Every dust cloud has a silver lining!

I was to have spent a few days this week in Paris, combining my favourite things - some nice photography, as well as eating good food and drinking good wine in the best of company. Unfortunately, the dust didn't settle in time for me to travel. Which was probably just as well, as it has turned into quite a busy week and I've been able to re-schedule my French trip for later in the year.

So instead of photos of Paris, here is a recent b/w portrait of Gerry Fitzgerald, using reflected daylight for a change.

Executive portraits in natural light

It was as wet and dark as a Dublin morning gets when I arrived to photograph Janine for a corporate portrait. However, large south facing windows and white walls in a third floor room, maximised the beautiful soft light coming from the dismal grey sky.

I used off camera flash on a few frames to give variety but all of the final images were shot using daylight. We got a wide variety of looks in a very short time and this was my favourite image from the shoot.

Daffodil days

The view from just outside my studio window and a welcome sign of spring.

Yesterday was the Irish Cancer Society's daffodil day and if you didn't come across any volunteers selling daffodils, then you can find some information here on how to plant a virtual daffodil.

So what makes a good portrait?

SWPP portrait - gold award January 2010

Once you have great light, I think that creating a connection is the key to a good portrait. It is up to the photographer to portray the sitters personality as best they can. By aiming to do that, I try to capture a persons likeness in an authentic way. That means that you have to build trust. It might be someone you have just met or in the case of the portrait of Pat Hennessy above, someone I've known for a number of years. Often just a few minutes with a person over a coffee, a childrens game or a boardroom table will establish that relationship.

And once that connection is made, magic can happen!

The first step

Whatever the journey, whatever goal is in your sights, you always have to face the first step. The first step is often the most difficult and it can seem daunting. Focus on your destination. Be determined to get there and virtually nothing can stop you. Take a deep breath and then climb up on that first step...

Young Sean is one of the most determined children I have had the pleasure to photograph. He made it to the top of the stairs with his mum following close behind.

Abseiling with vultures in Europe's Grand Canyon!

As I looked past Jean-Claude into the ravine 400 meters below, I thought that perhaps it would be better if I could find a path down! We were fifty km north of Grasse in south-eastern France, where the turquoise waters of the river Durance wind their way through the 25 km of the Gourge du Verdon. Its stunning beauty is a mecca for outdoor adventure enthusiasts and is deservedly called Europe's Grand Canyon.

The gorge begins at picturesque town of Castellane which is overlooked by the spectacular 11th century Church of St Victor and is home to no less than 14 adventure sports companies offering everything from white water rafting to bungee jumping.

The limestone cliffs of the Gorge provide a challenge for all grades of rock climbers. The ravines are up to 700 metres deep and vary in width from 10metres of white water rapids at the narrowest point before expanding to a width of 600 metres at the widest part.

As the gorges famous vultures circle in the skies above, climbers make sure that they are securely tied on to the rock face - just in case!

It is however the spectacular scenery that attracts most visitors. With plenty of viewing spots along the narrow roads, travel can be quite slow! It is easy though to get off the beaten track and to go hiking along the dozens of trails that surround this beautiful spot.

Or if more leisurely pursuits attract, then why not hire a canoe or a paddle-boat to explore the Gorge where the turquoise of the Durance gives way to the blue of the Lac de Sainte-Croix, or perhaps just lounge on the beach beyond the Pont du Galetas!

With its ancient star hanging precariously between two guarding hills, the beautiful town of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie at the west end of the Gorge, provides the perfect place to finish the journey. Sitting in one of the heated spa pools at the Hotel Le Colombier in Moustiers and contemplating the view over the mountains is an ideal way to treat tired limbs at the end of the day - before a short walk into town and dinner!

Castellane is about 95KM north of Nice Airport and Moustiers is 120km from Marseilles. A wide range of hotels and restaurants are available in both towns.

You never stop learning!

So where did January go? Its all been a bit of a blur! Towards the end of the month, I spent a few exhausting but enjoyable days in London, at the SWPP conference. Its a great spot to meet old friends, network with fellow professionals and check out what is new with suppliers from all over the world.

I was able to attend workshops and seminars with some of the industry's top photographers too and even got to chat with a couple of heroes of mine from very different genres, Charlie Waite and Jerry Ghionis.

A real highlight, was a bespoke workshop for four of us, facilitated by one of my favourite children's photographers, Michael Turner. It was great to see how Michael approaches his shoots and he generously shared many practical photographic and business tips.

It also gave me the opportunity to photograph two young models in the challenging environment of the conference hotel. It was a real test to try to come up with creative natural light portraits while trying to capture the personality of the children.

Workshops like these give photographers a great opportunity to practice and improve our craft and get immediate feedback from specialists in our fields. So thanks to Michael and his wife Helen for facilitating a great workshop and to Terrie and her two lovely children for their patience and sense of fun!

From my point of view, I'm glad to say that there is a lot more to taking pictures that have real emotion than just having "a great camera". This really is a job in which you never stop learning.