Morag Perkins

@moragperkinsphoto.com

1995 Followers 1037 Following

Photographer, mostly film, mostly plants. Looking straight into the light with the lens wide open. Also occasionally touching on disability, MECFS, and rare types of diabetes (specifically MODY) She/her Glasgow, Scotland www.moragperkinsphoto.com

Selfie taken from a low angle with a cat. The whole thing is very reminiscent of the “vibing cat” meme The photo is mostly clear blue sky and a little bit of greenery - then just peeking in at the bottom left corner you can see the head and shoulders of me and a cat, both looking down at the camera. I am a middle aged white woman with brown hair and glasses, and I am wearing a green shirt, black top and old school white-wired Apple earbuds. My face is half obscured the cat in front of me. The cat is a slightly scruffy but very cute looking black and white cat. His face is mostly white, with black across the top of his head and ears, and around his left eye. His eyes are half closed
Close up photograph of a bust of Charles Darwin, seen in profile at the right hand side of the frame. The bust is behind glass, and reflected in the glass is a large skull, possibly some sort of dinosaur
What camera shall I buy? Non-negotiable: - Medium format SLR - Modular system with plenty of options to add to it later - Waist level viewfinder - Interchangeable film backs - Good quality / well built Strong preference: - Good macro lens available - or some means of getting close up - Square format - Not *too* hefty where possible (I realise this is relative) - Decently weather resistant (I won’t take it diving but it does rain a lot here!) - Can work without batteries / be all mechanical when I want it to be - Some mechanism to alert me / prevent the shutter firing when the dark slide is still in! - Multiple exposures possible - Bulb mode - SPACE CAMERA SPACE CAMERA SPACE CAMERA - …it’s so pretty though! Nice to have but not a deal breaker: - Other aspect ratios available - Eye level viewfinder available - Built in metering lol does this even exist?: - A Polaroid back for the system would be lovely but I’m not sure that’s a thing!
Black and white image of a hospital building. Towards the top left corner of the frame, in an area of light sky, there is a clear black mark with a distinctive shape and sharp edges.
Photograph taken near the entrance to a park on a sunny spring day. A path made of scruffy wooden boards stretches straight out in front, with trees and grass at either side. The path leads to a large round metal sculpture in the distance; it is almost circular, forming an arch of rusty metal over the path that acts as a sort of gateway to the rest of the park. The arch is just the right size for a tall human to comfortably pass through. Neatly framed in the centre of the circle is a small tree, dead ahead as you walk along the straight path.
Screenshot from Clearsky.app showing two entries in my blocklist: mayahalvard.bsky.social and gerritrhoades.bsky.social
Ralph Wiggum on the school bus meme, except instead of “I’m in danger” it says “I’m an influencer”
Square format, untidy, grainy autumnal photograph, showing some reddish autumn leaves clinging to the branches of a tree. One large dappled red and orange leaf is clearly visible in the centre, and the rest dissolve into a sort of tangled mass of twigs and red leaves. The bottom and right hand side of the frame fade into a very dark shadow with green and purple undertones, white the top left part is a slightly sepia sky. A single blurry tree branch angles up into the corner.
Close up photograph of a dried out fallen leaf in autumn, caught in the branches of an evergreen tree. The fallen leaf is a rich amber brown colour, and the evergreen leaves are a very deep emerald, almost blueish green tone. The photograph is quite dark overall, with very deep shadows in the evergreen tree and the background - the only brighter spots are a bit of light in the top right corner, and a highlight on the top edge of the leaf. An earlier version of this photograph was posted earlier today - it is much lighter in tone but I think less effective.
Close up photograph of a dried out fallen leaf in autumn, caught in the branches of an evergreen tree. The fallen leaf is a rich amber brown colour, and the evergreen leaves are a very deep emerald, almost blueish green tone.
Close up photograph of a small blossom on a tree in spring - I think it might be apple blossom. The flower itself is a soft muted pinkish colour with yellow stamens in the centre. There are other unopened buds behind it that are a darker, richer pink. The leaves are a deep rich almost blue-ish emerald green colour. The whole photograph has a rich, deep, grainy tone to it.
