Photography in Scotland

A Brief History

Scotland’s dramatic landscapes, rich history, and the unique quality of its light have long inspired and awed photographers. From pioneering innovators of the Victorian era to internationally celebrated artists of today, Scotland’s natural beauty has played a pivotal role in the history of photography.

Early Days: Pioneers of the Camera

Photography arrived in Scotland early on, showcasing the nation’s eagerness for new art forms. By the 1840s, Scottish photographers were already experimenting with daguerreotype and calotype techniques. Among them, Hill & Adamson stood out, bringing a distinct artistic flair to the medium.

In the early 1840s, the painter David Octavius Hill teamed up with the engineer-photographer Robert Adamson. Working from their studio in Rock House on Edinburgh’s Calton Hill, they created hundreds of calotypes—portraits, street scenes, and seascapes—with a poetic realism that still resonates today. Their work is considered some of the earliest examples of fine art photography in the world.

Victorian and Edwardian Eras

Scotland became a centre for photographic societies and innovation. The Photographic Society of Scotland was founded in 1856, with James Valentine and George Washington Wilson rising to prominence soon after. Valentine, based in Dundee, built a postcard empire with scenic views of the Highlands and tourist landmarks. Wilson, from Aberdeen, was appointed Photographer to the Royal Family and extensively documented royal tours of Scotland.

The commercial work of Valentine and Wilson helped shape Scotland’s image around the world—romantic, rugged, and remote. Their global impact is a testament to the significant contribution of Scottish photographers to the art form.

20th Century: From Documentation to Art

As photography matured, Scottish practitioners continued to capture the changing face of the nation, from the industrial city of Glasgow to the island crofts. Notable names include:

• Oscar Marzaroli is renowned for his evocative black-and-white images of Glasgow from the 1950s to the 1980s, with many of his most iconic shots taken in the Gorbals.
  His photographs go beyond art—they’re a powerful record of a changing city and its people.
• Joseph McKenzie, often referred to as the “father of modern Scottish photography,” captured urban life and the shifting social landscape with a keen eye and deep empathy, producing work characterised by raw, gritty realism.
• Fay Godwin – Though English by birth, her work in the Scottish Highlands during the 1970s and 80s offered stark, poetic landscapes that explored the human relationship with nature.

Contemporary Photographers

Today, Scottish photography thrives across various disciplines—from landscape and wildlife to conceptual and documentary photography.

• Harry Benson, originally from Glasgow, achieved global fame by photographing every U.S. president from Eisenhower to Biden, as well as capturing iconic images of Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali and The Beatles.
• Colin Prior – Known for sweeping panoramas of Scotland’s wilderness, Prior’s work captures the grandeur and solitude of the Highlands and Islands.
• Margaret Mitchell – An award-winning contemporary documentary photographer based in Glasgow, she is recognised for her intimate, long-term portraits of Scottish families and communities.
• Robert Blomfield (1938–2020) was a Scottish street photographer whose remarkable body of work went largely unseen during his lifetime. Trained as a doctor, he moved to Edinburgh in the 1950s. He quietly documented life in the city through a Leica lens—capturing candid, atmospheric images of children playing, students protesting, and everyday scenes brimming with warmth and wit. Working discreetly and intuitively, Blomfield created an extraordinary visual record of postwar urban Scotland, now celebrated in exhibitions such as Robert Blomfield: Edinburgh Street Photography at the City Art Centre. His rediscovered archive has secured his place as one of Scotland’s most distinctive photographic voices.

A Living Tradition

Scotland’s relationship with photography is not just historical—it’s living and evolving. Institutions such as Stills Gallery in Edinburgh, Street Level Photoworks in Glasgow, and the Scottish Society for the History of Photography play a vital role in promoting photographic art and preserving its legacy.

Whether you’re capturing castle ruins in the golden hour, street life in Leith, or the misty stillness of Rannoch Moor, you’re following in a long tradition of image-making that is uniquely Scottish.

The Royal Photographic Society