A cold spring in Paris

Paris was quieter than normal, this time! It wasn't surprising, as the wind chill was minus 15 degrees, as the north wind blew across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, at the Trocadero.

 Then as the ice started to freeze on the fountains, the lions at St. Sulpice seemed to be caught in a frozen scream. 

And when the snow started to fall, the Luxembourg Gardens took on a cool romantic hue.

Common sense soon prevailed and there was only one place to wait out the storm in the comfort and warmth!

Then as time passed, Parisian chic and elegance was replaced by more practical Aigle padded waterproofs, for a quick stroll along the chilly quays! C'est froid, oui, mais c'est Paris!

Conference Photography in Dublin

Conferences are all about communication and good conference photography aims to capture that communication in action. 

That is not easy to do! Usually, you are under pressure to be quick and discrete, working with available and mixed lighting, which may not always be ideal, as flash is seldom an option except in formal shots, photographing people who are often nervous and sometimes uncomfortable being photographed, in addition to providing general atmospheric and descriptive images, while keeping in mind the sponsors and organisers requirements to show, or not show branding, depending on how the final image will be used, while being adaptable to producing formal portraits and group shots at a moments notice and at the same time, trying to come up with creative approaches to portray the event in a way that communicates the intended message! 

Yes, it is a challenge, but it is one that I really enjoy. Capturing the interaction between delegates, the actions of a great speaker and the reactions of their audience, gives me enormous satisfaction.

No two conferences are the same! Whether it is a two hour corporate event in a hotel or a 5 day event in the Convention Centre, each has its own atmosphere and ethos. All are designed to communicate and it is my job as a conference photographer to provide a true portrayal of that communication in action.

Here are some recent examples:

Portraits of a Lady

These portraits of Doreen Caygill were photographed on a sunny afternoon at her home in Dublin. A natural in front of the camera, though she refused to believe it, we captured a variety of natural portraits over the course of an hour. Proof I think, that regardless of age, beauty will always shine through.

Coast - A Personal Photographic Project

Here are some of the latest images from "Coast". This is an ongoing environmental photographic project, which examines how the sea interacts with man made structures. These images were photographed last week, along the South Bull Wall at Dublin Harbour.

Commercial portraits on location in Dublin

Working to a brief that gives you an outlying structure but allows you to interpret the specifics, is one of the best parts of my job!  This series of commercial portraits was photographed to a brief specifying an editorial feel, while allowing plenty of space left or right for copy to be added in the final layout.

Commissioned by Sherwin Williams for Kaleidoscope Magazine, these environmental portraits of Niall Harrison of Ronseal were photographed on location in Sandyford Co.Dublin.

Dublin urban landscape or environmental portrait?

Dusk was falling when I came across this scene last week, after shooting some environmental portraits in Dublin city centre. The way the street light caught the "Dublin Docker" against the backdrop of some of the city's icons really appealed to me.

"The Linesman" - to give it its proper name - by Dony MacManus has long been one of my favourite pieces of public art in Dublin. Approaching an urban scene with the mindset of an environmental portrait was new for me and might just be habit forming!

Business Portraits in Dublin

Here are three business head shots of Jill Barrett, personal development & career coach with The Head Coach Ireland. Our aim was to produce a variety of images which would capture Jill's warm personality using a simple available light set-up.