Screenshot of an obviously AI generated “film photographer” Bluesky account called “Hadley Penna”. Image shows a white woman in a white t shirt (of course) layered with a jacket and jeans, sitting at a desk with a laptop, “film cameras” and strips of 35mm negatives with the wrong aspect ratio. “Quiet one in York tonight: editing photos, sorting 35mm, and noticing details I somehow missed the first time through. The room smells like cold coffee and film sleeves, which feels weirdly perfect for a cloudy spring evening. #YorkPA #FilmPhotography”
Black and white portrait format photograph of a grey heron on a canal bank. The bird is in the centre of the frame, facing to the left. It is clearly reflected in the water of the canal below it. Behind the heron is the wall of the canal, with rotting wooden vertical planks and a stone edge above. In the foreground is the water of the canal, rippling slightly. The photograph has strong contrast and is quite dark overall, except for the pale coloured heron.
Contrasty black and white photograph of some decorative items on a bookshelf, lit by a string a white fairy lights. On the front part of the shelf is a black ceramic cat and a lighter coloured ceramic Christmas tree shaped ornament. The glow of the fairy lights is reflected in the bottom part of the ornaments and picks out the details nicely, especially in the ceramic cat. In the background are a lot of photography books, and a box of postcards that is stylised like an old box camera.
High contrast black and white portrait format photograph of a large chrome desk fan, pointing out an open window. The fan is sitting on a shoe box to give it enough height to be level with the windowsill
Black and white portrait format photograph of raindrops on a window. It has just finished raining heavily, and the drops on the glass seem to swirl slightly. Many areas are blurry, adding to the effect. The view out the window is blurred and indistinct, with light and dark patches that could be sky and scenery, but it is impossible to tell.
Black and white portrait format photograph showing the view from an upstairs window in a suburban street. It is a foggy day - houses and cars across the street gradually become more indistinct as they get further away. In the middle distance, on our side of the street, there is a lamp post - the light is on and it glows gently, but even in the mist the daylight is enough to overpower it. In the foreground is the front garden of the block of flats I am in, and a damp untidy pavement that has been patched up a few too many times.
Two current Scottish parliamentary election leaflets, held up in my hand against a blank wall. One is from Scottish Labour, featuring leader Anas Sawar photographed from a low angle and gazing into the distance majestically, with his shoulders back and a mountain behind him. He looks like Brian Cox presenting a documentary about the universe. The other is from the SNP, featuring leader (and current First Minister) John Swinney in a much less staged photograph, taken in what appears to be an ordinary garden with bushes behind him. He is smiling, and squinting slightly in the sun. It is taken from a more standard angle and generally just looks much less slick and majestic but more approachable
Screenshot of a post by photographer Jake Walters, featuring a full length photograph of Sir Philip Green taken from a low angle, with two round bushes obscuring his feet. The shape and composition gives a distinctly phallic appearance. Text of the post reads: “ My portrait of Sir Philip Green taken on his Arcadia office balcony on Oxford Street. He was unpleasant and rude to me and my assistant when we arrived to photograph him so I thought.. well if it's ok for you to act like a prick, it must be ok to make you look like one. So I did.”
Black and white selfie taken with a film camera. I am reflected in a clear glass shower screen, so the reflection is slightly transparent and the texture of a shower wall panel behind shows through creating an interesting textured effect. I am a white woman with glasses and shoulder length hair, wearing a checked pyjama top, and holding a black Olympus OM1 camera. There is a mirror behind me, so a partial reflection of the back of me can be seen in one corner of the frame.
Dramatic, contrasty black and white photograph of a large string of fairy lights, tangled up in a big pile on a carpet. The outer edges of the frame fade into a deep rich black, and the only source of light is from the fairy lights, which are switched on. Each one is a point of brilliant white light with a slight 'glow' around it.
