Susan Allan Photography

Susan Allan Photography An award-winning photographer with a degree in Professional Photography

Well, the book is coming along nicely and I realised it has been AGES since I posted here on FB as I mainly post on Link...
15/07/2025

Well, the book is coming along nicely and I realised it has been AGES since I posted here on FB as I mainly post on LinkedIn these days. So here is a little update on the story so far! 😊

I've been working my way through the chapters, and having started with the first tribe of Edinburgh (the Gododdin) back in 600AD, I'm now writing my way through the life of Mary Queen of Scots. She didn't stay that long in Scotland, with her early life being in France and her later life in captivity in England.

However, it seems she certainly got around - ask any tour guide and they'll be able to name a multitude of places around Scotland that she features! But here is one that not many know about - and one I found out about just last week - Cumbria.

It seems that after losing the battle of Langside in 1568, Mary fled south intending to seek shelter at Carlisle under the protection of Queen Elizabeth I. And en route to Carlisle, she was a guest at Cockermouth Hall, home to Henry Fletcher and his family, where she stayed before heading into Carlisle Castle. Cockermouth Castle was unfit for staying in as it had been laid ruin by Robert the Bruce some centuries earlier.

Today there is no trace of Cockermouth Hall, but look at what you can find if you know where to look...😉

This plaque can be found near Market Street, in the Bitterbeck car park which now covers the site of the old hall.

I mentioned a few posts ago that I've started writing a book on historical photography in Edinburgh.On a recent visit to...
24/07/2024

I mentioned a few posts ago that I've started writing a book on historical photography in Edinburgh.

On a recent visit to The Georgian House at Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, I took a number of such shots around the historic rooms which date from the 19th century.

The rooms have objects and paintings dating from the Georgian period, and it was requested that no flash be used inside the house. This meant that my full-frame camera was required, with its high-ISO capability, in order to get as much light as possible into the images.

The rooms had large windows which meant that most were blessed with good light coming in, which can be seen in this first set of these images showing the Lady's bedroom. This was located on the ground floor, with a little corridor through to the dining room where guests would have been entertained formally.

All items in the house are of the period - so date from the early 1800's - and are typical of what would have existed within such a house at this time.

This house has lovely soft tones of colour throughout its interior designs. Key to shooting in such surrounds was the need to ensure the colour balance in each shot was correct; the artificial lighting provided by lamps in some rooms can make images take on a yellow tint which then needs adjusted in the editing process.

The staff were incredibly informative, with so much detailed knowledge of the history of the house and its objects. My thanks go to Robbie Macrae and all the staff at The Georgian House NTS for all their help; it was such a pleasure to shoot here.

The Georgian House NTS

𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬?Today's house is in Dean Village, Edinburgh - yet it looks like it was built...
16/07/2024

𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬?

Today's house is in Dean Village, Edinburgh - yet it looks like it was built in rural England...

This is the entrance to Hawthornbank Lane - not an address you'd imagine is a city-centre address, but that's exactly where it is - 5 minutes walk from the bustle of Princes Street.

The cobbled track leads over the Water of Leith, the lifeblood of this village which was once busy with mill-workers from the 12th-19th century.

Shooting at this location at the height of summer brings with it some challenges, given the crowds that now come along every day to visit. It is a real gem in the heart of the city, and there are multiple tour groups visiting every day to look round this historic place.

However, if you can catch it in the early morning before the world is awake you will get some beautiful shots. This image was shot facing west, and as the village is in a deep valley it's worth noting that there will be lots of shadows - so pick your time wisely!

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞?No? well neither could I! However, according to the British Listed Bui...
05/07/2024

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞?

No? well neither could I! However, according to the British Listed Buildings website, no.45 Charlotte Square in Edinburgh has at least 2 amendments made after its original design by architect Robert Adam in 1791.

Another Robert, this time a Mr. Robert Reid, amended the original design for no.45 in 1810. He also lived in the house next door at no.44.

In the edit I've done some (photographic) amending myself - taking out the bollards which Edinburgh Council have put up in their creation of a cycle lane from Queen Street to Princes Street (tut tut - architectural sacrilege!). This edit hopefully gives the viewers a better view of how the architecture of the house would have looked, without being distracted by the more modern additions.

A later occupant of no.45 was Sir Robert Philip (Robert 𝑤𝑎𝑠 a popular name back then! 😉), a campaigner against tuberculosis. He lived there from 1898 to 1938.

Interesting to note that, as with other houses in the square, the first floor cills were lowered... I wonder why? If any architects reading this know the answer, please post in the comments below!

Did the Georgians want to peek out their windows for a better view of the street? This might have been something the occupants did back then, given the importance attached to society goings-on...

As well as the beautiful cast-iron balconies, the house sports the original cast-iron lamp standards and railings, which can be seen at several properties around the square (take a look at yesterday's post for those at no.6 (Bute House).

