations. They give so much flavour to my images, like a great seasoning or spice mix. Even just reading the English versions, you get a super appreciation for the beauty and deep nature of Gaelic. The way Rody has created the English verse uses something he called "intertonguing", where a single Gaelic word has multiple English meanings, is fascinating and gives a great insight into the Gaelic language.
A Dozen Themes
Two images from the “Water Features” chapter. There is a lot of water on Skye!
I wanted Glas to be epic. A thing that is worthy of being studied, and to be cherished as a valuable possession. I have a small number of photography books like this and they are such beauties to own. This meant that Glas would be a large book (it is 30x30cm and weighs about 2kg, with over 220 pages). Even with a number of double-page spreads, where a photograph is spread across facing pages, this means a lot of images.
The challenge then became how to organise the book so that it makes sense, and isn't just a collection of randomly assorted pictures.
From the Small Houses chapter, the old bothy at Camasunary Bay.
Early on I was photographing scenes that seemed to naturally fit into certain categories. I decided to expand on this, and design twelve themes. These themes gave me permission and purpose. They helped me to organise my photography and my mind. Each theme became a chapter in Glas, and each has a deeper meaning beyond the obvious, being analogies for human nature and behaviour. Here are those themes:
Small Houses: The contradictory desires for company, and for being alone.
Sea Views: How our moods change and control us.
Signs: Deliberate and unconscious signs that say so much about us.
Trees and Beasties: The simple beauty and splendour that surrounds us every day.
Benches: The public outward, and private inward personas that we cultivate.
Decay: Our impermanence, and imprints of our past experiences.
Fences: The barriers we build, and those that are built for us.
Water Features: Like water, information flows around us, sometimes coalescing into ideas that become reality.
Poles: The importance of the unattractive and mundane.
Observations: The rewards of looking carefully at the small details.
Weather: The unpredictable nature of our emotions.
Roads: Life doesn't have a "Google Maps". Fulfilment comes not from the speed of the journey, but enjoying the trip and navigating the unknown.
An elusive and gorgeous otter on the kelp at Ord, from the Trees and Beasties chapter. Thanks to Skye High Wildlife for getting me on location.
By organising my work and my brain into these themes, I felt I had given myself permission to try different things and work differently. I allowed myself to leave the house for the day to find and photograph fences or signs for example. Saying to my wife Suzie "I'm off to photograph 100 Passing Place signs" definitely raised an eyebrow but released me from the normal self-imposed constraints of photographing a “typical” epic sunset with nice scenery type of shot.
From a photographic perspective, this made things really interesting and significantly improved my creativity. I would be looking for compositions that not only fit one of the themes, but also made what could be an otherwise mundane subject like a power pole look intriguing while also fitting into the overall narrative of the theme and Glas itself.
The themes also dovetail into Rody Gorman's poetry, as his poems introduce each themed chapter in the most delightful ways.
From Ingredients to Gourmet Meal
I am now in the final stages of the design of Glas, and the accompanying Photography Index book that holds the technical details of all the images in the main book as well as little stories and anecdotes of their creation. Once that is done, the next step is printing, creation of the slip case, and the packaging. After seventeen years, it feels like a massive milestone is in sight and about to be reached.
The accompanying Photography Index book contains technical details of each image in the main Glas book, as well as stories and anecdotes of the image-making process across seventeen years of photography.
To fund these final steps and organise pre-orders, I am running a Kickstarter campaign. This is a great way to handle the finances, as people only hand over money if the Kickstarter target is reached. It helps me to know how many to print which is really important as printing is very expensive for a book like Glas.
Glas is a very high quality item, reflected in the price which is still very well placed when compared to similar books that are significantly more expensive. Very few will be printed, probably just 100. Every copy will be signed, numbered and stamped with a Glas Original embossing. Kickstarter contributors get Glas at a discount of £140 compared to the price it will sell for on my website of £170.
If you'd like to make sure you get a copy, please support the Kickstarter campaign and get your pre-order in.
In part two I will go through the more technical side of the project, and some of the painful challenges along the way.
An abandoned chapel high on a hillside overlooked by majestic mountains from the Decay chapter
The Fairy Pools, but photographed from “the wrong side” from the Water Features chapter
The life cycle of the Passing Place sign.