Black and white photograph of a vintage camera lens on a table by a window, with out of focus fairy lights creating blurry points of light in the background. Hints of the string of fairy lights, the window, and the street outside can ben seen reflected in the front element of the lens. For those who are interested: the lens is an Olympus OM F-Zuiko 200mm f5
Black and white photograph of a section of textured concrete wall with graffiti on it. The wall has been painted white - now slightly dirty - and it has a sort of brick texture to it. Spray painted on it are the words "NO ONE IS ILLEGALS" It's clear that somebody originally wrote "NO ILLEGALS", and somebody else has come along and added "ONE IS" in the middle to change the meaning. The added words are in slightly different handwriting, and the paint has dripped in a way that suggests less experience with a spray can.
High contrast black and white photograph taken in an unkempt wooded park on a sunny winter day. The photograph looks along a path through a line of trees, branches bare for the winter. Lying along the right hand side of the path is a very large fallen tree, with a row of large twisted branches disappearing off up the path to where the top of the tree would have been. There is some scrappy chalk graffiti on the trunk in the foreground, and somebody has written "Dylan" on the closest branch. The image has very dark shadows and bright highlights from the low winter sun, giving it quite a dramatic feel.
Square format black & white photograph of a pile of masonry in an outdoor setting, with trees in the background. A large number of what seem to be stone building blocks have been neatly stacked up on pallets and wrapped in plastic shrinkwrap. Some of the blocks have rounded tops, like they are intended to be the top of a wall or similar. They have been wrapped in small sets, sometimes just a couple of blocks together. One set facing the camera has a large X spray painted on the end.
Black and white square format photograph taken in a forest in winter. A square rusty metal object is leaning on the roots of a fallen tree, echoing the shape of the photograph. It may have been a cover for something industrial or a manhole at one time, it is perfectly square, and appears to have a raised ' frame' around it. There is leaf litter and general forest detritus on the ground, and the dead tree root mass behind is covered in moss and plant materials. Everything is untidy and tangled. At the top of the frame is a solid straight-edged black bar where the film scanner is slightly misaligned with the image, and at the bottom is a fuzzy-edged bright white bar where light got in at the end of the film roll.
Black and white photograph of the lower part of a tree in a forest clearing in winter, taken from a low angle. The tree trunk is leaning backwards away from the camera at quite a dramatic angle, with roots reaching out towards the viewer. A large dead branch cut from another tree is leaning across the top of the roots, giving the sense that the tree roots are crawling out from under it to reach you.
Screenshot from an Amazon listing that reads: "Important Information" Safety information: NO"
Olympus OM2n camera. It is a vintage 35mm film camera from the late 1970s, very much in the classic SLR style
Highland cow in a muddy field on an overcast day. She has a large black plastic object on a heavy chain hanging around her neck, possibly some sort of cow handbag. She also has a heavy fringe covering her eyes.
Bronica SQ-B camera on a rustic wooden bench in a woodland park. It’s is a large sturdy-looking black vintage camera composed of a solid cube shaped body with large lens on the front, film magazine on the back and a viewfinder attachment on top
Vintage advert for Hasselblad cameras. The picture shows a large black Hasselblad camera floating off into space after escaping the gloved hands of a spacewalking astronaut. The text reads: “The launch of the first Swedish Satellite. We have the Americans to thank. They have used Hasselblads on every manned space flight. And on the whole, apart from those which they have left on the Moon, they have taken very good care of them. One astronaut, though, was unlucky enough to drop his Hasselblad. He was walking in space at the time, and it went into orbit around the earth. Like all our satellites, it had taken a year to build, and it had undergone 20,000 rigorous tests. But, three years later, it burnt up as it entered the atmosphere, and so ended the Swedish space programme. However, we are still building satellites very much like it, to the same high standard. They are available in all good photographic shops. HASSELBLAD” Image credit: eauctionmanagement/eBay via Kosmofoto
Zenza Bronica SQ-B medium format camera, placed on a desk next to the boxes from two rolls of 120 film - one is Harman Switch Azure, and the other is Ilford FP4 Plus. In the background is a pink iMac desktop computer.
