Seamust

Silhouettes

2011-11-16T15:36:00.001+01:00

Silhouettes.

Random's from the Summer

2011-10-26T14:09:00.006+01:00

Holland

2011-10-18T18:02:00.004+01:00

The Dutch love there bikes.

From Amsterdam and the Hague. Made earlier this year.

Same day, same Street.

2011-08-04T17:06:00.004+01:00

All these images made in the Same Day, same street, within one hour. All with a 21mm Lens.

And now time for something completely...

2011-07-06T13:16:00.004+01:00

..different. I thought I would upload some street photos without people for a change.

You Scratch My Back and ...

2011-04-29T15:30:00.002+01:00

Shooting at March Horsefair

2011-03-08T20:48:00.006+01:00

A Grower.

2010-11-05T17:36:00.003+01:00

A Grower not a show-er.

It's the four people on the right that do it for me.

From Last October

2010-08-29T00:27:00.002+01:00

More Xpan

2010-08-25T22:02:00.002+01:00

At the now tender age of 31, here I upload some images that do not represent existentialist angst in any shape or form. Or maybe perhaps. Read behind the lines what you will.

Armenia First Scans.

2010-08-01T18:45:00.011+01:00

Well I have a long way to go to sort my negatives and scans from Armenia, here is just a quick selection from the colour ones. The majority I shot on Black and White.

In terms of people and culture, it is the most fascinating place I have ever been. As a holiday it was incredible, in terms of documentary I only scratched the surface of the stories to be told there. I just get the feeling that I missed so much. And did I really capture the spirit of the place, or is it even possible to capture that spirit.

It's history is remarkably similar to Ireland in many ways. In some of the Rural areas I get a sense of De Ja vu, as the Farming culture and warmth of the people is that of Ireland Pre-Globalisation, and the united states of Europe.
Mount Ararat dominates the skyline, now contensouly in Turkish hands. When I returned Home I remebered Marco Polo mentioning Armenia, It's one of the first nations he mentions. Back then Mount Ararat according to Polo was in the very centre of Armenian lands. Sadly modern Armenia is now a fraction of the size it once was. In the skyline you can see behind the workers just how massive the mountain truly is.
For the people to labour under the shadow of there once spiritual home and symbol of there people, now behind a closed border of a foreign land, it is easy to see why it is such a sore talking point.

Yerevan.

The Aptly named Bangladesh Market in Yerevan. I shot a few rolls on the Xpan, it's just trying to scan the buggers is a pain.

My Friends and travelling companions Pip, Alex and our gracious host Armenie.

What stood out most to me, was not once was I harassed for money or stopped for taking pictures. Considering now in our so called developed!! nations of Europe walking around with a camera makes you a terrorist or pervert, it was so refreshing to be greeted with smiles, for making photos. It reminded of the early days of vernacular photography where those that roamed the streets with a camera were not suspicious.

Temple Bar Last night.

2010-07-30T17:32:00.005+01:00

From Oct 2009

2010-07-27T22:12:00.002+01:00

Warsaw Poland. Oct last year.

Attacked.

2010-05-26T18:18:00.001+01:00

Like a still from a horror movie.

From Last October.

2010-05-06T16:21:00.001+01:00

The way things are headed.

2010-03-24T00:55:00.003+01:00

I just read an interview with Brian Eno. His parting thoughts on the Music industry strike an extreme resemblance to what is happening to the photographic industry right now. In my humble opinion that is.

On the end of an era

"I think records were just a little bubble through time and those who made a living from them for a while were lucky. There is no reason why anyone should have made so much money from selling records except that everything was right for this period of time. I always knew it would run out sooner or later. It couldn't last, and now it's running out. I don't particularly care that it is and like the way things are going. The record age was just a blip. It was a bit like if you had a source of whale blubber in the 1840s and it could be used as fuel. Before gas came along, if you traded in whale blubber, you were the richest man on Earth. Then gas came along and you'd be stuck with your whale blubber. Sorry mate – history's moving along. Recorded music equals whale blubber. Eventually, something else will replace it."

People Watching.

2010-03-16T01:25:00.003+01:00

Wien Part 1

2010-02-22T15:35:00.005+01:00

At the end of last September I got to spend a few days in Vienna. Wonderful city, clean, safe (except for transsexual prostitutes near westbanof), reliable transport, plenty to see although I never saw any museums, before I left I think I squeezed one in.
The above shot is the first photo I made when I got off the plane.
With any neg scanners that I seem to touch, lately end up just plain not working, I got some 5x7 prints made, and did a flat bed scan of the images.
This reminds me of the riddle of the Sphinx, in the story of Oedipus, how we start our lives on four legs, then two, and finally three.
At the Museum Quater.
Everywhere you go in that city is parks, I mean you look on a map and every district has it's own beautifully preserved park.

I was so lucky when I arrived there was an unseasonal Indian summer. I left Ireland and the pissing rain and cold, to lovely sunny temperate days. I couldn't believe that as soon as I landed, off went the wool sweater to walking around in a t-shirt.
Next installment will be some Black and white from the trip.

Bratislava.

2010-01-30T19:15:00.010+01:00

With my recent neg scanner woes, I have a backlog, of images to get through. Then again I'm more concerned with with running a business and trying to market images that are sellable, rather than this stuff. None the less here is an edit from a day trip I did to Bratislava in Slovakia. The hostel I stayed in had a bar in the lower basement done up like a torture chamber, it was only when I got home did I actually see the movie "Hostel". Can't understand why they set the movie there, it's one of the safest country's I've ever traveled through. It would be more realistic if it was set in Transnistria.

