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Sue Anderson
Holiday Magazine - June/July 1999 Portrait of Scotland
- P.92 to p.97
When Sue Anderson first visited the Highlands of Scotland
25 years ago on holiday, little did she know that she would
later become one of the country's most sought after landscape
photographers. She signed on to an enterprise allowance scheme,
traded in her bike for a moped and set off to capture Scotland's
west coast and islands' magic. Now publishing her own postcards
and calendars, she shares the secrets of her success.
I originally came to Scotland on a two-week holiday and liked
it so much that I packed my bags and bike and returned to
work and travel around the country. I eventually settled in
Oban, Argyll, and ended up managing a café for a summer
season on the lovely Hebridean island of Coll. I'd never been
to the island before, but as soon as the ferry landed on Coll
off the north-west coast I knew it was something pretty special.
I'd had no photographic training background or qualifications
to speak of- although my father introduced me to photography
and gave me the ubiquitous Box Brownie as a little girl. He
worked in engineering and did some semi-professional photography
for a short time, and as a keen enthusiast always encouraged
me to carry a camera with me.
While serving teas and coffees and homemade scones on Coll,
I noticed that the postcards on sale at the shop were really
pretty old and second-rate. I thought I could do better, so
I put my mind to it and did. I signed myself on to the Enterprise
Allowance Scheme, one of the things I am grateful to Margaret
Thatcher for, and started up my small business in photography
13 years ago. I travelled to other islands at first - Tiree,
Islay and then the Outer Hebrides, Shetland and Orkney - all
on my bicycle with just a simple 35mm SLR camera dangling
over my shoulder in search of different views of the same
places. Later I bought a moped, and eventually a car.
I first published limited edition postcards and a calendar.
I worked hard at building up the business, which has now produced
in excess of one million postcards. This year I am publishing
nine different regional Scottish calendars featuring tear-off
postcard views and recipes from local people.
The Gaelic language is also featured on some of the calendars.
But it wasn't until my partner handed me his prized Fuji panoramic
camera that my career shifted up a gear.
I quickly realised this was my secret weapon. The Fuji was
ideal for recording the wonderful sweeping vistas of the Scottish
Isles.
I've long been a fan of Scotland's foremost landscape photographer
Colin Prior, and find his images truly inspirational. I went
with him once to the desert in Tunisia, just seven other photographers
and me on a Photo Training Overseas course, and was amazed
at his patience and ability to look at light.
He taught me a lot and when I got back to Argyll I was a
changed photographer. I set to work on producing really high
quality, bigger format images of the islands after realising
there was a wider market which, up until then, had been relatively
untapped.
Over the years I have built up a large transparency library
of my own and used various agents to market my work. Now I
am concentrating on larger formats, which in turn has opened
up more markets.
Award-winning photographer Sue Anderson, ABIPP, ARPS, works
from her home in the picturesque village of Duror, near Appin
in Argyll, an area which has been a source of ongoing inspiration
whatever the season. She has just produced her one millionth
postcard as well as a wide range of calendars - including
one to celebrate the Millennium and a delightful duo celebrating
the idyllic scenery of Orkney and Shetland.
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