Adam Winship (b. 1993) was raised in Cumbernauld, a town situated on the outskirts of Glasgow. His profound and growing interest in political and social issues directs his work to address related issues - which in-turn allows him to create conversation around controversial subject matter.

NC: what's your favourite piece of equipment?

Adam: I don’t know. I’d be temped to say the Canon 6D. I’ve used that for the most part of the last two years and it just feels like an extension of my arm at times. It just does what my brain tells it.

NC: Your project looks at the young people in cumbernauld - why do you think some people stay and some people leave?

Adam: Well, I’d say my project started being about young people in Cumbernauld, but I hope it can resonate with anyone from any small, working-class towns in Scotland or perhaps the UK. I think people leave because they’re sick of the drab, concrete jungle that is laid out before them. There’s really not going on. Pulp summed it up when they sang in Common People that they “Dance and drink, and screw, because there’s nothing else to do.” We kind of have to make do with what we have. People stay because there’s still that community spirit going on that you don’t find everywhere else. What it lacks in architectural beauty it makes up for in the warmth the people show to one another. There’s a culture in Cumbernauld that shapes us as we grow up and it can be an adjustment moving away. Sense of humour, style, moral standards and even drinking habits can differ greatly from place to place and some people understandably aren’t comfortable with that. I’m not here to judge either way.

NC: What role do you think photographers have in society?

Adam: I think a photographers role as a “realistic” documenter has fast become outdated. I think our role now is to hold a mirror up to society from a particular viewpoint, preferably our own but not always so. As a documentary photographer, you reflect what you see in society rather than claiming to show what everyone else does.

NC: If your work was a drink what would it be?

Adam: Buckfast - On first impression, a bit rough round the edges, a working class cliche with plenty of stigma. But stick with it and you’ll soon feel the warmth and energy present itself.

Catch more of Adam’s work over on his website: www.adamwinship.com

Working the Weekend will be on display in London at Free Range Shows, The Old Truman Brewery, G4 F Block, 23-27th June.

Lysann Ehmann (German, B.1984) is a photography student in her last year of studies at Edinburgh Napier University. Specialized in Documentary and Wedding photography.

NC: If you could only use one camera for the rest of your life what would it be?

Lysann: Oh that is a hard question! I worked with so many different cameras over the last year and like most all of them. But my last project was partly shoot on the the Hasselblad 500cm and I absolutely loved working with it. So I guess I woud say give me a Hasselblad and I’d be happy!

NC: Your project looks at young female boxers and females are now allowed to box in the olympics - what do you think needs to happen next for females to gain equality in the sporting world?

Lysann: That is a big question to answer and it would take too long to really get into it but I think we need to start teaching the next generation that it doesn't matter what gender you are, you can fulfill your dreams. We need to start supporting female athletes in all sporting categories and events to achieve more equality. #LikeAGirl 

NC: What was the most surprising aspect of your project?

Lysann: I can’t really answer that but I would say how inspiring these girls were to watch, to that point that I want to pick up boxing myself.

NC: You're hoping to continue your project in america - tells us more!

Lysann: Yes, I am going to visit my friends in America and planing to stay for 3 months. Yo have some time to relax after the last four years. But I am hoping to document more girls in the boxing clubs starting in the States and then later in Europe.

You can see more of Lysann’s work on her website: www.lysannehmannphoto.com

The Future Generation will be on display in London at Free Range Shows, The Old Truman Brewery, G4 F Block, 23-27th June.

Emerging Edinburgh based photographer Rosie Davison (b.1994) is currently in her fourth year of study at Edinburgh Napier University BA (Hons). In 2014 Rosie spent a term abroad in Toronto, Canada studying at Ontario College of Art and Design. Rosie's passion for travel has influenced her work greatly; to observe the familiar amongst the unfamiliar. Her travel photography explores these quiet, habitual moments in other cultures. Rosie's more recent work An End of Terms has developed and strengthened her documentary style. 

NC: Who was your most inspiring teacher?



Rosie: That undoubtedly has to be my old English teacher, Mr Allenby who I photographed within the wider selection of images on my website. Mr Allenby is hands down the scariest teacher I have ever had. He once threw a stapler across the room so hard it smashed at our feet. Underneath the yelling he has a great passion for the subject and that was so inspiring, but mostly you just wanted to stay on his good side. 