Three rolls of Ilford and Harman branded film, inside an Analogue Wonderland cardboard box. The film is 120 Harman Azure, 120 Ilford FP4 plus, and 35mm Ilford XP2 Super The box features a tiled pattern of triangles inside and the slogan "WELCOME TO WONDERLAND"
Photograph of a suburban canal basin, taken from the towpath. On the tarmac in the foreground somebody has spray painted the word "SWAN?". Swimming in the canal basin behind it is a big white bird that is quite obviously a swan.
Photo of birds in a suburban canal basin, taken from the towpath. On the tarmac in the foreground somebody has spray painted the word "SWAN?" in block capitals. The head and neck of a swan are just visible over the wall of the canal bank. It has turned to stare at a duck that is swimming towards it.
Version of the Peter Griffin skin tone meme, where the skin colours range from “genuinely disabled” (white) down to “faking it” (brown) Cartoon - A hand holds up a reference card showing a gradient of skin colours, next to a frowning white man. The gradient is labelled “genuinely disabled” next to the whitest skin tones and “faking it” next to the darker skin tones
The back of a postcard from Jaya, that has travelled internationally from the US to Scotland. It has the standard markings from having been through the post, but both the stamped 'postcard' markings and the handwritten text are clear and have survived well. I have blacked out my address
Back of an as-yet-unwritten postcard, held up in my hand. It has an air mail sticker on it, and two UK first class postage stamps. One has a picture of King Charles III and the other has a picture of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II
Three second video clip - very close up view of a blonde highland cow. It sniffs at the camera them attempts to lick it
Photograph of a highland cow in a field on a sunny winter afternoon. She is walking straight towards the camera with what looks like a confident model strut. She has shaggy light reddish fur, with what appear to be blonde 'highlights' on her fringe and the top of her back. She has relatively short horns that turn upwards slightly.
Photograph of a relatively young highland cow in a muddy field. She is standing face on, looking at the camera, and her mouth is very slightly open with a tiny bit of tongue poking out. Her feet are caked in mud. She has light reddish shaggy fur and a long shaggy fringe that partly obscures her eyes. Her horns are very short and slightly upturned. She has the same sort of electronic cow handbag round her neck as the cow in the previous photo. Behind her is a drinking trough, and a second cow looking on in the distance, with scrubby trees behind. It is an overcast day in early autumn.
Photograph of a slightly punk-looking highland cow in a muddy field. The cow has turned her head to look directly towards the camera, peering past another cow in the foreground. She has long shaggy reddish brown fur, with a 'fringe' completely covering her eyes, and short horns that curve up slightly. Hanging round her neck is some sort of large black electronic tracking device on a thick chain, like a punk-styled cow handbag. It is an overcast day, with a mix of dark mud and rich green grass in the field, with suburban buildings on a hill in the distance. The cow is in sharp focus, falling away rapidly to a blur in the distance.
Detail of a suburban cityscape view close to sunset in winter, taken from a high vantage point. It is a cold day and the low sun is causing a bright flare of light near the top of the frame. Layers of buildings, hills and trees can be seen silhouetted as they disappear into the distance, each layer getting a little lighter and less distinct. In the middle of the frame two pointy steeples on a building can be seen clearly, with a chimney just beside them blowing out white steam that catches the light. In the foreground are blurred tree branches, bare of leaves for the winter. The colour tones are warm shades of sepia and orange. Photo taken on 35mm Fuji Superia 400 film with a Canon EOS 300 camera & Canon EF 80-200 f4.5-5.6 II lens, November 2025
Close up photograph of a slightly deranged looking highland cow, peering through a metal gate with one wild staring eye.
A pack of letterpress Christmas cards, still in the packaging, propped up on a white-painted bookshelf with fairly lights strewn around. The cards are on red kraft paper, with text in black and white. The text is part of the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas", and the phrase "Seven swans a-swimming" has been highlighted in larger white text. There are decorative highlights of snowflakes in silver.
Box of Ilford XP2 35mm film. The top side of the box has a shop security tag stuck to it - is is a long black rectangular strip with "Security Protected" written on it in white and a sort of alarm symbol.
