Born in 1973 in Scotland. He studied Fine Art Photography at the Glasgow School of Art. In 2002, he began to work on his own. His first shots reveal an extremely original style, which draws on pop, street art and comic book style, as well as on more classical painting. His imagination, technical skill and expert use of lighting have allowed him to evolve, to the point where he is now one of the Olympians of the new generation of photographers.
He began his collaboration with the New York Times Magazine in 2006, for which he made important portfolios and worked with several cover stories. In July 2011, he inaugurated an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London to celebrate the athletes of the 2012 Olympics. Reinterpreting his subjects with his unique imagination, MacKay has portrayed some of the most important sports and entertainment figures of our day. His portfolio as an advertising photographer includes campaigns for numerous worldwide brands.