Well, if I had £1 for every time someone asked me how I became a photographer, I would be a very wealthy man indeed! In an age of smartphones and an industry bursting with creatives, people are always intrigued by the career path of a photographer. Pondering the question, the path taken by myself was not as direct or intentional as it may seem.
I have a deeply rooted passion for aviation, and growing up in Inverness the local airport was host to a very unique type of air traffic. Like most things, over time the aircraft came and went and those classic airliners that frequented the runway in Inverness all those years ago most likely became Coke cans or various recycled aluminium products. I decided to play a small part in documenting history by photographing aircraft, as a personal memento. Years later this would turn into one of the key elements of my work, establishing Inverness Aviation Photography, providing marketing images to some of the industry leaders such as Loganair and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
From there I went on to photograph everything from landscapes, street photography, local events as a spectator, all honing my skills which would pay off in 2017 when I photographed my first large scale event: The Highland Military Tattoo. It was at this time that I joined the Vanguard team - as their youngest ambassador – and they have been an integral part of my progress ever since.
It is safe to say after that event, I had well and truly caught the bug.
A short time later I would become the official club photographer for Inverness Caledonian FC, photographing matchdays and events for 2 seasons. In 2018, through the Scottish government initiative ‘Year of Young People’, I was given a fantastic opportunity to photograph a large 3 day music festival: an opportunity that would mark the beginning of my long lasting affair with music photography. Inspired by great photographers like Henry Diltz and Christie Goodwin, I thrive in the atmosphere of photographing live music and really cherish the ability to capture the energy of the audience. I regularly photograph concerts at the OVO Hydro here in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest entertainment venue, and have just returned from Belladrum festival, my 4th time since it kick started my journey through this genre in 2018.
Taking on some freelance press jobs over the years has seen me supply media outlets the world over with high quality editorial images – you may have recently seen my images of Kiefer Sutherland in People Magazine! There is nothing more rewarding for me as a photographer than seeing my images in print and being admired by others. I’m very fortunate to work closely with Eden Court Theatre, Scotland’s largest combined arts organization, providing high quality marketing images which regularly feature In their brochure and distributed across the North of Scotland.
So with such broad creative beginnings, you may wonder, what is it I do now? I currently specialise in commercial, concert and press photography. I love it. I gain so much from photography, no matter the subject, location or even the weather: I wouldn’t give it up for the world!
Dylan Morrison is an award-winning photographer, travel writer and Vanguard ambassador and you can see more of his work using the below links