Seonaidh MacInnes
Fifteen year old Seonaidh MacInnes from Benbecula accidentally discovered his flare for photography while out walking with his aunty. On a clear, dark, winter’s night he had overheard her talking about going out for a walk and decided to join her. Seonaidh brought his phone with him and set it up to look at Ben Kenneth and the night sky over Gasaidh, and then off they went, walking.
When he got back home, he saw how his photography had turned out – and what a surprise he got; the majestic Ben Kenneth with the Gasaidh causeway overlooked by a star studded landscape. His father, Nea MacInnes, sent the picture on to the BBC where it was featured online. Before long, Penniloddan Photography was set up and Seonaidh’s fate was written in the stars. His photographs have become a local hit.
Since finding his passion for photography, Seonaidh, and his personal taxi driver (Nea, his father) have been taking photos of many local landmarks, as well as his favourite subject – the night’s sky. Seonaidh’s style of photography relies heavily on the weather conditions of the night. Often he doesn’t know how his pictures will turn out until after his shoot. When out taking photos, the sky needs to be as dark and clear as possible, and it can take a while sitting in the cold before he gets the picture he wants.
“With Astro-photography, it’s very calming. Well, the weather can be rough and that’s not quite as calming. But there’s no pressure for you to get the photo right straight away, you can spend time making sure every little detail is right. You’re by yourself and you can set up the shot and take time to perfect the photo and there’s no time or pressure to take the photo.”
“Sometimes the moon can spoil a photo by washing out the stars. You need a specific set of circumstances for it to work”
Seonaidh’s Astro-photography hobby is a seasonal one since here in the Hebrides we blessed with bright summer and spring skies, which aren’t helpful for capturing the stars. Seonaidh didn’t pack away his camera for the summer though, instead, he got involved in photographing music, cultural and sports events. At the opening of the new Cnoc Soilleir he was hired to snap MSP Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
“The Scottish Governments education page on twitter posted some of my photos as part of their publicity for the event. It didn’t really feel real at the time because he’s so high up in the government and I was photographing him professionally. This is someone you see on TV or in the news so it feels strange photographing them in real life and I’m glad I was there for that. “
Seonaidh compares the differences he’s experienced between taking photos of people, places and events: “With Astro photography you can spend as much time as you want perfecting it. There’s no pressure to get the moment like there is at events. With people, if I miss something then that’s it. The moment’s over. If you’ve missed it you’ve missed it! it’s very dynamic in a sense. There might be minor imperfections but I still love the overall photo and the story I’m trying to tell. There’s also the social side to photographing events compared to being isolated in darkness, outside. ”
Seonaidh was busy over the summer shooting at EDF, The North & South Uist Games, the Three Islands Marathon & the Summer Hill Races, Ceòlas and the opening of the new Cnoc Soilleir building. He’s also been taken on as a club photographer for some of the teams in the Uist and Barra Football League and plans to be more involved in the games next season. You can check out the match results with some brilliant action shots on his instagram page.
You can find Seonaidh’s photography online on the Facebook page, Penniloddan Photography, where it’s also available to buy.
