100 Weeks of Scotland: Scotland in the twilight

PHOTOGRAPHY literally means writing with light. Often you will hear photographers saying that ‘it is all about the light’. This is absolutely true and is the cornerstone of photography.

This week's photographs capture Scotland as night falls. Pictures: Alan McCredie

Week 56

However for a discipline that is all about light it is interesting that the absence of light can be equally important and lead to some wonderful images.

Personally, I have always preferred a darker image. The work of photographers like Bill Brandt and Don McCullin were what first led me towards photography. Their use of darkness, to me, is unrivalled. Even their images taken in bright daylight have a darkness and shade to them that I find fascinating. My style of photography is very different to theirs but show me two images and I will always choose the darker one.

It has been a beautiful and cold week with the weather being wonderful for photography. My favourite time of day has always been ‘The Golden Hour’. That loose, indefinable period of time just before true night. Often the sun is already below the horizon yet much light remains in the sky. I prefer to think of it as ‘the gloaming’, which seems to suit the light and stillness of this time perfectly.

I wanted to try and do some images at this time, somewhere between the day and the night, and this last week has seen perfect conditions for it. I am no expert on this but the light seems different at this time in winter than it does in summer. It also means you can be finished by 5pm whereas in the summer you can still be out at close to midnight. The images are from Edinburgh, Aviemore and the Ayrshire coast.

• Alan McCredie began the ‘100 weeks of Scotland’ website in October last year, and it will conclude in Autumn 2014. McCredie’s goal is to chronicle two years of Scottish life in the run-up to the independence referendum.

McCredie says ‘one hundred weeks...’ is intended to show all sides of the country over the next two years. On the site, he says: “Whatever the result of the vote Scotland will be a different country afterward. These images will show a snapshot of the country in the run up to the referendum.

“The photos will be of all aspects of Scottish culture - politics, art, social issues, sport and anything else that catches the eye.”

Follow the project at 100weeksofscotland.com. You can also follow Alan on Twitter.

All pictures (c) Alan McCredie/ 100 weeks of Scotland