the dinky ninjas
Since August last year I’ve been immersed in the amazing world of mixed martial arts – “MMA” – or “cage fighting” as it’s more commonly referred to in the media.
Don’t worry I’ve not lost my senses and planned a return to fighting in my auld age, I’ve been making a short film about a fight team in Glasgow called “The Dinky Ninjas”
The project itself came as a sort of follow-on from the fantastic opportunity Channel 4 gave me last year to make a short film with my work “The Neglected – Street children of Ukraine”. You can check that out here: http://vimeo.com/davidgillanders/videos
Anyway! It’s been an incredible journey so far. The Dinky Ninjas are an amazing group of the most passionate, and dedicated athletes who have welcomed me into their world. It’s been such a great privilege to get to know each and every one of the guys and girls at the gym – The Griphouse – in Possil, where the Dinky Ninjas train. http://www.thegriphouse.co.uk/
The film will follow some of the fighters as they prepare and compete in this most incredible event, recognised to be the fastest growing sport in the world. I have followed their highs, and their lows and never once been anything but amazed at their dedication, commitment and camaraderie. The end result, incorporating documentary video, stills, and wet plates to introduce each of the fighters, will hopefully provide an insight into this world from the fighters point of view.
Here’s a wee sneak preview of the wet plates, and characters the film will follow: -
Guy Ramsay: Co-Founder of the Griphouse, Ex Muay Thai Fighter and coach.
Sean Wright, Lightweight
“Wolver” Dean Reilly, Featherweight
Robert Whiteford, Featherweight.
James Doolan, Bantamweight, Cage Gladiators British Champion
Paul McVeigh, Bantamweight, Cage Warriors World Champion
I’d also like to thank everyone at the Griphouse for their understanding as I erected a huge weed grow tent in the changing rooms for my darkroom, and stank the place out with collodion and vinegar developer for a few weeks. Next time I do this I need to find a venue or subjects that are not on the top floor of a four storey tenement 
Some of the Dinky Ninjas, including Jo Calderwood below, and Rab Whiteford will be fighting at the Kelvinhall on the 25 February. On Top 4, check it out http://www.ontoppromotions.co.uk/.
Jo Calderwood
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Tags: ambrotype, boxing, cage fighting, channel 4, david gillanders, film, mma, portrait, scotland, street children of ukraine, the dinky ninjas, the griphouse, tintype, uv lamps, wet plate collodion
the last nativity
I managed to get along to Brodie’s nativity play yesterday – which is the last one as after P3 they move onto other productions!
Now I’m no expert on costumes design – or fashion for that matter – but I’m sure his hat was a wee bit too big. What do you reckon?
More worrying however was the deputy head teachers round up after each years performance. She went to great lengths to get the kids thinking about “a very, very important tv programme – that all the mums and dads would have been watching whilst they were asleep the night before”
The X Factor!!! Aaarrrgghhh. Not to worry I wasn’t alone in my dismay! One of the P1′s piped up on the way out that Strictly was on as well!!
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the force and form of memory
I’ve been chasing my tail a lot recently with some great projects I’m involved with.
I’ve had another amazing opportunity from Channel 4 to make a short film about mixed martial arts (MMA), and have been following a number of amazing guys from Glasgow’s Griphouse Gym in Possil.
I’m also trying to get a long term photo project, exploring the positive aspects of life in Onthank in Kilmarnock, off the ground.
Sadly not much time left for wet plate adventures or blogging, however, I did want to let those that can see it know that a few large prints from the wet plate work are being exhibited as part of The Force and Form of Memory – which is now on display at Hampden.
It’s a really great group exhibition aimed at raising awareness and money for Alzheimer Scotland. I was invited to participate by Jill Gerber from The Compass Gallery – so a massive thanks for that Jill.
Here’s a wee snap from the opening night at the Compass Gallery before it moved to Hampden – with wee Charlotte sitting in front of the massive print I made from the plate of her up on the isles this summer. There’s also a print of the Cuillins from Elgol, and of Mike the farmer from Perth. Jim if you read this can you let Mike know he’s larger than life at Hampden! It’s been amazing to see the plates reproduced to this scale – very exciting!!
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Tags: ambrotype, channel 4, cuillins, david gillanders, landscape, portrait, scotland, tintype, wet plate collodion, wet plate collodion workshop
garden gallery
A lot of my first plates have been made of friends and family in my back garden and I’ve decided to torture anyone visiting with a collodion portrait to build up a rogues gallery of plates made in the garden.
Welcome to the garden gallery : -
Rasmus
dj marni
nelly
davey savage jnr
kirsty
younglings
colin
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Tags: ambrotype, david gillanders, green van, portrait, tintype, varnishing, wet plate collodion, wet plate collodion workshop
the uists
This summer I took my boys away in the big green van to try to take some small steps towards developing a body of collodion portraits and landscapes which represent the people and places of Scotland we visit.
