Day 27 – Field Trip Terror

In honour of tomorrow’s street photography field trip…

 

Day 26 – Japanese Gardens

Last March, I visited the Japanese Gardens for the first time since – I think – I had been in primary school. I had a wonderfully relaxing time, and managed to get a few lovely photos. Of course, I was never quite happy with them – I didn’t feel I had managed to catch the vibrancy of the colours around me on the day. But with my increasing ‘tweaking’ skills using a RAW processor, I am finally starting to get the results that I had hoped for all those months ago… Some day, I’ll get it just right! (click the photo to be brought to the ‘original’ shot)…

Day 25 – Street Photography

Galway, April 2011.

Shortly after I took this shot, the man in the hat realised I was shooting and decided he wasn’t very happy about it. I scarpered.

I’m not a huge fan of Street Photography – it puts me well out of my comfort zone. But this Saturday I won’t have a choice as it’s my field-trip as part of the Creative Photography course I’m doing. Terrified…

Day 24 – Bon Jovi

I love how the setting sun is reflected so well in his shades… Completely accidentally framed by two raised arms in front of me, shortly before my battery died at the RDS in June…

 

Day 23 – Dublin

An old school friend who has repatriated to Canada recently asked if I might have any quintessentially ‘Dublin’ shots that he could use to complete his apartment decorating project of ‘where I have lived’. When thinking about it, I realised that I really don’t. I haven’t shot the big Dublin landmarks really at all; I suppose because I take them for granted, presuming that I’ll always have the opportunity to shoot them…

This is a phenomenon quite often found in tourism, where people don’t visit local attractions because they could ‘whenever they pleased’. Luckily for me, my parents never bought into that, and so as a child, I was brought to many ‘tourist’ sites across the island – a truth for which I am eternally grateful.

But yes, I must really expand my ‘Dublin’ portfolio to more than just…

 

Day 22 – Sunrise

On the same day as the wedding, I had my 2nd Institute of Photography field trip. An early start, we met on Sandymount strand to try and capture the sunrise ‘blue moment’ – a phenomenon in photography whereby the sky can be recorded as an almost supernaturally deep blue. It can look almost artificial at times, and it happens just before sunrise and just after sunset on clear days.

Unfortunately, there was too much cloud around on Saturday morning, so we changed tack and went for dramatically long shutter speeds in order to capture the flow of the clouds above the sea. I had just about packed my camera back into the car when I saw this momentary peeking-out of the sun.

Just goes to show, when you think it’s all over, it really isn’t!

 

Day 21 – Wedding Photography

Today, I shot a wedding. My uncle does photo- and videography for weddings, and I asked him if I could ride along at some point. Today was the big day.

Michelle and Dean, I wish you all the very best for your future together and thank you for the opportunity to hone my skills on your big day!

 

Day 20 – Granddad

Maybe it’s because I’m reading The Fault in Our Stars by the one and only John Green, maybe it’s because he died of cancer (in fact, one of his surgeries is mentioned in the book), or maybe it’s just because of a recent conversation with a girl I’m getting very fond of, but granddad has been on my mind a lot recently.

And so, despite it not be a particularly well taken (or composed), today’s picture is of my late granddad, who passed away 4 years ago last November.

Okay.

 

Day 19 – Writing

As a  teacher, I spend a lot of my time either writing, helping others to write, or correcting writing…

It often becomes a task, a chore almost, something to be done quickly to get on to the next thing. I took this shot before I had started teaching my own class, though had plenty ‘classroom hours’ racked up by way of teaching practice.

I love the obvious care for his work that the scribe is showing, with the page neatly tucked in under the leather strap and the momentary pause before he begins his work, spent contemplating and revering both his skills and the work he is about to undertake.

We don’t do that enough, anymore…

Day 18 – Firework

Because today was a bit up and down, bright and dark… Much like the life of a firework.