Simon Riddell took up wet plate collodion photography after a major traumatic event, and he says that it pretty much saved his life.

Using himself as subject in his first project, Mental Collodion, Simon explored his own mental health and his relationship with antidepressants in a series of self-portraits. Simon’s photography soon became more than just a hobby, and in 2023, he used his Spirit of the Highlands commission to capture fellow first responders at work in East Sutherland.

The Culture Scene joins Simon out and about on the Isle of Skye, where he balances saving lives with capturing the wild beauty of the island in his photographs. Show less