We had an amazing trip wild camping in the forests overlooking Loch Awe before taking a ferry from Oban to Lochboisdale on South Uist. We were spoiled rotten by friends on Eriskay and South Uist, beach camping, bonfires and late nights lying on the beach watching the stars in the sky – whilst counting the satellites shooting across the sky. It’s like charing cross up there!
I want to thank everyone who looked after us Joni, Donna and Tina of the clan Cairns, Kathleen MacInnes and uncle Jock for popping up to help out. We had a blast and here are some of the plates that were made.
The weans of Eriskay! All taken on full plate black aluminium.
Wiggle bum Mcfidget Charlotte
Wee Bobby: -
Bobby – AKA Captain Underpants
Leila : -
Rosie: -
Wee Brodie
If I was organised I’d already have posted some images of my new wet plate camera which is amazing! Hand made from Walnut it can take plates up to 11×14 inches. Making plates this size is quite an undertaking and here are my first few efforts at 11×14 inches onto black aluminium: -
CJ
Eland – dry stone craftsman
Anna
Coilleag a Phrionnsa – where Bonnie Prince Charles landed in 1745 to try to raise an army of Highland Clansmen to support his cause to become King of Scotland. He made it as far as Derby causing panic in London – but as we know all too well returned to Drumossie moor and was eventually defeated at the Battle of Culloden on April 16th 1746. He returned to France where he died a broken man in 1788.
The landscape of Scotland is something I’m determind to capture on wet plate – but managing the exposures in coastal areas where there is UV bouncing everywhere – and gusting wind is proving to be a challenge. I’ve scanned a few plates so far – one a revisit to Elgol to capture the spectacular Cuillins mountain range on Skye: -
I made this first plate on 14×7 inch black aluminium: -
Everything seemed right so I prepared and made my first polished black glass Ambrotype – and what a difference!! It’s a lot more work to make an Ambrotype but so so worth the effort! The glass has to be polished using ye auld ancient concoctions, highly cleaned and then edged with egg white to ensure the collodion doesn’t peel off.
I’ve got a wee bit of flare in the sky but the blacks are so much richer when compared to the black aluminium.
I made another few 14×7 inch black aluminium plates on Eriskay, the first below looking North towards South Uist in the distance. The second below is of the old jetty on South Uist looking out to Eriskay. This would have been where you would have taken the ferry to Eriskay before they built the causeway in 2001.
From here I headed up to North Uist and to Berneray. In Lochmaddy I met an old friend of my late uncle Murdo from Harris. Colin MacLellan now 78 used to drive HGV’s all over the isles and enjoyed more than a few drams with my uncle who worked on the ferries.
Here is Colin at his home workshop where he has just re-built the Massey Ferguson!!
From here I headed to the machair of Berneray and used my last couple of bits of black glass to make a plate looking north over the Sound of Harris to Harris. (These are not varnished yet so are still a wee bit bright)
Lots and lots of mistakes, and I feel problems with my developer given the loss of detail in the whites on some of the portraits. I was using a vinegar and sugar mix but am going to try another mix on the next trip!! Before that I need to make money to buy lots of black glass – and actually find some way to store it in the van!
I shot a lot of video and 35mm so will try over the coming weeks to put together a short film to put the plates in context.
OK, thanks for checking this out!
Cheers
David
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Tags: ambrotype, david gillanders, green van, highlands, landscape, portrait, scotland, tintype, varnishing, wet plate collodion
I’ve just found out that the short film I made earlier this year “the neglected – street children of ukraine” will be shown at this years festival of photojournalism, “Visa pour L’image” in Perpignan.
I believe it’ll be shown on a loop with other short films and multimedia pieces within a new venue at location 6, Casserne Gallieni, on the map linked below : -
http://www.visapourlimage.com/festival/locations.do
I’m looking forward to Perpignan this year! Hope to see you there!
Cheers
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Tags: alpha fund, channel 4, david gillanders, film, photojournalism, street children of ukraine, yana
pdn photo annual 2011
Some of the my wet plate portraits have made it into this years PDN Photo Annual.
Jim Fairlie and Davey Savage Jnr if you’re out there follow the link below then hit “enter gallery” on the right of the image and then again on the window which is launched. On the next window select “personal” from the first drop down and then my name on the second one. I told you I’d make you both famous
http://www.pdngallery.com/contests/photoannual/2011/
Thanks for letting me make the plates,
Cheers
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the neglected – channel 4
Here’s a link to a web version of the finished film “the neglected – street children of Ukraine”
http://www.reportagebygettyimages.com/david-gillanders/#multimedia
I don’t have a date for it appearing on Ch 4 yet – but I’ll post it up as soon as I know.