Do you have any decorative designs at the front of your house? Please share your house designs in a comment below! 😊

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭? I've started writing a book for fellow architectural...
03/07/2024

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭?
I've started writing a book for fellow architectural photographers on simple ways to easily use lighting in your work, with a focus on the architecture of Edinburgh, and I began this week with a trip into town to recce some buildings.
I found inspiration in the grand Georgian buildings of Edinburgh's New Town. The New Town plans were set out in the 18th century as part of a pioneering architectural project. A young architect of the day, James Craig, won the Town Council's design competition to create the town plan.
The architect Robert Adam designed the exterior architecture (in accordance with James Craig's plan) of buildings in Charlotte Square (named after Queen Charlotte - wife of King George III). The two houses at the end of this row were built in 1790, of which no. 2 Charlotte Square is seen here.
The owners of these buildings were primarily the landed gentry, solicitors and lawyers who were mainly the elite of Edinburgh society at this time. You can see at the front of each house there's a large step, which is where the owners would alight from their horse-drawn carriages.
Today's inhabitants are an equally illustrious crew - no. 6 Charlotte Square being the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland. (I wonder if these days the same step is used for the ministerial 4x4s...hmm... 🤔)
OK, history lesson over - how was it shot? No flash used, as it was a nice bright day! 😊 However there are some darker shadows; so to even these out, I shot several exposures on the day with the camera perched on the tripod on the opposite side of the street. These were then edited together afterwards to produce this shot.
The sky was another story... typical grey, even when the sun was out - that's Scotland for you! 😛 And as ever, when the blue sky finally appeared, so did the white vans / tourist buses / people walking along the street. So... a nice blue Sky Replacement was delicately applied in Photoshop in the edit.
Now the question is... is this a sensible approach, or do you view this as a sacrilegious application of AI??? Feel free to pop your answers in comments below! 🙂

𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞; 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤?I'm continuing the edits...
27/06/2024

𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞; 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤?

I'm continuing the edits this week of the beautiful Signet Library in Edinburgh; with today's post showing the Commissioners Room.

What caught my eye in this room was the lovely woodwork - not just in the bookcases, but also the carved wooden fireplace. Isn't it amazing?

I've done a bit of wood carving as a hobby, and at my beginner's speed this would have taken me years! so I am in awe of the craftsman who created this work of art. It must have taken a great amount of skill and patience to carve out the patterns with such accuracy.

There are patterns everywhere you look in this building, even in the carpets - very useful to a photographer! 😉 and I used them here to compose many of my shots.

What patterns do you see around you today? let me know in a comment below! 🙂

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦?This is one of my top favourites - the Signet Library's Lower Library room in Edinburgh. I ...
26/06/2024

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦?

This is one of my top favourites - the Signet Library's Lower Library room in Edinburgh.

I was privileged some weeks ago to be given access to the Signet Library to shoot their beautiful interiors, of which this is the first room (and my own personal favourite, as it has the most beautiful natural light).

The Signet Library is a working library for the Society of Writers to His Majesty's Signet (the WS Society). This building sits behind St Giles cathedral in Edinburgh, and was competed in 1822.

Thanks go to the Signet Library's Operations Manager Barry Hutchison for showing me round the building, and allowing me up onto the very old upper balcony - with original wooden flooring - to shoot from there. It was a narrow space, and a head for heights was needed! 😳

The room seen here is also used for afternoon teas, weddings and other events, when not being used by its members as a library.

More edits to come this week from the Signet Library, so stay tuned if you like this one 😉.

Had a great visit today to the Edinburgh College class of '24 exhibition in the Out Of The Blue Drill Hall in Dalmeny St...
13/06/2024

Had a great visit today to the Edinburgh College class of '24 exhibition in the Out Of The Blue Drill Hall in Dalmeny Street, which sees work from their HND and BA(Hons) years. Once again a technically and visually superb showing from the graduates, with many varied areas of research including some beautiful Food Photography images from Oksana Karuna, great sports shots from Ryan Fleming and thought-provoking story-telling of the Scottish Witch Trials by Marylynn Ballard. Wishing all the graduates success in their new careers!😊

There are few interior designers as well known as Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It was a real treat to stay recently in th...
12/06/2024

There are few interior designers as well known as Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It was a real treat to stay recently in the Elmbank Hotel in York which showcases the work of Mackintosh contemporary, architect and designer George Henry Walton. There are treats round every corner for Art Nouveau fans - I had my camera with me at breakfast, in the bar, in the restaurant, and yes - even in the amazing bathrooms! One of these places which is an absolute gem for interiors photographers. If you think a tiled fireplace is a nice thing to have, just take a look at this amazing tiled artwork above the fireplace in the Elmbank dining room.....

A great shoot with the ladies from SmartWorks at the Jigsaw store in George Street last week. These volunteers share th...
10/06/2024

A great shoot with the ladies from SmartWorks at the Jigsaw store in George Street last week. These volunteers share their time and experience to give people a great step up into employment with both interview-wear and advice. A well-deserved "thank-you" event with cakes and fizz!

Works Scotland

Completed a shoot at the Signet Library in Edinburgh yesterday - an amazing building for Interior Architectural photogra...
09/04/2024

Completed a shoot at the Signet Library in Edinburgh yesterday - an amazing building for Interior Architectural photography. Dating back to 1594, the Society of Writers to the Signet is a private society of Scottish solicitors, and the Signet Library is a working library. The steep 18th century stairs and narrow upper balcony with its original wooden flooring were a challenge, but my trusty tripod coped well! Thanks go to Diana Thurston Smith, and to Operations Manager Barry Hutchison for enabling access to the beautiful rooms in this building. More images to follow in due course once the full edit is complete.

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