The photographer who puts little people in the frame

David Gilliver's introduction successful this year's British Photography Awards was a representation of a summertime vacation with a difference.

He won the apical prize successful the Macro category, a subdivision of photography that takes utmost close-up pictures of tiny objects, astir often insects oregon flowers.

But alternatively David took a representation of the acquainted bluish look masks that were worn everyplace during Covid and reimagined it arsenic a swimming excavation with tiny figurines enjoying abrogation activities astir it.

"The thought was to attack a superior taxable substance with a playful quality without trivialising it," said the 43-year-old Scottish artist.

It is simply a mode of moving that helium archetypal came crossed by mishap erstwhile helium was astatine Glasgow School of Art successful the precocious 1990s.

David said helium was looking retired of the model of a dentist's waiting country erstwhile helium saw a lorry successful the thoroughfare beneath had tipped implicit and landed connected a car.

He said helium knew the concern was superior but from his unsocial position connected the 4th level it reminded him of the scenes helium created with his toys arsenic a young boy.

David took a representation of the chaos connected the thoroughfare below, which did not effect successful superior injury, and erstwhile helium was backmost astatine creation schoolhouse helium recreated it utilizing miniature figures.

His prof was impressed.

"Not lone was it the archetypal clip I had received a beardown compliment but I besides thoroughly enjoyed doing it," David said.

"It gave maine a caller mode of looking astatine things and making my art. From that constituent connected I became obsessed with Macro photography and shooting figurines."

Over the past 20 years helium has created thousands of photos of his "little people", ever utilizing humour and playfulness arsenic a mode to contiguous a much superior message.

After graduating from creation schoolhouse successful 2001, making a surviving arsenic an creator proved difficult. David ended moving successful concern successful Guernsey for 14 years earlier returning to Scotland with his woman and babe miss astir 7 years ago.

In 2018 helium took the plunge and became a full-time artist, specialising successful Macro photography and airy painting.

His location successful Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire, is afloat of thousands of figurines - chiefly intended for exemplary railway enthusiasts - acceptable to find a location successful his latest work.

David said the pictures had go acold broader and much absorbing implicit the years.

"The figurines are static truthful I americium astatine the mercy of the poses I find them in," David said.

"It has been my occupation arsenic an creator to springiness them thing to bash wrong a country that looks visually interesting."

David exhibits his enactment crossed Europe and besides hosts teaching workshops arsenic good arsenic collaborating with commercialized partners.

He said helium loved showing radical the techniques of Macro photography but determination are immoderate things it is hard to teach.

"The Macro enactment is 10% reliant connected method cognition and it is 90% reliant connected the imagination," helium said.

"As an big making enactment similar this it is important to support the imaginativeness alive. I person got a young girl present truthful it is unavoidable and captious that I do.

"This benignant of photography precise overmuch taps into a childlike mode of thinking. The much you bash of it, the much you are capable to entree it. It's similar a musculus almost."

All images copyright David Gilliver.