This is one of those images that I'll have to print big, at least 20" in width, the woman coming up the stairway has a similar expression to the posters at the end of the cement pillar.
I would have liked to have experimented with this composition more, but as I made this image a man with a bandage around his arm approached me claiming he had just been robbed and could I lend him some money to get home. "Eh No". Later on that I saw the same man walking around town Minus the bandage.
I was in the church and the nun was fast asleep, luckily the pffft of the rangefinder did not wake her. This is one of those very rare times where I photograph someone who is homeless.
It's a quite city in general, you pretty much can see it in a day or two. Although I will say it has some of the most stunning looking women I've ever seen in my life. That statement by the way has nothing to do with the above image.

Apparently I'm a Terrorist?

2010-01-21T19:52:00.009+01:00

Well you maybe wondering what the scan of the following document is all about, it's a copy of my detainment form, where I was searched and questioned by three non-uniformed undercover police officers for the suspicious act of taking photos in a public place, this falls under section 44 of the anti terrorism act. I've blurred out the lower part of the form as it contains the names of the undercover officers. Needless to say it was an eventful little stay in England, thank god I don't live there.

As you can see from the form the reason for more search and also they photographed my face for there records was this.

"Stopped and searched due to behavour within groups of People at guard change. Seen walking in and out of crowds aimlessly without purpose taking photographs."

I was attending a photographic convention and trade show in London, as my day job involves Family portraits and Weddings, but as you know my personal work is street photography and vintage cameras.
On Thursday the 14th, my first morning for my stay I decided to go to Buckingham palace to see the changing of the guards. It was a overcast dull morning and when I arrived, there was already a hundred or so tourists gathered each one taking photos of anything that moved. I of course do the opposite of what everyone else is snapping and go and document the crowd and look for humorous juxapositions. I don't take a single frame of buckingham palace or the guards marching.

When I go to leave a man in plain clothes approaches me and asks do I speak English, I say yes, are from here? I reply no I'm from Ireland. He then makes a hand gesture, and two men then stand beside him where they then show me their police badges and inform me I'm to be searched. They said that I was not taking photos other tourists were doing, and why was I not staying in the one spot, why was constantly moving in and out of the crowd. Buckingham palace is a prime target for terrorists and people who want to rob tourists. When I inform them that photography in public places is perfectly legal and they cant search me for that, they say that my behaviour was that of a pick pocket, and they can search me for suspicion of that, also under the anti terrorism act they can search me and take my details to prevent terrorism as I had a camera.
They did speak to me in a polite and courteous manner the whole time.

Last year at Canary Wharf I was approached by two uniformed officers for similiar reasons, but in that case I showed them a bussiness card and said that I was a proffessional and off they went. But this time when I explained that I make my living from photography and showed them my credentails, they said that a pro would not use an old film camera like I have (please bear in mind the camera they are refering to, is a Leica m6). Also why is my camera covered in black tape, why do I want it to blend in. I inform them that this camera is worth more second hand then a new Nikon D700. As for digital cameras I'm the proud owner of a Nikon D3, D700, and D2x, the policeman with the camera did know what I was talking about. He then writes the name leica m6 into a notebook. They said it was nothing against me personally, but they have orders to search people with unusual and unique looking camera equipment.

When they repeated the whole I could be a pickpocket thing, I put my arms out and allowed them to search me, I couldn't waste any more time as I had an expensive seminar to get to. After my pockets were emptied they took my photo with a Nikon D40, both of my face and full lenght of my body. When I said what will those images be used for, they said not to worry, that once they clear that I'm ok, I should be fine. Although he didn't really say yes or no if they will be deleted.
The back of the search form says the record will be deleted in a year?

On Sunday at Hyde Park corner I met a Polish man who was detained and handcuffed by the police for taking photos, his wrists are still marked from where they cuffed him back in December, how is that in the interest of public safety, the article can be found on the Amateur Photographer website here

In the Police's defense, any that I talked to over the next days, say they are trying to save life's, that photography in public is still legal and I have every right to do it, but according to them, they have caught terrorists videotaping targets. Although I have not heard of any such instances in the media.

I could write so much more on this matter but I will leave it there. But after this incident I had a strange feeling that this is only the start, simlar instances will start to occur in Ireland next then the rest of europe.

T Minus one year

2010-01-11T21:14:00.002+01:00

For Kodachrome.

Broken Scanners.

2009-12-20T00:19:00.002+01:00

I'm tearing my imaginary hair out right now, like a phantom limb, you always feel it's there.
My Nikon 8000 that broke down a year ago is still in repairs as they cannot find a wiring diagram for that model (if any one knows where I can get a wiring diagram for a Nikon Coolscan 8000 please drop me a line). Then the less than average Epson v350 that I was using as a replacement started scanning purple lines through the images, I then borrow a Nikon 5000 from a friend, which rejects my negs. My luck with such matters is not good this past while.

Hence forth most of the images I made on my recent trip through Eastern europe are stuck in a drawer and not seeing the light of day.
I did manage to scan a few before things went pear shaped. The one above is from Brno, in the Czech Republic.

Wood Quay

2009-12-04T19:42:00.002+01:00

Wood Quay Dublin, Kodak px125.

Pose

2009-11-30T01:47:00.002+01:00

The Art of Zen

2009-11-23T14:59:00.001+01:00

Pilgrimage.

2009-11-14T19:58:00.002+01:00

Ilford Delta 400 pushed to 800, with an orange filter. The worst conditions I've ever tried to make images in.

Derry 08.

2009-11-06T20:55:00.001+01:00

Still Developing

2009-11-04T16:30:00.002+01:00

I'm still developing rolls of film from my trip, not to mention the others I've done this year that I've yet to even sort or look at yet.

This is from a film set in Prague I snuck into, about three seconds after this frame a security man approached me and began to speak in Czech, when I just shrugged my shoulders he escorted me off set.

......

