Kelso Street in Glasgow was my Grandparents home when I was growing up. I remember so many Christmases, New Years, Birthdays, Anniversaries and Retirement parties. It was the center for all family gatherings, often with up to four generations of relatives in attendance. Amazing stories that kept my cousins and I engaged for hours. Many of these gatherings would be relived through photos in the years that followed. I think back to that time and wonder how different it would be if we had digital photography back then. No film to buy, no money needed to develop the film, every press of the button was free. I’m sure it would have led to a lot more pictures being taken and shared.

When I visited, I would often go through the old photo albums. People in their younger years, you wouldn’t believe were once so young. People from before my time that I did not know, but they were brought to life by the photos you saw and the stories you heard about them. Then perhaps the toughest of all, pictures of people you knew and loved, but who are no longer with us. Those pictures would keep your memories alive. In 1992, I bought my first camera, a used 35mm Pentax SF7. I taught myself frame by frame from books and magazines. I was in my late teens and living at Kelso Street during that time. Money for film was always scarce, but I photographed family, friends, weddings and the streets of Glasgow whenever I could as I learned the craft.

My interest in photography as a way of documenting life started here, so what better name for a Gallery featuring my work.