Finlay MacKay (b.1972) was born in Scotland and studied fine art photography at Glasgow School of Art (1992–96) working with the inspirational American photographer and teacher, Thomas Joshua Cooper.
After graduating, MacKay moved to London to work as a photographer’s assistant, spending three formative years with Elaine Constantine.
For his first commercial campaign in 2002 MacKay used multiple negatives to build the final images for the series of dynamic fashion shots that won three bronze lions at Cannes. This creative use of post-production techniques remains central to his visual thinking.
MacKay’s portfolio includes sport and portraiture as well as complex advertising productions that draw on graphic novels and the work of contemporary artists, such as the Scottish painter Peter Howson.
For the National Portrait Gallery/BT Road to 2012 Project MacKay has moved away from a traditional sports approach. By observing and responding to the narratives that the athletes and their training locations present, he has created a series of contemplative scenarios to tell a story of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games from a singular perspective.
