Out of the Blue was a year-long photography project that explored and documented South West Scotland's commercial seafood industry. The work documents the people, places and environments that support and shape locally-landed seafood around the Solway Coast.
Seafood has sustained the people of southern Scotland for the past 10,000 years and is still an integral part of local and rural life. However, the industry is often misunderstood or ignored. Scallops, oysters, lobster and crab provide the main catch, but very little is sold locally or even nationally. Instead, it is mostly exported to central Europe.
This body of work provides an important record and offers an insight into the lives of those working within the industry. The work aims to raise awareness and understanding about locally caught seafood and the important role it plays in supporting and sustaining rural economies and communities in this overlooked corner of Scotland.