Peter McNally (Photographer): With Independence We Can Build a Creatively Vibrant and Prosperous Country

I have always been involved in the creative arts in some way or another, although photography was never the main focus. In the past, it never occurred to me that you could do photography for a living.

A number of years ago I bought a cheap – but solid – Russian 35mm film camera and I always had it with me. After leaving school I studied sound engineering and drumming at North Glasgow College and went home to Oban to work at the local radio station and get involved in whatever creative project was going on around the area, be it comedy shows, theatre or live music.

The radio work opened up my eyes to how the music industry operated in the UK. It gave me access to the artists, managers and the live shows. I did interviews and recorded for my little radio show some of the worlds biggest rock bands. Any time something exciting was coming to Scotland I was on the phone to the PR company looking for access.

The entire time I was out and about on whatever job or creative project, I had my trusty Russian tank with me. Snapping away pretty much constantly. I dread to think the amount of rolls of film I went through. Especially in the early days when I was shooting just to see what happened. I’m self taught you see. Trial and error and hundreds of rolls of film.

I left my home town after a few years and went traveling. I ended up in the beautiful country of Denmark. In Denmark through chance encounters I wound up playing in a band and working on stages and in theatres. I felt right at home working at concerts and festivals. Again, the whole time I had my camera with me and would snap away anytime I had some time to. I decided to start sending out some of my pictures to the bands or shows that I was working with. Seeing as I had access to the stage and backstage and was getting some really great pictures and I though that the bands would probably like to use them. They did. A lot. A natural evolution took place. This is when I realised that I could probably actually do photography as a job. I finally took the plunge into digital, stocked up on the best lenses I could get my hands on and wandered into the world of live concert photography and reportage. I have been doing that ever since.

There are a couple of things I learnt from being over in Denmark and working in the creative industry. Firstly, in Scotland we need to offer as much support to creative individuals as we can. We need to allow creative people from all over Scotland to have much easier and more efficient access to resources like funding, equipment and especially publishing platforms such as galleries and events, online and offline. Secondly, small countries can work and they can work very well indeed. In Denmark I worked with creative freelancers, small businesses, communities and local councils for many years. They all work efficiently and effectively. Denmark really is a great place to be as a creative individual. There is good support for the creative arts and as a result of that the entire country is a vibrant melting pot of art, music festivals and events. It is exciting place to be as a creative individual or simply as a lover of the arts. I would very much like to see an Independent Scotland generate that same excitement.

I support independence for Scotland because I believe if we have the opportunity to control our own finances and make our own decisions then we will get the best out of the resources of Scotland, which will then give us the chance to build a creatively vibrant and prosperous country for everyone.

For me, National Collective is the perfect place to showcase and bring together talent from all over Scotland. Offline and online we can support one and other, share ideas and develop collaborations. We can bring the incredibly diverse and exciting talent that Scotland has to offer into the open for everyone to see and enjoy. Just like Scottish independence, the potential here is staggering and we need to grab that potential by the scruff of the neck and make it ours.

A Selection of My Photography