2009-10-29T00:56:00.003+01:00

Slovakian Gypsies

2009-10-25T01:17:00.002+01:00

Flexaret VI

2009-10-22T15:13:00.008+01:00

About two weeks back when I was in Olomouc (pronounced Olomoats) in the Czech republic, Greg from New Zealand who worked at the Poets Corner Hostel in the past and was familiar with the town, took me to a camera shop that was seriously in favor of analogue. City's larger than Olomouc in Ireland don't have camera shops as well stocked as this one.

I bought a Flexaret VI TLR for 850 Czech crowns, about €35. I left it in my backpack, and decided not to shoot a test roll till I got back to Dublin. The production years for that camera are 1961 to 65.

The First shot I made with it, the reflection from the back of a Fiat Punto.

The optics seem to be uncoated, yet despite that there is good tonality in the negs.

Theres a wonderful dreamlike softness to the images (due to uncoated glass), more of a portrait camera to be used in the studio or fine art projects, rather than on the street.
The Viewfinder is extremely dark, which can lead to composing difficulty's but I guess thats due to some mold forming in the top lens.
Other than that, I'm more excited about using this piece of gear, than I am about a new D700 I got a while back, yes you heard me right, I'm that much of a nerd.

Xpan scans

2009-10-18T20:35:00.004+01:00

Just got back from my three week holiday in Eastern Europe.

I thought I'd upload some old XPAN scans before I start developing and scanning my rolls from the trip.
It was only after seeing the neg come back from the lab did I realise the boy on top of the pillar is holding a Dove.

Killorgan County Kerry.

Please note these scans were done using a €170 scanner, hence the quality is lacking, but I've finally bit the bullet and have put my Nikon coolscan into repair.

I have many more images to sort through going back some month's, but I might as well get cracking on the negs from my travels. Will have my first images by the end of the week.

Jesus Matters

2009-09-21T21:48:00.003+01:00

Spiritualism versus Commercialism.
Dublin Ireland. XPAN (single frame mode).

Ljubljana Slovenia. 35mm kodak 125xp.

Obama.

2009-09-15T22:28:00.001+01:00

Equal

2009-09-13T22:45:00.005+01:00

21mm Lens. Tri-x

O'Connell Street.

2009-09-13T22:31:00.002+01:00

Ilford Delta 400, 35mm lens.

A hold Up.

2009-09-07T22:22:00.003+01:00

Killorgan County Kerry, Ireland.
XPan in single frame mode.

In Conversation

2009-08-31T14:28:00.002+01:00

Second photo of the week.

Photo of the Week.

2009-08-19T21:50:00.003+01:00

A little absent of late, but here is the first of my photo of the week project.

Battles.

2009-05-16T15:51:00.001+01:00

Some music and moving images, rather then my crappy photos for your viewing pleasure.

Kodachrome

2009-04-30T21:37:00.006+01:00

Immortalised in Song by Simon and Garfunkel, the legendary Kodachrome slides are nearly extinct with only one lab left in the world who develops the K-14 (Dwayne's Photo in Kansas USA).

The only type of the brand left available is 35mm 64iso. Many proffesional and well known users of the film are having to switch to either e-6 process brands, negative film, or digital, I my self had to order it from abroad as it is no longer sold in Ireland. It's as rare as hens teeth to come by.
I bought some through 7dayshop.com for sheer novelty value, I heard that Steve McCurry's famous Afgan girl photo was taken with Kodachrome.
I've rarely used positive slide film, shot a roll or two of velvia, I do love the prospect of seeing your film in positive form, makes editing a hell of a lot easyer.
It costs about €8.50 a roll, which has processing and return postage included, from there you have to spend anouther €1.50 to post to Switzerland (with this lovely envelope proved by Kodak), from there they then send it to Kanas in America.
A week later you receive your slides back.
I heard a lot about it, but it is the best and most acurate colour reproduction of reality I have ever seen.
It's decline over over other brands of slide film leaves me perplexed, it's just so good. What started out as a brief experiment, to test it out, has become something that will permanently be in my arsenal as long as it's made.
These are from the test roll I put through the Leica m6.
I scanned the slide carriers on the light box, to give the touchable effect of how the slides are viewed and handled. Makes a change from moving things about on a viewing box, as opposed to digi files in Adobe bridge.
Tourist throwing up in temple bar.
A rehash of an image I took in B&W last year, I'm repeating my self too much these days.
It's a pity the boys in shadow, the poster in the background is a jockey falling off his horse. This will end up in my maybe limbo bucket.
This well end up in my interesting but requires cropping bucket. The second mans shadow is making a shape totally different from his body, a bit strange, alas I was not close enough, I don't print or use images that require significant cropping. Other wise I don't learn from the mistake.

Not that I'm boasting, but out of 36 shots, one exposure was a dud, not like anyone gives a shit anyway.

To be honest the lack of latitude in shooting chrome, is part of it's appeal, the fact that even if your 1/3 of a stop over or under your screwed, you have to nail there and then, easy for landscape photography, anouther ball game for candid on the street moments of people.
It takes the being there and then to a whole new level, your mentalitly has to be the oposite of the HDR photo manipulaters polluting the internet at the moment.

The Revenge of Neopan

2009-04-08T19:25:00.017+01:00

I found two rolls of Neopan 1600, lying in the back of a fridge, it's a film I rarely shoot, I don't know why it has a really unique grain structure and quality to it.
Again these images are from last year, some are from March last year exactly, the kissing photos are from St Patrick's day 2008.

I'll explain some other time why I leave it so long till viewing or editing personal photos (besides I just couldn't be arsed).
Probably one of the first photos made with my 21mm Voightlander lens. I suggest full view for this one.
For some reason there were lots of Kissing photos on the roll's, must have been that time of year. Like a scene from Jacobs Ladder, that movie scared me so much when I was twelve.
I came very close to getting the crap kicked out of at this point.
They were carrying a makeshift coffin, I liked the way the boy ran into frame, the 21mm lens gets everything in.

