Ice Cream Fundays for Down Syndrome Ireland

May and June is the time for supporters to engage in some fundraising - and to have a little fun too - for Down Syndrome Ireland, by hosting an ice cream funday party - with the support of HB.

If you can't get involved in a organizing a party yourself, then please keep an eye open for any that may be going on in your area. All funds raised will go towards supporting people with Down syndrome in Ireland.

Party packs and more information about Down Syndrome Ireland's Ice Cream fundays are available here.

Paris in the springtime

In theory, Jean-Michel runs the Café Descartes deep in the latin quarter, but everyone knows that René "Le Chat" is the real boss!

Greeted daily by all the local patrons, René has been minding his café stool for years and has become quite partial to Jean Michel's food!

I love Paris in the springtime and here are a few impressions on how you might spend a late spring day in the city of light and love.

You might begin with breakfast on the shaded terrace of a left bank cafe, watching the city wake up and come to life.

Then go for a gentle stroll along the river, hoping to spot a bargain in one of the bouquiniste stalls that line the quays.

You will be just in time to pop up to rue Jacob, stopping for tea and a macaron in Laduree and picking up a few goodies for lunch before getting on your "velo" and..

..heading for a "dejeuner sur l'herbe" (picnic), in beautiful Place de Vosges, just across the river in the Marais.

As art and beauty are everywhere, perhaps you might want to spend the afternoon by taking an art class or visiting a gallery, or even combine them both in the "Musee de l'Orangerie". This is where Monet's eight beautiful cimemascopic impressions of waterlilies fill two of the most beautiful gallery rooms in the world.

To finish your day, stroll across the romantic bridges where you and your loved one can add your inscribed padlock to the thousands that decorate the Pont des Arts and the Pont de l'Archevêché. Here, you can throw the key into the river to symbolize that your love is sealed and that you have left a little of your heart in Paris,....until you return to reclaim it!

Family Portrait Photography - On Location

With all of this wonderful spring weather that we are having, now is a great time for shooting outdoor family portraits. This recent session with the O'Loughlin family is a good example of the experience that you can enjoy on a photo-shoot and end the day with beautiful portraits that capture the spirit of the family.

Photographing teenagers can be challenging, but it is always great fun. Often young people have very set ideas about how they look and any photographer has to earn their trust. Just like with parents and younger kids, the best way of doing that is to produce beautiful photographs and to show them just how good they look. Here it is obvious that Amy and a camera are made for each other.

Attitude is so important and Ian has the type of laid-back coolness that I wish I had had when I was his age!

I usually try to photograph indoors as well and always try to produce some images in my own portrait style. In this photo of Amy, it was a simple and quick set up using the beautiful natural light coming into the family kitchen.

For this portrait of Ian, we used a shaded doorway to contrast nicely with his skin tone and his Chelsea shirt. (It may have been a red door!)

There are always plenty of breaks between shots, though you never know when a strong image will present itself. Over a two hour shoot, I aim to produce between 50 and 100 images from which a family can choose their favourites for framed prints, folder prints and albums.

It is very important not to forget parents portraits during a family shoot. This portrait of Grainne and Noel was enhanced by the comments coming from Amy and Ian who were behind me as I was shooting.

As this whole family are big music fans, I thought that it might be nice to end with a family portrait in the style that a band might adopt for an album cover! It was a wonderful afternoon and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. The family were very happy with their photographs and I'll post some samples of the framed portraits and album from this session at a future date.

If you like these images, then you can find more examples of family portraits at www.noelhillis.ie.

By the way, all of the images were photographed using natural light except for the first one which was lit using off camera flash.

Corporate portrait photography in Dublin

These corporate portraits are from a body of work produced for Dublin based international conference managers, Keynote PCO.

Rachel and Brenda were photographed during a very busy conference at the Burlington Hotel, using a simple natural light set-up.

PR photography in Dublin

Please don't drop the ball!

A favourite image produced a little while back, during a photocall for "Tractor on Tour's" successful drive to raise funds and awareness for a children's hospice in Ireland.

For more information please visit LauraLynn House at the Children's Sunshine Home.

Steve McCurry at the Gallery of Photography

There are few living legends in the world of photography, but Steve McCurry is one.

As part of his exhibition of iconic colour photographs in the Gallery of Photography, Steve was in Dublin last week to deliver a talk about his work. I was very fortunate to be there and to catch up with him later at his book signing.

Probably the most outstanding photographer working in colour today, Steve McCurry has influenced a generation of photographers. For me he is the master of natural light portrait photography, with a unique ability to capture the humanity and the very soul of his subjects.

Most people are familiar with his portrait of "The Afghan Girl" for National Geographic Magazine, which was described recently as "the Mona Lisa of the 20th century".

Every image in this exhibition is a work of art. Give yourself a real treat and drop in to see this world of colour at the Gallery of Photography in Temple Bar. The exhibition runs until April 24.

If you can't make it to Dublin, you can have a look at his work for Magnum or on his Website.

Family Photographer Noel Hillis

As children grow up so quickly, then producing beautiful photography that genuinely captures their personality, is really important for me. When you get invited back to photograph a family for the second, or third time, then it is a real bonus!

As well as being a sign that both parents and children enjoyed the experience the last time, it also gives me as the photographer, a chance to get to know everyone a little better and as a result to produce even more meaningful images.

Take for example, these two children's portraits. I couldn't believe how much Kate had grown up in the 18 months between these photo shoots. Still the same young lady, but now with an even bigger personality!

It is just great to be able to document something so fleeting as a child's look and mood at that one particular time of their life and then to compare the changes that have occurred in such a short time. So many memories come rushing back and you realize just how precious those memories are.