NC: 

What was it like revisiting your old high school? Had it changed much?

Rosie: It felt incredibly nostalgic. The most poignant thing I noticed was that it had not changed at all. This made me realise how stuck in limbo the place was. The building, the foundations of the schools’ character, was now hindering it from educational progression. I actually found old pieces of my work still stuck to some of the walls from 5 years ago. 

NC: 

What were the thoughts of the staff about the new school building? 



Rosie: After many years of campaigning for a new school building I think there was a general sense of relief and anticipation about the move. Although I found the staff to be very sentimental. Some staff have been teaching in the same room for 15 years or more – they said it felt like they were moving house. The crumbling walls and buckets of rainwater will be missed I think. 



NC: What is your dream project? 

Rosie: 

I would really love to do an immersive long-term documentary project. I have been really inspired by Grayson Perry’s recent T.V series ‘All Man’. I would love to further explore aspects of masculinity within the North East, looking at traditional Northern past times such as greyhound and pigeon racing. And if this is a dream we are talking about I would chose colour 120mm film on a Hasselblad!

An End of Terms will be on display in London at Free Range Shows, The Old Truman Brewery, G4 F Block, 23-27th June.

More of Rosie’s work is available on her website: www.rosiedavison.com

Susan Mcfadzean (b. 1992) recieved her BA Hons Photography in 2016.

NC: Explain how you came to have a love affair with 5x4 film.

Susan: My love affair with the 5x4 ironically grew out of a stressful and difficult brief in 2nd year, but as soon as I started to slow down my working process and saw the quality that can be achieved i was head over heels. It's a totally different experience making portraits with the 5x4, it's becomes a lot more intimate.. Taking only 2 exposures and trying to capture as much of the person as you can.

NC: What influenced your decision to look at the link between race and identity? 

Susan: I would say there has been multiple things in my life that swayed me towards writting my dissertation on race and identity to make an ethnically diverse portrait series. From reading To Kill a Mocking Bird at a young age, traveling and studying a semester in Toronto.. A million things played on my subconcious and I just found myself passionate to break down the stereotype that someone's appearance must resemble their place of birth.

NC: You're exhibiting at DECK in Singapore after Free Range - how do you think people in Singapore will react to your work?

Susan: I feel like my project will be of great interest in Singapore, I photographed a number of Asian girls both born in Asia and born in the United Kingdom. Our world is becoming more globalised each day and I believe the viewers at DECK will be humbled to see a project that offers the sense of mutual recognition and an equal-ness. I feel no sense of 'other' to my counterparts in Singapore and cannot wait to meet the students and hear their thoughts on my project.

NC: What is one thing you couldn’t live without?

Susan: I couldn't do without Christos Patelis. His company, poor jokes and good advice helped me survive what is the struggle of 4th year !!

You can see more of Susan’s work on her website: www.susanmcfadzean.co.uk

Where are you really from? will be on display in London at Free Range Shows, The Old Truman Brewery, G4 F Block, 23-27th June.

Elina Karadzhova is a visual artist who works in both the fields of photography and graphic design. Her most recent photography work represents her interests in working with installations and constructions.

NC: Name three artists you’d like to be compared to? 

Elina: Difficult question. Do not think I want to be compared, every artists has something different to offer. But I can tell you whose work I admire: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Nick Knight, Dimitris Papaioannou, these are some of my main inspirations, but cannot compare to their great talents.

NC: How long did it take to create each of your images in the studio? - as none of the effects are done in post production? 

Elina: The actual creation wasn’t that long, but the research. In order to create images with such effects without software I had to prepare myself through lots of experimentations, reading and more reading. I would say that my research was 90% of my work.

NC: Why did you chose to create your images without relying on photoshop?

Elina: First of all, I wanted a challenge, to test my skills. Next is my passion to work with materials, it is a whole process, which completely immersed me and it is comparable to a meditation. Of course, images created in that way cannot be compared to digital manipulations, they have different depth.

NC: Describe a real-life situation that inspired you? 

Elina: I do not have such an example. But what inspires me are the talents of other people and my own desire to grow and develop.

Elina’s series Decoding will be on display in London at Free Range Shows, The Old Truman Brewery, G4 F Block, 23-27th June.

You can also see more of her work on her website: www.elinakaradzhova.com 

Malena Persson is a Swedish born photographer, now residing in bonnie Scotland. Her most recent work 'Barra Beyond the Blue, documents life on a small Hebridean Island. Malena enjoys telling visual stories about people, often focusing on the bonds between people, their land and to each other.