Extract from the linked article: “In an essay for New York Review of Books, Larry McMurtry once described his first meeting with Keaton: "I found her, one morning, sitting in the flower bed outside the Madison Hotel in Washington DC. She was rummaging in a bag big enough to hold a caribou, which contained a camera heavy enough to stun the caribou with, should that be necessary."
Photograph taken at the end of the Sigur Rós gig with the London Contemporary Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, 30th September 2025. The photograph is taken from the back of the stalls, off to one side. The audience is in darkness, and the stage is brightly lit by a number of strong spotlights, casting bright diagonal lines through the darkness. On stage the band and the conductor are stood at the front wearing all black. They are facing back to applaud the orchestra and the organist. There is a children’s choir behind the orchestra, and the organ is lit up. The organist is Anna Lapwood, just visible in a sparkly jacket.
Selfie taken on an aeroplane, sitting in a window seat. I have a face mask and a sunflower lanyard, indicating that I have a hidden disability. I am a white woman with shoulder length wavy mid brown hair and glasses, and I am wearing a purple cord jacket with a decorative scarf in autumnal colours.
Photograph taken from inside a Victorian glasshouse in a park. The windows are steamed up, obscuring the view outside the glass. Perched on the outside frame of the glass is a large woodpigeon, details slightly fuzzy from the condensation. The bird has turned to look directly in, giving it a shape and appearance exactly like villainous penguin Feathers McGraw from the Wallace & Gromit animations
Extract from Kristie's Substack post: "To lift two lines from late in the book and hold them up as the measure isn't literary criticism. If we're playing lucky dip with sentences, let's position "Caithness is flat and vast and lies prostrate to a wind pushed inland by the thuggish North Sea" or "PETITE BRUNETTE GIVES AWESOME HANDJOB" as definitive. Absurd, obviously. Each is real, each is mine, but none stands as representative without the frame that holds it. My guess as to why this line was chosen as the litmus test is that it names identity, which is so often read as self-indulgent, performative, even didactic. Perhaps the politics of identity only feel frivolous if yours have never worked against you."
Hardback copy of "Drystone: A Life Rebuilt" by Kristie De Garis, held up in my hand. The cover is white, with five stylised stones arranged in the centre. They are highlighted in different shades of blue, yellow, pink and green. "DRYSTONE" appears at the top in bold black text, with the author's name at the bottom. The subtitle "A LIFE REBUILT" appears in white text on the stones.
Hardback copy of the book "Drystone: A Life Rebuilt" by Kristie De Garis, seen on the shelf in a bookshop. It is turned with the cover facing outwards, occupying a prominent space on the shelf. Most of the other books on the shelf have the spine facing out and are less immediately obvious.
An old disposable 35mm film camera of the sort people might hand out at weddings. It is still in the packaging and has a flash. The cardboard outer sleeve is white with little hearts on it. Do not be deceived by the little hearts, it will definitely try to kill you if you dismantle it.
Olympus OM2n camera held up in front of a marble statue inside a glasshouse. The camera is a very classic looking 35mm film SLR with a silver and black body. The statue shows a sad looking seated man, with a small monkey sitting on his knee. The monkey also looks sad. Outside the glasshouses trees and park benches are visible.
Photograph of two cats in a suburban back garden. One is a tabby with a white belly and white paws, sitting neatly upright and facing the camera. He is tolerating the other cat, a very beautiful cream-coloured ragdoll with a brown face and tail. She is sitting with her back to the camera and turning to look at the tabby. She seems to have a bit of a crush on him. Between the two cats in a row of daffodils in bloom. Somehow the cats seem to have arranged themselves in a very pleasing composition, like they are posing for a classical painting.
Olympus OM2n camera It is a very classic looking 35mm film SLR, with a silver and black body
Two vintage Olympus OM 35mm film cameras next to each other. One is a black OM1n, the older of the two models but also more upmarket. It is an all manual camera capable of working without batteries. The other is a silver OMG, a consumer grade model that is (relatively!) more recent and has more electronics and auto modes. It is slightly beaten-up looking.