In This Place (2015–17) by Margaret Mitchell documents three generations of one family. Part of Mitchell's wider interest in people and place, belonging and childhood, In This Place brings this attention to the family of her late sister Andrea. Centred on the town of Stirling, Scotland, the work explores how life trajectories are influenced by class, place and access to opportunity alongside personal circumstances, in what Mitchell calls a "complex dance".
Mitchell first photographed her sister’s family in 1994 for the series Family. By revisiting the same lives, she extends that work into an inquiry about intergenerational inequality. By 2015, the younger generation had become adults, having moved between two similarly disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the same town. Their experiences raise a recurring question: how much freedom can individuals exercise when their choices are constrained by the places, resources and expectations surrounding them?
The series extends beyond the family itself to the surrounding environment: the estate, bus stops, demolished sites, and open ground. Windows, walls, and doorways structure many compositions, suggesting both enclosure and the possibility of looking elsewhere. In This Place was photographed in color and natural light, with images combining intimate documentary portraits with closely observed environmental details. Muted interiors, frost, fog, and empty spaces create a reflective mood, while gestures between those photographed emphasize affection, loss, and mutual dependence.
Mitchell transitioned from 35mm photography to medium-format film in the early 1990s, with the majority of her work done on Bronica and Mamiya 6 cameras. In This Place was photographed mostly on a Mamiya 6. From early 2015, during family visits, Mitchell spoke with her nieces and nephew about revisiting the earlier work and making a new series. Having observed the trajectories of their lives over many years, she had long questioned what influenced the paths they took. These initial conversations led her to embark on In This Place.
In 2021, her book Passage (Bluecoat Press) featured In This Place alongside the earlier work Family (1994) and was longlisted for the 2022 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize. In This Place has been presented in exhibitions including at Street Level Photoworks and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Photographs from the two series have entered the collections of the National Galleries of Scotland, the Martin Parr Foundation, and the University of Stirling.