NC: What work do you most enjoy doing?

Malena: I have a bit of a double nature when it comes to what photography I enjoy doing. I love working with and around people, one example being the Barra project, or working with the small charities in Leith. But I also enjoy locking myself in the studio for hours on end and completely withdrawing from the outside world. A couple of years ago I did an Arctic scene with a papier mache backdrop and tiny plastic toy polar bears. It took 5 lengthy shoots, and a lot of patience, to get that one image I was happy with.

NC: What themes do you hope to explore within your work?

Malena: Before getting in to Napier University I had a strong wish to use photography to make a change where change is needed, and to use it to educate people about things less known. I have a history in environmental activism and I really wanted to continue down that path in one way or another, and offer my skills to charities and NGOs who have a message they need to get out. So I guess the themes I hope to explore lies within humanitarian and environmental issues.

NC: How was getting to know the people of Barra?

Malena: I arrived on the island for the first time in October 2015 and someone jokingly told me I had arrived at ‘bear season’, which is when the islanders hibernate and are not seen again until springtime. I discovered there was quite a bit of truth in the joke because the island seemed deserted and it was near impossible to get people to take part in the project. But suddenly in March this year that all changed and replies on my emails started pouring in. The Barrachs turned out to be an amazing bunch of people; down to earth, friendly and very straight forward. The ultimate juxtaposition - big hearts on a small rugged island!

NC: Who were your favourite subjects on Barra to photograph?

Malena: Wow! How can I ever choose? They are all big, and very different, characters with great stories to tell. But something that stuck in my mind was tagging along Jimmy Ferguson on that first visit to Barra. He is a sheepherder, but also works as security at Barra airport. It was an early and cold, and very wet, October morning, and no other people around. Jimmy is fun and witty, and he told me a lot of interesting facts about Barra. But he also opened up in the most incredible way, and shared some of his worries, for example regarding the future of sheepherding on the island. That initial meeting gave me great insight about both Barra, and the islanders.

Some of the images below are not included in the exhibition but will be included in a larger publication about Barra that Malena is planning for the future!

You can see Barra: Beyond the Blue on Malena’s website - www.malenapersson.com

Or in person in London at Free Range Shows, The Old Truman Brewery, G4 F Block, 23-27th June.

Anete Atvare (b. 1992) is a photographer and visual artist originally from Riga, Latvia and currently based in Edinburgh. Having travelled in Europe, the US, Canada, Russia and Africa, Anete finds it exotic going back to her hometown that holds a bit of that post-Soviet feel. By experiencing these diverse cultures she has an appreciation for the discarded and out of place. Anete’s photographic projects are largely influenced by the inspirations new experiences offer and aesthetically mirror her shifting environment.

NC: What animal best represents your photographs?

Anete: It would be some migratory bird. Arctic tern, for example. It travels extensively (mostly to warmer places) and obtains a different perspective on things.

NC: What is your favourite Soviet era object?

Anete: To be honest, it’s hard to pick just one thing because there are so many great (and not so great) inventions with designs that inspire me very much! But I have to say portable water heater wins this game. It’s an electric metal spiral heater that I take with me on every trip I go. If I want some noodles, coffee or tea, I can have it. I just need a metal mug, water, socket and my beloved, unsafe water heater.

NC: Why do you think people find former Soviet countries so interesting?

Anete: I think it’s because it seems very exotic. Even when people know the history, it’s not easy to truly understand the culture in post-soviet countries. Visually, it is always something weird, vintage, cool, foreign, different and people like it because it’s not the everyday scene. And it’s interesting that now, when everything is developing and changing so rapidly, there are still so many soviet remains in former soviet countries.

NC: Lastly, if you were a camera which one would you be?

Anete: My Canon A1 35mm camera. Post-Post-Soviet and most of my other projects are shot on this camera. It’s easy to travel with; it’s very reliable and looks amazing. Besides I’m indecisive, so I need at least those 24 frames to express myself. Maybe I will be Leica M3 sometime, but I enjoy being down to earth for now.

You can see more of Post-Post-Soviet on Anete’s website: www.aneteatvare.com

Or in person in London! At Free Range Shows, The Old Truman Brewery, G4 F Block from the 23-27th June.