I am a transdisciplinary researcher and photographer. My photographic practice focuses on identity and memory and my work has been exhibited in Scotland, Wales, and the United States.
My research focuses on the ontology of photography, specifically through the lens of complexity theory. I also explore themes relating to the creation of photographic meaning, specifically national identities and psychogeography.
I frequently contribute to Offline Journal - a print only publication exploring photography in Wales.
My research interests include photography, complexity theory, visual studies, nationality and local identities, curation, and national art.
Article
Macdonald E (2026) Too Much or Not Enough? The Decline of the Iconic News Image and the Adaptive Challenges of Visual Digital Journalism. Macdonald E (Researcher) Digital Journalism, pp. 1-26. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21670811.2026.2744880?scroll=top&needAccess=true#abstract; https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2026.2744880
Book Chapter
Look into my lies: the strategic use of photography in UK Gov’s 2021 coronavirus campaign
Macdonald E & Jones B (2023) Look into my lies: the strategic use of photography in UK Gov’s 2021 coronavirus campaign. In: Lilleker D & Veneti A (eds.) Research Handbook on Visual Politics. Political Science and Public Policy. Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 370-380. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800376939.00038
Conference Paper (published)
Teaching Interactive Digital Narrative Through Found Photography
McKeown C & MacDonald E (2023) Teaching Interactive Digital Narrative Through Found Photography. In: TBC. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. 16th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, Kobe, 11.11.2023-15.11.2023. Cham , Switzerland: Springer.
Article
Macdonald E (2023) Shooting the dragon: How visual representations of Welshness in photography have developed and are changing. Journal of European Popular Culture, 14 (1), pp. 71-92. https://doi.org/10.1386/jepc_00055_1
I am the Director of Learning and Teaching for the School of Communication.
I teach across our undergraduate and taught masters portfolio, as well as teaching on our programmes at Singapore Institute of Management.