SHINTY will take centre stage at an Inverness photography exhibition next month, writes Angus Cochrane.
Neil Paterson – a professional photographer and former Inverness schoolboy – has printed his images of local players embroiled in ferocious competition in black and white, lending the work a “timeless elegance”.
The depictions, compiled from nine years’ coverage of the indigenous sport, will be displayed at the Eden Court Theatre between August 1 and 31, providing visitors with a true “visceral experience”.
Having photographed shinty since 2009, the former Edinburgh Napier photography graduate is keen to bring Scotland’s sport to a wider audience.
“I’m hoping that with the exhibition will be seen by people who don’t normally see shinty, whether that’s local people or even tourists”, he said.
Paterson believes the speed at which shinty is played, combined with the size of the pitch, ensures it is “without doubt one of the hardest sports to photograph.
“The photographs convey the courage of the players, the rough-and-tumble of the game, but also the huge level of skill involved in a sport indigenous to Scotland”.
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