About Me
Lou McCurdy is a photography graduate, BA (hons), from Napier University. During their studies they explored varying aspects of photography, but found their passion lay in the queer night scene in Edinburgh. They have now been working in this area for over four years documenting looks and shows featuring local and international acts. During the day they work as a Photographic Technician for Napier University offering support and advice to students through their time studying and beyond. These skills are also loaned to Stills Gallery as McCurdy works with them to create and run classes.
McCurdy's dedication to photography has lead to them having a vast knowledge in many areas of the craft. Their skill set ranges from analogue photography, being able to shoot, develop, print and scan entirely by themselves. They have exceptional knowledge of Photoshop and Lightroom, often being hired for post production for cleaning up images as well as offering stylised edits to allow images to have their own recognisable aesthetic. Beyond photography they have great knowledge in video and audio, both in shooting and editing. Their job as a technician encourages constant improvement in their skill sets making them a valuable addition to any shoot or project.
In their spare time, McCurdy works on personal projects further exploring the queer themes of their professional work, and using their chosen medium to process their own life experiences. Currently McCurdy is focusing on exploring the ties between the queer experience and spirituality; starting with their project, 'Queer Oracle', exhibited in Micro Gallery in 2020. This exploration has continued into their projects 'I Wear This Skin For You', 'I Wear These Hands For You' and 'God Gave Me These Hands'.
“Since the first time Lou offered to take photographs at GLAMOOR I was deeply grateful and excited to see what we’d come up with. Having them take portraits and action shots of the show has elevated the whole brand and online presentation of the show to whole new heights, and has made the show notorious for the quality of its photography. Never intrusive but always proactive, Lou’s flashing presence in the corner of the bar has been fundamental in creating a chronicle and archive of local queer artistry for more than a year, and has sedimented them as one of the top names in drag photography.”
- Mystika Glamoor, 2019
Overview
Education
Photography BA(hons), Napier University - 2016-2020
Experience
Promotional Portraits for Musician Struan Nelson - 2018
Meta Fisika - Fringe Show - 2019
15th Anniversary of The Street Bar - 2019
Glamoor! - Weekly Drag Show - 2019 - 2022
The Rabbit Hole - Drag Show - Monthly party nights- 2019
Burds of Paradise- Seasonal Drag Show - 2019 - present
Photographic Technician at Edinburgh Napier University- 2020 - present
Promotional Photos for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival's 75th Anniversary - 2022
Freelancer for Stills Gallery - 2022 - present
Exhibitions
Restoration Project Featured in THELMA Magazine - 2018
Cuain Collective - Human and Animal Connection - March 2019
'Queer Oracle' exhibited at Greenwood's Mikro Gallery - September 2020
'Glamoor!' at Greenwood's Mikro Gallery - May 2022