© Laurence Winram
Biography
Peter Iain Campbell is an award-winning photographer born in Edinburgh and based in Glasgow, Scotland. He has a BA with honours in Photography & Film from Napier University in Edinburgh {2001}.
Working predominantly within landscape, seascape and portraiture on long form projects, Iain utilises photography to explore liminal environments that would otherwise be inaccessible, seeking to identify particular subjects that both allure and repel.
Between 2001 and 2014, Iain worked as a professional freelance photographer, while continuing to maintain a long-held interest in the changing nature of post-industrial landscapes. Having identified the oil and gas industry as Scotland’s last remaining heavy industry and one that had not been fully photographically explored, from the Summer of 2014, Iain spent two years working on a Drilling Rig in the central North Sea. This became the location for his first North Sea photography project, “Starlings on Fire”. From September 2016, Iain spent a further year working on a number of different Production Platforms and Drilling Rigs throughout the Scottish sector of the North Sea. Since 2018, Iain has continued to explore the incongruous nature of the oil and gas industry in the North Sea, by attempting to document the remaining Production Platforms and Drilling Rigs throughout the Scottish sector, shot from the perspective of the Platform Supply Vessels {PSVs} that service these installations.
His work has been exhibited internationally and includes the group show, “Exposure: Lives at Sea”, curated by Laura Boon, exhibited at the National Maritime Museum in London {2020 - 2023}.
“Ask The Sea”, a Limited Edition Photo-Zine was published by ‘Another Place Press’ in June 2020.
Iain was the winner in the Scottish Portrait Awards 2021 and Runner-Up in 2020. He was also a Finalist in 2019 and 2017. Three of his North Sea photographs were included in the 'Street Level Open 2022 & 2019’.
Iain is a part-time Lecturer in Photography at City of Glasgow College and an Affiliated Researcher for the Centre For Energy Ethics, University of St.Andrews.
🠻
CV
Awards & Competitions / Exhibitions
2023-2024: The Scottish Landscape Awards {Finalist} - The City Art Centre, Edinburgh
2022: “Street Level Open 2022” [ 1 x Work ]
2020-2022: “Exposure: Lives at Sea” – National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
2021: The Scottish Portrait Awards {Winner}
2021: Independent Photo ‘Open Call Photography Awards’ {1/10 Editor’s Picks}
2020: The Scottish Portrait Awards {2nd Place}
2019: “Street Level Open 2019” [2 x works]
2019: “Scottish Work in Jyväskylä” - The Centre for Creative Photography, Finland
2019: The Scottish Portrait Awards {Finalist}
2018: The Richard & Siobhan Coward Foundation Award
2017- 2018: FOTOFILMIC Finalist {International Travelling Group Exhibition} – Vancouver, Paris & Thessaloniki
2017: The Scottish Portrait Awards {Finalist}
2012: “What Hercules Sees [Part III]” – The Arches, Glasgow
2008: “Vliet’s Book of Scarecrows” – Mono, Glasgow
2007: “Vliet’s Book of Scarecrows” – The Red Door Gallery, Edinburgh
2005: “To Whom it May Concern” – The Lighthouse, Glasgow
2004: “To Whom it May Concern” – Stills Gallery, Edinburgh
2004: “To Whom it May Concern” – Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh
2004: “To Whom it May Concern” – Napier University, Edinburgh
2004: The Saffery Champness Photographic Competition {Award Winner}
1997: “Edinburgh Streetwork Project” – New Street, Edinburgh
Publications
2020 - “AskThe Sea” {Limited Edition Photo-Zine [200]} published by Another Place Press
Collections
Aberdeen Maritime Museum, Scotland
Selected Features
2023 - Platform / Friends of The Earth Scotland, “Our Power Report”, extensive feature of North Sea images to support energy transition for offshore workers;
2023 - MAP 6 Instagram Takeover
2022 - Royal Photographic Society, "IPE164 Series Shortlist”;
2022 - Channel 5, “Building The Impossible: Oil Rig”, documentary interview and feature;
2022 - Royal Museums Greenwich, “Their Helicopters No Longer Sing”, interview and feature.
2021 – Royal Museums Greenwich, “Life on a North Sea Oil & Gas Rig”, interview and feature, including video
2021 – Royal Museums Greenwich, “Exposure: Lives at Sea Sneak Preview”, video interview – North Sea photography exhibited
2021 – The Independent Photographer, “Visual Storytelling through 10 images” Ninian Northern Platform, image feature
2021 – Art Magazine, “Winners, Scottish Portrait Awards”, image feature
2021 – The Herald Magazine, “Portfolio”, SPA image feature
2021 – The Scottish Portrait Awards, “Artist Film”, video feature
2021 – City of Glasgow College, “College Lecturer Finalist in SPA” image feature and interview
2020 – Street Level Photoworks, “In Focus: Alishia Farnan & Peter Iain Campbell” video interview with Malcolm Dickson
2020 – Another Place Magazine, “Ask The Sea” feature
2020 – Document Scotland, “Ask The Sea” interview and feature
2020 – BBC, “In Pictures: Scottish Portrait Award Shortlist Announced”, image feature
2020 – The Photographers Network, “Ask The Sea”, feature with unpublished work from series
2018 – Energy Voice, “Photographer who became oil worker to get inside view”, North Sea photography feature and interview
2017 – FOTOFILMIC, 2017 Exhibitor, interview
2017 – Scottish Portrait Awards, “Artists Page”
2016 – Document Scotland, “Starlings on Fire” interview and feature
2004 – Scotsman Magazine, “A New Perspective”, photo journal feature on project, “To Whom It May Concern”
2004 – The Big Issue, “Refugee Week”, front cover feature
2004 – Scotsman Magazine, “Change of Frequency”, architectural photography feature
2004 – Scotsman Magazine, “The Wonder Years”, architectural photography feature
2004 – Scotsman Magazine, “Give Me Shelter”, architectural photography feature
Selected Published Work
{1997 – 2004}
The British Journal of Photography
Product Magazine {UK}
Fader Magazine {Japan}
NME {UK}
Intro Magazine {Germany}
Remix Magazine {USA}
Groove Magazine {Germany}
Blow Up Magazine {Italy}
3D World Newspaper {Australia}
The List Magazine {UK}
Jockey Slut Magazine {UK}
Edinburgh International Film Festival Guide {UK}
XLR8R Magazine {USA}
Additional Artist Talks /
Portfolio Presentations
2024 - Creative Lecture Series, Edinburgh’s Napier University;
2023 - “We Drift Like Worried Fire”, Centre For Energy Ethics, University of St.Andrews.
2010 – Portfolio workshop, 4th Year Degree students, Edinburgh’s Napier University
2010 – Artist Talk, 4th Year Degree students, Edinburgh College of Art
2004 – Artist Talk, 3rd & 4th Year Degree students, Edinburgh’s Napier University
Educator
2018 – Present: P/T Lecturer in Photography, City of Glasgow College
Education
2001 – BA Honours, Photography & Film, Edinburgh’s Napier University