Cheers
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Tags: alpha fund, channel 4, street children of ukraine, the neglected
Ever had an experience that takes you right back to being 6 years old?
For the first week of the easter hols we followed the storm clouds north west to Tralee Bay, near Oban. We spent the first four days of our week in the wind and rain before it became cold and overcast giving way to amazing sunshine………on the day we left for home in Glasgow.
The boys were out in the rain from first light until the sun came down – except for the day we gave up and fled from the rain to the swimming baths! And yes we did eat ice cream. That’s a lie – the boys didn’t actually stay out that long – they came back to the caravan at least twice a day because they couldn’t walk in clothes so heavy with rain. Once changed they ran back out into the storm…….and slept well when dry!
Anyway on one of the cold but overcast days I scraped myself out of my cozy scratcher early in the morning and headed for Castle Stalkler. Like most Castles in Scotland a picture postcard location, with a murderous history:-
Castle Stalker – in Gaelic, Stalcaire, meaning Hunter or Falconer – is believed originally to have been the site of a small fortified building belonging to the MacDougalls when they were Lords of Lorn, and built around 1320. The MacDougalls lost their title after their defeat by King Bruce at Brander Pass in 1308 but regained it for a period after 1328. In about 1388 the Lordship of Lorn, including Castle Stalker, passed to the Stewarts.
It is believed that Castle Stalker, much in its present form, was built by the then Lord of Lorn, Sir John Stewart. In 1463 Sir John Stewart was keen to legitimise his son by getting married to his Mother, a MacLaren, at Dunstaffnage. He was murdered outside the church by Alan MacCoul, a renegade MacDougall, although he survived long enough to complete the marriage and legitimise his son, Dugald, who became the First Chief of Appin. The Stewarts had their revenge on MacCoul at the Battle of Stalc in 1468 opposite the Castle when the Stewarts and MacLaren together defeated the MacDougalls, and Alan MacCoul was killed by Dugald himself. The site of this Battle is marked by a memorial stone in the Churchyard in Portnacroish.
In 1497 the Stewarts and MacLarens carried out a combined raid against MacDonald of Keppoch as a reprisal for cattle reiving, but Dugald Stewart was killed and succeeded as Chief of Appin by his son Duncan. King James IV of Scotland, was a cousin of the Stewarts of Appin and when he came of age made frequent hunting journeys to the Highlands. It is understood that he stayed quite often at Castle Stalker, using it as a base for hunting and hawking for which he had a passion. It is thought that further improvements were made to the Castle at this time including the possible addition of what is now the top floor and roof, and that the Coat of Arms over the front door may be the Royal Arms of that time.
Duncan Stewart was murdered by the McLeans at Duart Castle in 1512 and succeeded by his younger brother Alan Stewart as the third Chief. In 1513 the Stewarts of Appin supported King James IV at the Battle of Flodden. The Stewart Chief and is five sons were all present at the Battle but all managed to survive what was otherwise a massive defeat in which the King was killed.
In 1520 Sir Alexander Stewart of Invernahyle was fishing off the small island next to Castle Stalker when he was surprised and murdered by a party of Campbells. Tradition has it that the nurse of his baby son, Donald Stewart, hid the baby in the Castle and when the Campbells left the nurse returned, found the baby still alive and took refuge in Morven.
Young Donald became renowned for his strength and was known as “Donald of the Hammers” – in the Gaelic “Donald nan Ord” – as he could wield a blacksmith’s hammer in each hand with ease. In 1544 he raised the Stewarts of Appin and went to Dunstaffnage where they killed nine Campbells in revenge for the murder of his Father. Donald nan Ord also led the Stewarts at the Battle of Pinkie on the 10th September 1547. He died in 1607 and is buried on Lismore where his faithful henchman, a Carmichael, also lies buried.
In around 1620 the Castle passed into the hands of the Campbells of Airds as a result of a drunken wager by the 7th Stewart Chief, Duncan, in exchange for an eight-oared wherry (a boat).
The Stewarts of Appin, under Stewart if Ardsheal, regained the Castle in 1689 when they came out with King James VII (otherwise James II) against King William but after defeat at the battle of Dunkeld the Castle was again forfeited to the Campbells. The Stewarts under Ardsheal refused to hand it over when it was then besieged by the Campbells for several months until Ardsheal was granted an honourable surrender in 1690.
At the time of the 1745 Rising Castle Stalker was held by the Campbells with a Garrison of about 59 Government troops. Although the Stewarts of Appin were solidly behind Prince Charles, and raised a regiment of 300, the Castle was too strong for them to take and their 2lb cannon-balls merely bounced off the walls. The Castle formed an important link during the rising with ships calling frequently with men and supplies as they sailed between Inverary in the South and Fort William in the North. After the Battle of Culloden in 1746 the Castle was used by the Government forces as a local centre where the Clansmen had to surrender their arms. Six prisoners are recorded as being held in the Prisoners’ Hole for about a fortnight before being taken to Edinburgh for trial.
