Christmas Greetings

Thank you for your support this year and I would like to wish you all the very best for Christmas and the New Year.

Black and white portrait photography

Here are two photographs that I produced this year. They both tell very different stories but they both tell exactly the story that was requested. They were both designed to be produced as black and white images.

The first image was photographed to be used as a professional profile image, on platforms such as LinkedIn etc. The brief was to show an engaging, professional and approachable person. I lit my subject very simply, choosing beautiful summer evening soft natural lighting and contrasted my clients features against the dark background. It is a very classic type of image, but her dress, hair and simple makeup give it a beautiful contemporary feel.

The second image was designed for an editorial feature on the “new” Irish in Ireland. My subjects journey to his new home had not been easy and this affected how I both lit and directed the photograph. A single flash angled at about 45/55 degrees to the right was used with an additional unit lighting the background. My subject is a very highly educated man and I positioned him to look directly into the camera and tell me his fascinating story. It was then up to me to choose the right moment to press the camera shutter. I think that the image worked really well.

While most of my work is in colour, black and white photography can say so much about the person being photographed, as well as about the skill of the photographer. This is why choosing a professional and briefing them thoroughly is so important, as is making sure that the photographer actually understands what it is that you, the client, wants and needs the photograph to achieve.

Commercial photography for packaging in Ireland

It was a privilege to be commissioned to photograph father and son milk delivery family, Tom Gaskin Snr and Tom Jnr, for the commemorative Premier Milk 50th anniversary carton, in recognition of their 50 years serving the community.

Tom Gaskin Snr started his milk round in 1966, delivering glass bottles from a milk float on behalf of Premier Dairies. Tom Jnr then joined his father in the family business in 1988 and eventually took over the milkround when his father recently retired.

New Website

My new website at noelhillis.com has gone live with thanks to my good friends in Photoshelter. The general look remains the same, but it has been set up to look good on mobile devices and can also house more portfolio images than before. It also links to my instagram and twitter feeds. Let me know what you think.

Event and editorial Photography in Dublin

It was good to see how well this low light image looked as a double page spread in the recent edition of Estates Gazette, which covered their Question Time event in Dublin. You can learn more about my conference and event photography services here.

Photography in public places - Freedom of Panorama

The Linesman" by Dony MacManus - City Quay, Dublin

Last year, the European Parliament rejected a proposal that would have restricted the photography of copyrighted buildings and sculptures from public places and recommended the European Commission to not restrict this freedom. (freedom of panorama)

This year, the European Commission is holding a public consultation until the 15th of June, to hear our opinion on this topic. For anyone taking photographs or using images depicting buildings, sculptures and monuments, this could have potential ramifications. 

Irish copyright law permits photographers to photograph sculptures, buildings, and works of artistic craftsmanship that are permanently located in a public place or premises open to the public, and to publish such pictures in any way.

At present certain EU countries (e.g. Greece, France and Italy) can restrict the use of photos showing copyrighted structures in public places.

So while I am free to photograph and publish this photo of my favourite Dublin Sculpture, "The Linesman" by Dony MacManus, without infringing copyright, I cannot photograph or upload a photo of, for example, the “light show” on the Eiffel Tower at night, as it is copyrighted in France. During the day with no lights, it is fine to photograph the building.  

While copyright and licensing of our work is vital to all artists, (including photographers) can you imagine the chaos that could be caused if a permit/license had to be obtained for anyone to photograph in public, even with an office block/sculpture/work of art in the background, without breaking the law? 

If we consider the photo above, there are at least 2 pieces of art and at least 2 buildings visible, that are possibly still within copyright. Thats 4 licenses that could be needed, if freedom of panorama was abolished in Ireland. How would I know? How would a tourist know?

So perhaps you might want to think twice, the next time that you upload that selfie, in front of that piece of sculpture when abroad. You may be unwittingly breaking the law!

The European Commission has to make its decision, taking into account the Parliament’s recommendations from last year. It will also take on board the direct views of European citizens. By having your voice heard, you can help save the Freedom of Panorama or even broaden it to those European countries which don’t have it yet.

Find out more here:

http://photoclaim.com/en/freedom-of-panorama-european-commission/

Corporate photography in Dublin

Bryan S Ryan is one of Ireland’s biggest, managed print and business technology solutions companies, with offices in Dublin, Galway and Cork. Knowing their reputation, I was delighted when they commissioned me to produce a series of corporate portraits and business lifestyle photographs for their website, as well as images for print and online marketing collateral. 

Working with the marketing team over two mornings to cause as little disruption as possible, we created a mix of commercial head shots, reportage images of people at work, as well as a number of business team group shots. The images were designed to capture the enthusiasm and commitment of this professional team, who were such a pleasure to work with. Here are just a few examples.