These last two pictures are my attempt at getting an MFA, sadly it's not taken with a 10x8 view camera, therefore it can not be art.

From Last Year

2009-04-03T12:13:00.003+01:00

Some scans from last year.

I'll always leave photos sitting for month's before I do anything with them, picky bastard I guess.

Yay for Colour.

2009-03-30T03:09:00.004+01:00

People always say to me it's great that you shoot so much black and white film, keeping it real and traditional.
But to be honest it's more of a matter of financial necessity rather than artistic preference. It costs three times as much to shoot colour film which has to be handled in a c-41 or e-6 lab as opposed to developing your own black and white which is cheap as chips.
Believe me if I had my way I would shoot more colour .

I suppose I've shot B&W for some long colour opens up a whole new world and a way of seeing, although after a time of just using colour I'll get bored and go back to the compositionally pure world of monotone.

Besides doing experiments with colour, I'll soon just work exclusivly in the panoramic or square format of the Hasselblad. I'm so over standard rectangles.

Leicaflage

2009-03-26T13:36:00.007+01:00

The chrome on the Leica M6 was drawing too much attention, so I decided to break out some black tape and engage in some urban camouflage.

Now that's much better the chrome was too pretty. I might even get some brown masking tape and throw it on there for good measure.

Panoramic London

2009-03-15T19:26:00.006+01:00

Hi here are some recent photos from my trip to London in January, all images captured with a Hasselblad xpan.

I had very little time to go around to make images, I was too busy at the SWPP convention.

After about two minutes before this picture was made, at Canary Wharf in London, I was aproached by two police officers who started to demand why I'm taking pictures and where I'm from. When I said Ireland. They asked that I show them some ID, I told them I don't have any, and said I'm tourist and I didn't think there were any laws about taking photos in public. They just said you can't take photos here. Strange how the 20 people I saw with camera phones could snap away and I can't.
I continued on shooting whatever the fuck I felt like after they left.
I should mention that I had only a few hours sleep, and still half pissed from the night before.

It was my last day in London, and marred what was an otherwise nice little trip.

I have some images made with the Leica I'll see if I can dust off the negs, upload them some time.

Joy Division

2009-02-10T21:07:00.004+01:00

For years I could never understand Joy Division, when I was a teenager most of my friends listened to them 24/7, I thought they were too depressing too dark.
Yet over the past two weeks I've had there songs on constant rotation on my ipod.

Now that I'm about to turn thirty, all my friends seem to have outgrown them and I now finally get them, I just don't know why it took me so long, approaching mid life crisis perhaps.

Anton Corbijn a commercail photographer I have admired for some time, one of those rare breeds (in the 1% perhaps) whose personal work matches his commercial paid work, and visa versa.

He has now gone into film making and his debut feature film "control" was released in 1997, based on the tragic life of Joy Divisions front man Ian Curtis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5KfIhtto0w

Frame for frame it's a beautifully shot movie, with Corbijn successfully making the transition from stills to movie.

Images from limbo.

2009-01-10T19:59:00.004+01:00

I'm glad I went bald in my early twenties it saved me the trouble of having to tear it out these days when I'm editing photos. I can never decided which in a sequence is best, or if a photo is okay or not in the first place.

I've have a whole selection of photos that I have yet to get prints made of, for now the negatives are just sitting in a drawer gathering dust, they just don't have a certain spark that makes me drag them out. At the same time there is something about them that stays in the back of my mind.

They remain in a strange limbo, waiting to be reviewed and choosen.

I have so many of these images waiting in editing limbo, I could do an image a day blog and run out of photos in about six months, but there is enough crap out there on the internet already, without me adding to it.

Here for the first time I thought I'd show some of these images, I'm 50/50 undecided about.
Actually I like this image it's a dramatic moment but I don't display it in public as many people are offended by it, to me it's about contrast of culture with three different woman, a Muslim, a busy career type, and a sexist poster. My intention is not racist or sexist.

I probably have more images that some people may find offensive or morally grey that I just keep in drawer.
Such as the two images above.
I like the way she's on her tip toes embracing him, it's just not very original.

I have a few man mimicking enviroment images already, I just don't know if there good enough.

This one people might think I set up, but he was a tourist that I snapped when he was in conversation.
Meh I just don't know.
This I keep going back to this, maybe a bit too random The pope, Jesus, and santa clause, and two angry people. A very Irish scene, I like it but something holds me back from the darkroom and getting a print done.
This as well.
The same as this. Which I sort of think is okay but the rangefinder parralax error pisses me off, I saw more of the kid picking his nose in the viewfinder.
I have a gazzillion poster images, it seems just a bit of a cliche at this stage.
I have a similair image to this except in Black and White, although this could be the better version.
These two really have me frustrated.
The two people walking behind the men in the foreground annoy me.
One of the first photos from my 21mm Voightlander.

Well that's it for now, this is my first blog post since the death of uber, I haven't really been motivated to post anything recently. Also the death of Uber highlights the impermance of digital media versus analogue.

I could post hundreds more images that I'm undecided about, but any feedback would be apreciated, am I too picky?

I'll upload anouther set of rejected photos when I get back from London.

2008-06-17T18:59:00.002+01:00

You can vote for my Picture at Jpeg magazine here.

Latest Stuff.

2007-12-09T19:30:00.000+01:00

At the moment I've been active over at uber.

You can catch up on the latest blogs there.

But I will return here someday.

I'm sending happiness.

