Laura Cameron ‘A Farmer’s Life’ - Communication Design

Jimmy Millar on his dairy farm, from Laura Campbell's 'A farmer's life' project

A talented design student, Laura Cameron, draws on her crofting heritage as she explores ‘A Farmer’s Life’ and asks why farmers have such passion for their land and why it is so important to them in the modern world?

The starting point for Communication Design student, Laura Cameron’s project was her family croft, Achnamonie, which includes Craigends dairy farm and Linkfield grain farm near Stirling. Laura took inspiration from her late grandfather who had lived in the croft with her grandmother most of his life and also her father, a dairy specialist who runs the family farm.

Within ‘A Farmer’s Life’, Laura, creates a ‘diary of the land’ that give audiences a snapshot of farmers lives that includes a phonebook and a visual slideshow of images with interviews of the farmers and their experiences on the land.

Laura said: “I think my inspiration stems from the importance of this family land because it is a privilege to have something of such ancestral value - which links into all the farms in many ways."

"I tried to explore the essence of the farms through portraits, landscapes, textures that differentiate them, looking at candid moments and charms around the farm."

Black photo album with white lettering that reads 'a Farmer's life' and three overlapping photographs

Group of sheep in a field in black and white

Speaking about her work, Laura said; “Covid has affected my work especially the travel bans however being outdoors has given me more freedom than if I was studio based. I would like to continue this project in the future and find a creative job that develops my skills further.”

“Communication Design is a great course for variation and trying things. I think the working environment of an open plan studio with other students helps build confidence and inspires you to be more creative. Overall, the course gives you the opportunity to play which, for creatives, is the best way to find the idea you are looking for in a project.”