Noel Hillis Portrait Photography

This is a good time to revisit some of my favourite images from last year. These photos didn't make it to the blog for one reason or another and are a mixture of commissioned portraits, commercial images and personal projects. As always I begin with my favorite photograph of the year. A portrait of two friends in Kenmare.

This moody portrait of Conor was just about my last children's portrait of 2011.

A favourite portrait of Ann in the soft glow of beautiful window light.

Another Ann - this time photographed in December for a wonderful new project.

Echoes of the Far East at Ladies View.

As Frédéric pointed to a rock formation, in the Bibemus Quarries just outside of Aix en Provence, it reminded me of an artist stretching up to his easel. This was where Paul Cézanne created many of his masterworks.

A low key black and white portrait, from a commercial shoot to photograph milkmen.

An architectural landscape and proof (I hope!) that with the right light, over photographed sites can be made interesting - even at mid-day!

I felt very envious of the folk relaxing in this Perpignan cafe and escaping the 30 degree heat.

Occasionally I photograph products! Healthy Provencal food and amazing award winning olive oil from Le Mas Gran Cabano. Merci Franck et Brigitte.

Gone Fishing! The joys of fly fishing in the Yorkshire Dales!

For all of its challenges, 2011 was a really enjoyable year photographically! I'd like to say thank you to all of my clients, supporters and suppliers for making that possible.  I look forward to catching up with you again during 2012.

N.

New Year Greetings

"May the light on your horizon lead you to achieve your goals and fulfill your dreams!"

Wishing you health, happiness and peace of mind for 2012.

Noel

(From Cassis - Sept 2011)

Christmas Greetings

Conference Photography in Ireland

Working as a conference photographer in Dublin is one of my specialities. Here are a selection of images from conferences that I have photographed this year.

When I document a conference for corporate or PR purposes, one of my main aims is to produce strong images which capture the ethos and atmosphere of the event. Images that tell the story of the conference while fulfilling an agreed brief.

This includes producing creative images which show the branding in an appropriate light and setting.

It is essential that a conference photographer has the ability to fade into the background and not disturb the speakers and participants when shooting. Being able to produce strong images in often very poor light is vital, as using flash is usually not an option.

Then it is important to have the strength of character to organise and direct large group photographs very quickly, often at a moments notice and do so within a time frame of 5 minutes or less.

By knowing the brief and conference timetable in detail, the key images of important business professionals, politicians and academics - who are often under extreme time pressure - can be captured as a priority.

And it is important to be able to cover multiple speaker sessions in different quiet conferences rooms, both discretely and effectively.

Creating a variety of images showing how the venue is set up is another priority.

As is producing strong portraits of the main participants.

And then to be able to deliver the specified images which tell the story of the event and which are often needed in a variety of formats, on time - every time! - is essential.

Poster sessions and break times are often where the real business is done. I really enjoy producing images that capture the interaction at these times, especially under the challenging light and time pressures that come with a conference.

In the end, it is often the charisma and personality of the keynote speakers, as well as what they said, that people remember most from a conference. The images that capture this are so important, as they become those that help to define the event.

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Thank You: I'd like to say thank you to the companies and individuals who commissioned me to photograph their conferences and events during the past year.

The Dublin Landscape

Sometimes, it is nice to be reminded that we live in a rather beautiful city. Both images were photographed at the end of last week in Blackrock.

Editorial Photography in Dublin

A couple of editorial Images of Churchtown based physical therapist and fitness instructor, Sinead Kennedy. Sinead is running in the Dublin city marathon on Monday next on behalf of the Irish Cancer Society.

We shot the images last Monday, just as the "Dublin Deluge" was about to begin!

LauraLynn House is officially opened by President McAleese

Lauralynn House, Ireland's first Children's Hospice, was officially opened this week by President Mary McAleese, only two years after the official launch of its construction.

It is the culmination of a long road for Jane McKenna (seen here with patron Miriam O'Callaghan, President McAleese and Philomena Dunne, CEO of the Children’s Sunshine Home) and her husband Brendan, who set up the LauraLynn Hospice Foundation following the tragic deaths of their daughters Lynn and Laura within two years of each other.

Their tireless work along with that of hundreds of fundraisers, have succeeded in creating this much needed facility in Ireland where it is estimated that around 350 children die each year from life-limiting or threatening conditions.

This state of the art building in the grounds of The Children's Sunshine Home, who will also manage it, was built and fitted out at a cost of €5.5m. It was financed solely through fundraising and donations, without any government or state assistance.

It is designed as Jane and Brendan had hoped, to be a home away from home for sick and terminally ill children and their families. With its wonderful use of natural light, it succeeds in creating an atmosphere much more like a house than a hospital.

Lauralynn house has eight en-suite bedrooms where medical equipment is kept out of view and only brought out when needed. It also has four family rooms, a quiet room, music and games rooms, a beautiful garden and a playground. The feeling of contentment and peace exuded is such that it is only when you visit the butterfly suite where a child and their family will reach the end of their journey together, that you realize just how superbly Lauralynn House has been conceived.

President McAleese said that "This is a day of triumph ... a day when we take the words happy and sad and merge them into that amazing mix of feelings for which there really isn't a word," and she paid tribute to Jane and Brendan who from the depths of their own tragedy reached out "...to other families to try and put together a place and a space so that other families would know a joy, would know a support."

This has been a remarkable achievement for Brendan and Jane. As Jane said “It is wonderful to see this dream come to fruition, and our huge thanks to so many amazing people, giving of their time and generosity, throughout the years.

"Laura and Lynn will be very happy that something so joyful has come, as a result of their short lives and our sad loss.”

The Sunshine Home are in discussions with the HSE to try to secure funding for the future, however donations will still play a huge part in the day to day running of Lauralynn House.

You can find out more about Lauralynn House here.