2007-11-26T18:14:00.000+01:00

Another Dublin randomer that I met recently.
I went to explore some new areas on the North side that I have not taken any photographs at yet. It was more of a quick reconnaissance mission, but it's always when you least expect it that something happens.

He spotted me taking this frame of the I'm sending happiness poster, and the sales & repairs sign. Yes I know spot the irony kids, it's all very Walker Evans.
He approached me to know what the story was.
I said I'm just taking pictures.
What for.
For myself.
He then pointed out that the beat up old Nikon I use looks like something I found in a skip. Funny bloke. But he's right believe it or not the camera I use for 90% of my personal work (until my Leica) was actually found in a bin. It was being thrown out of on old darkroom lab. So for all those people who are starting out in photography and just bought shiny new auto everything DSLR's thinking that it will make them take better photo's hahahahahah suckers. Start using crap equipment first before you jump into buying something serious. Baby steps as they say.

I talked to him for about fifteen minutes before I asked him could I take his photo, although I don't like that term "take".
He said I look like Zidane, not the first person to say that. He then proceeded to discuss football. I'm surprised how up to date on the premiership he was, for someone who lives without TV ? Or is it wrong of me to presume that. He use to work for Guinness in shipping and the merchant marines. Those are good paying jobs with pensions, but I didn't ask how he ended up in his current homeless situation.

Mind you he seemed happy enough.

Sir Leica Lot

2007-11-19T19:39:00.000+01:00

This bad ass motherfucker just arrived today.

I can't wait to try this out. See what all the fuss is about. All I can say is I see great prospects with it.

For now all I got is an old Summitar lens from the forties as far as I know. I'll just have to get some Summicron magic. I was thinking a Summicron 35mm. Then a bessa 50 and 28mm.
I paid a few hundred euro's for a rangefinder and another couple of hundred for a red dot that says Leica.

Despite some of the most famous photo's of the 20th century taken with one of these, also some of the worst photos ever made have been taken with them as well.

I nearly hate the red dot snob brigade as much as I hate the DSLR 200m lens street shooter gang. There is a certain pub in Dublin where every Tuesday night various retired bankers , doctors etc, meet up and dicuss street shooting all the fancy Leica glass they own. None of them could take a picture to save their lives.

I could have got a Bessa r4m for half the price, but a poor mans Lieca is a poor mans Leica no matter what way you look at it.

I sold some valuables to get this, but I stand by my choice.

I sold my Rolleiflex for booze.

2007-09-20T12:54:00.000+01:00

Sometimes it takes six hours for something to happen on the street, others an hour. The longest amount I've had to wait to capture an event of note, is eight hours. But it take ten minutes as well, as in this situation.
I had finished work and I was making my way into town. This man was chasing two eastern European girls in miniskirts (I assume they were Polish) outside a shop. I went to raise my camera, he immediately spotted me and straight away engaged in conversation. Luckily for those girls, they were forgotten instantly.

Ah jaysus I see you have a real camera there, not one of those shite plastic jobs. I reply back I'm too old to play with plastic toys. He then said him and his brother used to do a lot of photography. Generally when I have a conversation with one of those keen amateurs about photography, I find out pretty quickly they don't know shit.
But his case he did know some shit. He kept telling me through his drunken slur, that him and his brother had a Rolleiflex 6x6, and were on a personal project to document old (sorry ould) Dublin before it disapears. But his brother emigrated, and then it was left up to him to finish the project, but drink took over his life. And the Rolleiflex was sold for booze.

He then began to tell me about this great book he's reading, "The great number tens" I generally have no interest in rugby, so I asked for a photo. He said on condition he take mine as well.
The negs look pretty good, delta 100 dev in xtol. I only wish I had taken a close up of his face with the colour camera, as each eye was a different colour. Brown and Blue.

The two Polish girls passed by again, and he started to chase them. I ran after them as well asking them to pose for a picture with him. They started screaming noooooo, and tried to run even faster in high heels and miniskirt's. I took colour photos of that with the f90x, but I'm not going to be able to develop the negs for a while. I think I got anything anyway.

Later on Moore street I passed by this graffiti, and thought about what he said to me. That old Dublin is disappearing. More than just our buildings. But is our history and culture as well. Does the new economically wealthy Dublin give a shit about 1916. Or anything that happened pre Celtic tiger. The whole city is a construction site. We knock down more monuments then any other country in Europe. I then thought maybe not all he said was the ramblings of a drunken madman.

Free Hugs

2007-08-09T18:48:00.000+01:00

What the hell is with all these teenagers going around town holding free hugs signs, these days.
Four times now I've come across groups of people (all late teens, all a little emo)walking around giving away free hugs.
One time it was two men in bear suits.
And on two of those occasions I had a camera with me.

Hugs are too precious a commodity in our modern age, to be given away for free.

I've since then done a little research and this whole phenomenon started in Australia, and then was spread by the internet by forums such as myspace, bebo and youtube.
That would explain the young age of all the people doing it, i.e. too much free time.

As opposed to having too much free time for walking around with a camera photographing random shit that takes place. On a time consuming analogue format, to end up with pictures of no commercial value.

The first of this series and by far the best. I love how the Garda is reaching behind to grab his handcuffs, you'd swear he's about to arrest them.

They were yelling at the police, free hugs for free drugs. I'm reilly suprised they the didn't search them.This woman either doesn't want to be hugged or just doesn't want to be photographed.

I anticipated this moment wrong, I saw the sign ahead over the shop saying envy. I thought it would make a good juxtaposition, of the signs with opposing meanings. Unfortunately I was too low, and his head is blocking the V on the sign. If I had of taken the shot standing I would have got the full sign in frame. But alas it's too late for "if's".

That reminds me back in February I shot two men in Bear suits doing the same thing. I just digged out the negatives.