The last Campbell was born in the Castle in 1775 and Campbells continued to reside in it until about 1800 when they built a new house on the mainland at Airds, which still exists today, and the Castle remained merely as a storehouse. In about 1840 the roof either fell in or was perhaps removed to avoid roof-tax and the Castle was abandoned.
In 1908 the Castle was regained from the Campbells by Charles Stewart of Achara who purchased it and carried out some basic preservation work to stem its decay.
In 1947 his successor, Duncan Stewart, who was Governor of Sarawak, was murdered by a Dyak and the Castle devolved on his widow. In 1965 Lt. Col. D. R. Stewart Allward negotiated terms for the purchase of the Castle and spent the next ten years rebuilding and restoring it as it is today. It is now fully habitable. Contractors and builders in the normal sense were not employed in the restoration which was carried out by Lt. Col. Stewart Allward personally with the help of his wife, family and many friends who were willing to spend holidays and long weekends helping with the task. He died suddenly whilst out walking in 5th February 1991 and is survived by his wife Marion and children Sine, Ross, Alasdair, and Morag.
OK, enough murder – time to hug a tree! There was a really amazing forrest on the way to Castle Stalker – massive trees! I had a wee look and just before the rain started I managed to make one plate: -
Anyway, keen to explore the forest more I persuaded my oldest son Cameron to come back with me the next day. As I was parking the big green van – (need to get a nickname for the van) – I saw a guy scouring the ground and then picking up a massive rock. Not massive, but a big two hand struggle for a strong guy rock. And he walked off into the woods. As we got out the van I heard a faint shout of “hello”! I walked round to the front of the van to see a strong man, with load, disappearing into the thick spongy wood.
Cameron had jumped out of the van to become instant friends with two black labs, Charlie and Bingo, who’s owner, Colin Rowan, was a stonemason mending a bridge in the forest.
After asking Colin for suggestions for a landscape in the forest I realised he was making the landscape of the forest, maintaining a bridge which is hundreds of years old. So here is Colin Rowan – Stonemason, along with Charlie and Bingo.
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Tags: ambrotype, castle stalker, david gillanders, landscape, scotland, tintype, wet plate collodion
mordor
Towards the end of last year I managed to get one last trip in the van to try another wet plate landscape before the snow fell.
I ventured up to the Isle of Skye – specifically to try and make a plate from Elgol looking North to the Cuillins as they emerge from the Sound of Soay and Loch Scavaig.
It’s one of the most breathtaking places I’ve ever been in the world. The road to Elgol from Broadford rises quite steeply winding up and around Ben Meabost to Ben Cleat before plunging very steeply down into Elgol itself. From there the views North are stunning – actually breathtaking!
I had to hang about for a few days because the winds were battering the coast so hard that the camera was just moving too much for a wet plate exposure…BUT……I eventually managed to get some plates made on the third day of waiting and love this one below: -
The wind was still pretty strong but I managed to park the van at an angle and get some shelter behind it. Given collodions sensitivity to UV light landscapes with lots of skye are proving tricky! I’m going to try and mock something up that will hold a grey graduated filter over the lens when I next get out to make some landscapes.
Another interesting dilemma I’ve had is whether or not to correct the landscapes I make from the negative when I’m scanning and reproducing them. I’ve decided that I will. If this doesn’t make sense I’ll explain. Making collodion images onto black metal or glass gives you a positive photograph – but it is actually a negative. It’s reversed, but you see it as a positive due to the black backing – and slightly different chemistry. I love this for portraits – as do subjects – because they see themselves as they do in the mirror. You look the way you think you do. If you check back on some of the portraits posted earlier – like the boxer Davey Savage Jnr – the letters on his top are reversed.
For the landscapes I think I need to reproduce them as you would see the landscape if you were to visit it – so this view has been flipped.
Anyway, delighted with the day I travelled back up from Elgol and parked on a vantage point overlooking Loch Slappin. I set up and varnished the plates and then made a wee spot of dinner before jumping into bed to read a book. About an hour later I could hear the wind picking up again. It really started banging into the side of the van which at one point seemed to lift onto two wheels. Not wanting to end up sleeping in the Loch, I jumped out into the freezing wet darkness in my attractive long johns to move the van into shelter. On opening the van door the wind blew it out my hand with such force that the door buckled and is now twisted and dented. All part of the character
On finding shelter at the mouth of Loch Slappin I decided it was too early for bed anyway and had a wee party. Slainte Mhath!
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Tags: cuillins, landscape, scotland, wet plate collodion
