Brian Anderson Blog

  Raintown – On Patrol Since 1988 I’ve been patrolling the streets of Glasgow with a camera slung over my shoulder since 1988. Back then, the city had a different face — fewer coffee chains, more cigarette smoke, and if you were lucky, the occasional lamppost that actually worked. But one thing has never changed: when it rains in Glasgow, it really rains. This picture, called “Raintown”, was taken in 2015. I was dodging puddles (and the odd taxi that seemed determined to soak me) when I spotted this scene — the neon lights bouncing off the wet street, the umbrellas clashing with the weather, and that unmistakable Glasgow mood of “aye, it’s raining again, but we’ll get on with it.” It’s a photo that, for me, sums up the city. Gritty but beautiful. Ordinary yet cinematic. A wee bit miserable, yet full of life. Glasgow in a nutshell. “Raintown” is now available as a framed 16x20 print, limited to 300 copies. Once they’re gone, that’s it — no sneaky reprints. Just like the Glasgow weat...

Announcement I’m really pleased to share that I’m launching Gallus Books . For the first time, I’ll be putting my own work out there properly — from photography and culture to true crime photo zines and more. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and I’m excited (and a bit nervous, if I’m honest) to finally get it going. New titles will be added every month, so there should always be something fresh to look forward to. If you’d like to follow along, stay tuned and subscribe to Brian Anderson’s blog . Your support really does mean a lot — it’s what keeps the stories and photos coming. Thanks for being here at the start of this new chapter. — Brian Miami Daze by Gallus Books 

  My First Big Day With a Camera If you asked me to pick one day that set me off down the road of being a photojournalist, it would have to be that one back in the 80s when I found myself at Barrowfield, Celtic’s training ground in Glasgow’s East End. I was there with nothing more than my trusty old camera, a head full of nerves, and the excitement of a supporter who couldn’t quite believe his luck. Now, don’t get me wrong — this wasn’t me turning up as some big-shot photographer. I was just starting out. My “gear bag” was basically a second-hand camera that probably weighed more than me, and enough rolls of film to bankrupt a paperboy. Still, I was there, and that was enough. And then it happened. My very first assignment: photographing Celtic manager Billy McNeill and Paul McStay. Honestly, I nearly dropped the camera just thinking about it. Billy, the greatest captain in Celtic history, and Paul, who was not only the beating heart of the team but also my favourite player. I reme...

Twenty Years On: Remembering the G8 at Gleneagles It’s strange how time moves. One moment, you’re standing in the middle of a city in a crowd thick with tension, the air vibrating with chants and the sound of boots on pavement. The next, you’re looking at an old photograph two decades later, trying to make sense of what you saw and felt. This picture was taken in Edinburgh during the 2005 G8 summit at Gleneagles — a gathering of world leaders that brought both hope and chaos in equal measure. On one side, there were promises: action on poverty, climate change, and the world’s most urgent issues. On the other, there was the raw reality of protest — thousands in the streets, voices demanding more, demanding better. In the frame are police in full riot gear, faces half-hidden behind shields, eyes scanning the crowd. The image isn’t about hostility or heroics; it’s about the tension of that moment, the invisible line between order and unrest. You can almost hear the muffled noise throug...