This is actually from the first roll of film I ever shot with my Nikon f3.

Which has since died on me this week.

The shop in the background is appropriately named Korky's. A real teddy bear name.

Ahhhhhhh so wuvable.

I had just missed it but someone had punched this bear in the face.

Some people don't care for free hugs much.

While others do.

Awwwww makes me feel all fuzzy and warm inside.

Everyone needs hugs once in a while.

A day of discipline.

2007-08-06T23:09:00.000+01:00

The other day by accident I bought a 12 shot roll of film. I then set myself a goal of trying to sqeeze as many decent shots as possable onto the roll. It took four hours and about a mile and half walk, but I think I did my best in the end. Although as usual I still think I could have done better.
The first on the roll, ah yes Meat Par Excellence.

The second shot, a little skewed, but "cough" thats for artistic purposes.

Shooting colour over B&W, really has it's advantages.
Not often you see a panama hat in Dublin.
What the hell are these guys riding on.
This is not really a headless man but a hunchback.
The only dodgy shot on the roll, it's out of focus.
This kid looks twelve and smoking, little bastard caught me taking his picture as well.
If he was standing it would be a good picture as the light bulb would be on his head.
O'Connell Street.
Irish aid advert at the top of O'Connell street.
Well done to who ever took that original billboard picture it's fantastic.
The final photo of twelve.

So now back to the concept of unlimited use Flash cards, versus limited shots of film.

In this modern age the concept of of shooting 36 shots in groups at a time, is more and more becoming an alien concept. The idea now is shoot fucking hundreds and hundreds of shots till you get a "few" that are good.

What a pile of horse shit, any fucking pleb can pick up a digi cam, with auto focus, auto exposure, auto fucking everything, shoot hundreds of shots, and is bound by the sheer law of averages to hit something good. Unless they're very unlucky or very stupid (probably the latter).

I always use a metaphor that my Father says.
Shooting a digi cam with a zoom lens, loaded with a CF card that holds hundreds of shots, is like hunting deer in the woods with a machine gun. Sure it'll be easy to get a hit, you just spray everything in sight with bullets till eventually your bound to hit something. But whether or not any of your kills are clean or decisive ones is a different story.

While shooting a manual wind film camera, with a prime lens (preferably wide angle), is like hunting deer with a 45.cal bolt action rifle.
You have a very small magazine of bullets, and each time you need to take a shot you have to manually load each single shot. You have to stalk your prey with stealth, take into consideration every detail, and aim each shot ever so carefully. You have to focus and expose everything correctly.
And when you do hit something, it will be a clean and decisive kill.

Anyone can run around the woods machine gunning everything in sight, but they will never attain discipline or learn anything about the craft.
Thats the word I emphasize DISCIPLINE.

The idea for this little project came from when I was nerding it up at a camera repair place, talking to some some random guy. He spotted my rusted old F3 Nikon. He then comments so you haven't gone digital yet, I tell him I value my personal work too much to cheapen it by shooting fake ass digital.
He then proceeds to lecture me on the waste that film produces, especially in street shooting. He then informs me it takes hundreds of photos to get a good street shot with his D70.
Really hundreds of photos to get a decent photo, by the gods he really must be shit.
When you think about it there are guys who shoot 400 shots a day out there, that's over 10 rolls of film, I could not even imagine shooting 10 rolls and hardly not get anything.
If that's modern photography I want nothing to do with it.

I'm not saying I'm great, to tell you the truth I'm mediocre at the best of times, but at least on each roll of film there is 3 or 4 things of interest.

Besides I cheated a little on this photo project, because three of the locations I have used before except they were on Black and White and I wanted to see what they look like in colour.

So here they are to set my conscience straight.

Some damn strong light

2007-07-08T22:14:00.000+01:00

This Summer has turned to shit, really and truly turned to shit. What ever we have done to have deserved this eternal Winter trust upon us, I do not know. Well Winter is too harsh a season to describe what is happening it's more of an in between, I call Sminter.

Everyday for five weeks now it has rained and been overcast, I find no motivation to go outside and do something whether it's sport or take some pictures.
Something is happening to the climate, even is you believe in global warming or not. You cannot deny something is changing in the weather.
Maybe it's Karma or God, or just plain science, what ever the hell (pardon the pun) you believe in, the world around us is changing and there is nothing we can do about it.

For a brief two days, a week or two back the clouds vanished, and the sun shone through like I never have seen before.
It probably has shone as brightly before, but as it's been so long since I've seen it, it felt like the first time.

These photos document those two evenings.
I was carrying around two cameras film and digital.

On Camden street I had picked up some film at Gunn's camera store. Then just outside it this burst of light came through.
Luckily someone in a white shirt was kind enough to step into the light.

I then said enough of this fake bullshit digital, and then took out my real camera.
Considering my digital SLR is 1200 Euro more expensive than a film F3, I still consider my digi D200 a plastic toy.

My favourite of the series. With a car passing through.

Anouther white shirt adding to the abstract.
The final shot before the light moved out of position.
I packed my oh so heavy Digi SLR into my car, and started to walk around with the lighter alternative.

A few minutes later walking by the LUAS tracks. A pyramid with a car on top.

The Daniel Day LUAS Itself.

The reflections were literally bounding off everything.

Inside this tunnell light was coming from both ends, the nearest side was light reflected off an office building into the tunnell.
My battery on my light meter was beginning to die, so I had to guess the exposure at f4 at 1/125 not bad Huh?
Just after I had taken this shot a second Gypsy started to yell at me, who was begging near where I was standing.
She couldn't speak English and the only word's I got was Picture and money.
I promptly told her to "go fuck herself".
Which she then threw a plastic bottle at me.
I then walked off laughing. After picking up a new battery from a chemist. Shot into the McCafe. The light illuminates such touching moments, a couple in trouble, perhaps we're better off alone.

