Currently living in San Francisco, Scottish born Allan Graham-Tay studied Art in Edinburgh incorporating photography, and has since established himself as a gritty street life Photographer while working throughout America, Asia and Europe.
"I was born in the late fifties, part of a large family in a small fishing town on the East Coast of Scotland. As a kid I would always be fascinated by the family piss up, I would find a corner and quietly sit and wait for their drink to kick in and observe the changing group dynamics. The drunker they became the more exaggerated their facial expressions and body language would become. These childhood memories would develop my interest and style in photography in later life"
Working in black and white, he focuses on capturing street life, inner city, ocean view, blending into the the background while searching for character faces and group interactions, observing the unobserved, because “every one of them has an untold story to tell”.
“I lived in an old cottage by the sea. grew up and raised my children by the sea. I feel a bond with it, there's a history. Whenever I need to stop and take a breath, I love nothing more than walking along the beach with my family and my dogs....the sea and me”
“Covid affected everyone, from isolation, routine, group interaction, simple things like hugging or kissing a friend or loved one. I tried to document my personal covid lockdown locally with my camera by wandering around the quiet streets, empty roads, closed businesses so that in years to come I have my work to visually remind me of how crazy life became and how much the world changed"
“Inspiration is everything in photography, so in 2021 when travelling seemed safe, and a window of opportunity opened, I grabbed my gear and took a flight and travelled to Italy (Lucca) to be re-inspired and capture street life. This amazing unique walled city and the locals were just the inspiration I needed, cobbled lanes, cafe culture, shadows and, noise and interaction, and lets not forget the amazing food and daily glasses of spritz”
I’m an observer, character faces and interactions, natural life moments grab my attention. I read somewhere that the best piece of equipment a photographer can have is an eye for a picture”