Archaeology is a monochrome record of photographs made on daily walks. The word archaeology hints both at discovery and a painstaking exploration of layers in searching for clues of things long gone, a highly appropriate metaphor. There are overt images such as skulls and footprints, but also traces of more fragile remains, fragments of stone and wood. Contained in many of the pictures are many repeating motifs for example an eye which keeps materializing. The heavy printing inevitably hints at a backward thinking (archaeology again) and perhaps to regrets or misgivings. Comparing anyone’s photographs to those of other workers is always a back handed compliment. In this case it’s hardly possible for these are all very much Douglas McBride. Some do have a strong feeling of early Steichen but the approach (not the images) are reminiscent of Minor White. These are truly joyous pictures.

Sandy Sharp.Editor
Scottish Photographers Magazine