Finally some double exposures of the light.
Hopefully some day this will happen again.

The Iwa Jima of Dublin.

2007-06-29T22:38:00.000+01:00

Walking down Grafton street. I saw this phone box bent over.

I had walked around town for four hours already and got nothing, and now finally something of intrest.

So I waited to see if anything would happen.

Eventually these blokes showed up to to lend a helping hand to Dublin county council.

With no great war to fight in our modern age of peace, we must fight our own Iwa Jima.

Despite their valiant efforts the flag was never raised. And they walked home in defeat.

On the LUAS train home I noticed these reflections in the window of the other passengers. It's like an Abstract Double exposure on film.
All shots with a Nikon f3 on Fuji Neopan 400 developed in d-76.

The Road to Flagstaff

2007-03-03T20:47:00.000+01:00

On my exodus flight to Phoenix, I was seated in a center seat between one thin well dressed man and to my right was someone so obese I'm suprised he didn't book two seats for himself. He moved his girth in my direction and asked was I from Australia, commonly I get mistaken for Scottish or Aussie when in the US. I said I'm from Ireland his eyes glazed over with a look of puzzlement. "Where about's that", I reply "It's beside England". I can tell he is nodding his head out of politeness to fake interest in European geography, although he seems to be cracking a smirk almost repressing a laugh. Being from an obscure country in his opinion seems to funny. When I enquire where he is from he says Nebraska. I know about as much as Nebraska, as knows about Ireland. Although not to sound too superior, at least in Ireland we've had a few notable wars, some alcoholic writers, and invented good whiskeys and stouts. Enough to get our own day on March 17th. While Nebraska on the other hand has done, well eh.......... If anyone should be bemused about someone coming from an obscure place it's me. The conversation quickly ceases.

I know I know, it's such a cliche, talking about Americans knowledge of geography is like finding a piss head in Temple bar on a Saturday night. Besides the average Irish celtic tiger cub is ten times worse, a friend of mine who's a teacher says half his students can't find Ireland there own bloody country on a map.

An hour passes without incident. The man left to me looks very clean cut and is reading the best selling book of all time. Shortly before landing, we strike up a conversation, he ask's where am I going, I say from phone airport to catch a shuttle bus to Flagstaff. By coincidence he is heading to Flagstaff as well, and politely offers me a lift in the rental he has already booked. I decline intially but when collecting my bagage I agree as long as I can buy him lunch. To give credit where it's due, fair play to him for giving me a lift. Considering I do look like a cereal killer. Although by his clean image maybe he's a murderer, it's always the one you least expect. When at the rental depot, the parking attendant tells us no car's are left except for a red Mustang convertible with 2000 mileage. All for the price of a compact. What a stroke of luck this is. He looks at me and Exclaims "that's not Luck, thats god's doing".
What ensued was one of the most interesting 4 hours of conversation I've ever had. He was a Christian pastor going to Flagstaff to start a bible school because (according to him) Flagstaff is a secular liberal stronghold. His group originally came from Arkansas. Red convertibles somehow don't quite suit his demeanor more a gangster or yuppie boy racer.

Meeting people like him is precisely the reason one should be a traveler and not a tourist, to converse and exchange ideas with someone who is completely different from you. I've always wanted to meet a pro bush republican from the bible belt (seriously) to hear what they have to say. Although at first I had visions of him driving me to some compound where I would be brain washed into joining some pro gun militia, fortunately that never happened. What did happen was lengthy conversations on life, universe and everything.

He would call himself a bible literalist, where everything in the old testament literally happened, from Adam and Eve to Noah's ark. And God exact's punishment accordingly in a physical form by floods etc, to right the wrong's of sinful places. Therefore America is rich and powerful because it is a holy and christen place, while other country's starve because they are godless. That's why Hurricane Katrina came down as punishment for Mardi Gras. At this point I didn't want to tell him about my trips to Amsterdam, just in case he might think the car would be struck by lightning, and he'd throw me out on the roadside.

When we did get to talk about the war in Iraq, (according to him) it is going badly because America elected Bill Clinton in the 90's, a sinful man, and now god is punishing a good president like Bush. We stopped to have lunch in place he likes called Fuddruckers, is it just me, or is there a perverse double meaning in that name. A drunk man came to our table and asked for water and stumbled out again, my new travelling partner told me he was probably from a reservation.

When I told him about Clinton brokering the Northern Ireland good Friday agreement, and how evil men don't do things like that, he replied the bible tell's us even God can use evil men as tools for good. His jaw drooped when I told him in Ireland Clinton is viewed as a Saint while Bush is seen very much as the anti Christ. Clinton got a blow job behind his wife's back, but he brokered some of the most amazing foreign policy deals of any US president (although I can't speak for what he did in his home country as I don't live there), Bush on the other hand, well where to even begin possibly the worst foreign relations disaster in recent history of any country in the world right now is his responsibility. But at least he never got his dick sucked behind his wifes back (as far as we know).

I try to explain about Gilgamesh, and how Noah's ark is based on the old Babylonian legend, and my various other beliefs on how the world really works, that I don't believe anyone neither priest nor scientist.

Desert and flat plains then gives way to mountain and snow covered forest, finally I've reached Flagstaff where I've arrange to meet my friend Jamie at his work. It then occurs to me the diversity of America, not just in it's physical landscape where in the space of a few hours drive I've seen a whole change in climate, but in it's people. The person I'm about to meet is as completely opposite as the man who just gave me a lift, as the desert around Phoenix is as different to the Forests and mountains of Flagstaff. I'm sick of hearing negative stereotypes about Americans, like that they're all fat, then why does it have some of the best athletes in the world, or that Americans are stupid then how come they've the best engineers and scientists in the world. A place of such extremes can not be stereotyped.

