Documenting History: Behind the Scottish Veterans Project

This project began in 2013 during my studies at Edinburgh College, inspired by Konstantin Suslov’s ongoing “WW2 Veterans” documentary work in London. I wanted to narrow the focus — to document specifically Scottish servicemen whose sacrifice and contribution helped guarantee our freedom.

What started as an academic project became something profoundly personal. I spent months making contact — placing adverts in local newspapers, reaching out to the Scottish Government, the Ministry of Defence, and Legion Scotland, who helped spread the word across the country. Eventually the responses started coming in, and over the course of 2015 and 2016, I travelled across Scotland to meet each veteran in their home.

I wanted to photograph them in their own environment — surrounded by the objects, furniture, and quiet routines of their daily lives. This wasn’t about posed formality. It was about preserving who these men are today, alongside the pride they carry from their service decades ago. Each visit began with conversation — at least an hour of listening before the camera came out. Over cups of tea, these men opened up. They showed me photographs, medals, and letters. They told stories that made me laugh and stories that made me sit in silence.

What struck me most was how many of these veterans felt overlooked. Several told me it was the first time in their long lives that someone had come specifically to listen to their story and take their portrait. That, more than any technical achievement, is what drives this project. As one veteran told me: “Humanity always wanted to live in peace, however still not clever enough to learn the lessons from the previous mistakes.”

The project was submitted to the British Institute of Professional Photography and contributed to my Associateship qualification (ABIPP) and the Peter Grugeon Award for Best Associateship in 2017. It has been featured on LensCulture, one of the world’s leading platforms for contemporary photography. But the real reward was the experience itself — the privilege of sitting with these men and being trusted to tell a small part of their story. You can view the full project here.