I pull up at Jamie's work in the Mustang, and bid far well to the pastor and thank him for the lift. He tells that was the most interesting conversation he'd had in a long time, I tell him likewise.

Imaging USA 2007 San Antonio.

2007-02-05T00:39:00.000+01:00

The Worst part of any journey besides the preparation, is the waiting at airports, although the same applies for seaports, or any kind of god forsaken port.
But I am always amused by run ins with custom officials, minds that can’t think outside there bureaucratic box are entertaining to deal with. When browsing the US travel visa form, there is a question asking were you involved in any nazi human rights abuses between 1939 to 1945. Considering I was born in 1979, I tick no. Other questions include are you entering this country to deal drugs, commit terrorism etc. Somehow I don’t think the people they are trying to filter out will answer yes to any of the above.

The US customs official begins to ask me the usual questions she’s enquired a thousand times before, without enthusiasm. She snaps out of her stupor when thumbing through the stamps in my passport, she comes across some Arabic writing, god forbid…. Oh sorry Allah forbid I ever travel to country where they speak Arabic. She asks what country these are from. I say Morocco. When were you over there, I reply last year. Was it nice, I say yes. I resist the urge for sarcasm, since paranoid customs officials are not known for their sense of Irony.
When finally waiting at the boarding gate I’m looking at the plane, yet the terminal sign is blinking delayed. After two hours waiting for a plane that’s already landed, I spot flashing lights on the runway. Apparently a group of immigrants being deported had escaped from police custody and ran across the runway so all planes landing, had to be ordered to circle the airport. They rounded up most of them but from what I hear one of them is on the loose.

Finally I have the usual colon cleansing food to look forward to, followed by some sentimental drivel starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, something about time travelling love letters. I didn’t quite catch the films name as I was too busy smashing my head against the reinforced window in an effort to induce sleep.

By the time I got to New Wark my connecting flight to Texas had gone so I had to wait 8 hours for the next flight, which in turn was also delayed. Some airline rep tells me “Oh You missed your flight go over there to book the next connecting one” what’s this YOU business that implies it was my fault.

When I take this picture, an airport worker taps me on the shoulder and tells me security might confiscate my camera if they see me. I took photos at Dublin Airport, what’s the problem here. I bought it off ebay for 60 Euro, so I’m not particularly worried. Asking the reason why, he tells it’s for security reasons. I later checked this out, and found out he was talking complete bullshit, they can do no such thing.
I don’t really see the logic in that, how dumb tourists taking snaps of a waiting terminal can jeopardise the facilities safety. Unless they’re using photos of people eating in cafes or on escalators to plan attacks.

After the Marathon of delays and flights I finally arrive in San Antonio. I didn’t know what to expect, all I knew about it was the Alamo and that’s all. I thought it would be a small town with cowboys chewing tobacco, but instead it was easily one of the nicest American cities I’ve ever been to. The River Walk area had a real cosmopolitan feel to it almost European. With clean streets and friendly people.

Outside my hotel was a really old school theatre called the majestic.

The Famous Alamo.

A screaming brat I know how he feels.

This sign was outside a tourism info office? The wild west Baby.

Stuffed rabbits with Antlers, a slice of Americana?

Some Fucking Clown.

Some kids on these crazy motor thingy's, I have no Idea what they are on.

A cowboy deep in thought. The only cowboy I ever saw in Texas.

Henry B Gonzales Convention Centre. Where the magic happens.

Inside this stair case looks like a giant number 2. Spotted leaveing the mens room.

When I think of San Antonio I think of stairs.

More crazy ass stairs. I waited ages for someone to walk down them. No Dice.

Ghosts on the river walk.

The River walk.

M.C Escher must have been here. Pity the light was shit I’d say this looks cool in summer.

My bad luck did continue, a freak weather storm hit the south west US. The first day the climate was already taking a turn for the worst, but I could still walk around and get a feel for the city.
My parents had spent a few days already there before the convention, and said the weather was lovely till I arrived. That’s what I get for being a cheapskate.

When I woke for the first day of the convention the television announced roads around the city were already being closed, and over the next few days it got worse where even schools and public buildings closed.

The Convention itself was a photo geeks wet dream. The range of booth and wares on offer was astounding, although the majority were sporting snake oil.

The talks and lectures were also of huge variety, that ranged from either outstanding to walking out half way through.

The only time this guy will ever get a model on her back.

This Girl just collapsed in the middle of the floor.

Other People exhausted by it all.

Amanda http://evlrose.deviantart.com/and Eugene at the Photo express booth.

The Leica booth. If I ever win the lottery I’ll buy some of there stuff.

The second day I met Mark http://markgreenbergphoto.com/, Darrenhttp://www.darrenabate.com/, and Davehttp://davegarcia.deviantart.com/. Couldn’t meet up with them for pints later due to the road closures. Besides most business’s in the city closed because no staff showed up.
Needless to say I did go out drinking with some well known Irish photographers. Who I’ll be blackmailing when I get home, thats all I'll say.

The final Imaging USA Awards Ceremony. 3 hours of Hell.

Although Abraham Lincoln did rise from the dead to attend the ceremony.

Me and Barbara were the last people in the convention, to be hanging about till security threw us out. She's a photographer from Italy.

A frozen palm tree in Texas?

My original plan was for a road trip across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. But the prospect of that Happening was beginning to look grim. Nearly all major roads and highways out of the city were shut down.
So flying across to Arizona was my best option, and to leave New Mexico to another trip.
It cost an outrageous booking fee to book the flight in 24 hours notice. My only good bit of travel luck so far was that my flight was only about one of the three flights that were not delayed or cancelled.
So Arizona was next, less words more pictures.