So many stages in the photographic process; so many stops in the adventure that photography is.
This is one of my most enjoyable. The annual review of the shots I got in the previous twelve months. Usually I am looking to see if I reached my target: 12 photos to be proud of for the past year.
Some years I stick to that quest and keep it to 12, other years, I know it is impossible. Some years, I do it in chronological order; some it is just random.
This year, I started early and did a deep dive into my Snapseed folder on my phone and arrived, by pure luck, at a number of 50. And now, a little later than I had hoped, I have cut it down to 12 photographs for 2023.
These 12 images bring me back on my journey for 2023. Each photo means something special to me, and I will leave the most special to last.
Let’s kick things off in Cork back in January.
Everything I do in photography is about trying to see what can be seen and how to see it. To see – it – is hard, but how to see it, is where the craft and the art lies. Much of what I do is construction and bringing visual elements together. A passer-by on a wet day; not so interesting. Step inside the doors of Brown Thomas in Cork, ignore the looks of the store attendants and stand in front of the reeded glass and wait. Wait for that passer-by to go by and frame them, seeing in your mind’s eye how a little editing will give the image some oomph later. Shoot more, always shoot more. Photography is a lottery of patience and luck. Increase your chances. Always shoot more. This is the one I ended on.
Friday night in February and I am sitting on the sofa, watching nothing or something on the TV. Bored. And it is boredom where everything good comes from. Well, not accepting boredom and getting curious. Scanning old photos from 2022; seeing if I can re-edit them. Pull one into Snapseed and then think that maybe another photo superimposed on to this one could be interesting. Ten minutes later I have created this and 6 months later it is in the print and online edition of the Guardian newspaper.
I have been doing photography workshops for 8 years now with Photo Museum of Ireland. I love being able to combine over 30 years in education with my passion for photography. One of the scenes, I brought our group to back in February is this piece of street art on the quays in Dublin. With so much happening in Ireland related to housing, this is a strong piece of art.
Photography is like language learning, once you cross that bridge from not being able to understand to understanding, it is just like seeing the unnoticed becoming strongly evident. I love when scenes reveal themselves in unexpected moments. This one is sitting waiting in the car for my son James to come out of Taeknowdo on a rainy evening in April.
On an early morning in mid-July in Hong-Dae, Seoul, I woke early and woke with energy and a restlessness. There was a quietness on the streets. The remnants of the previous night evident as street cleaners and lingering late-night revellers worked and rested around one another. I was searching composition and this called me.
The highlight of my photographic year was Madrid. It was wonderful to be invited by the Irish Embassy as part of the Enmarcando Irlanda exhibition to give a presentation and workshop. Everything about it was magical, including my still-up-to-scratch Spanish which allowed me to deliver the two-hour session fully and fluently in a language I first learned over 30 years ago. Check out the video from that night here. The photo I chose from the few days I spent in Madrid is one of quiet. There is always an excitement opening the door of a hotel room for the first time. The 4pm light of Madrid falling soft and undisturbed welcomed me.
Got to give a shout out to Luis who I had the absolute pleasure of meeting after being online friends for years.
Shoot back to Osaka, Japan on a hot and humid Friday night and I am out with a singular intention: to make frames. Shooting with that most wonderful iPhone photography camera app – Provoke, I was in my element as I allowed the camera to get over the language barrier and engaged with young Osaka folk out for a night on the town. Of the many shots I got that night, this is the one I like the most. You can check the full set here.
I lived in Valencia 30 years ago. It was the beginning of so much for me. Being able to get back there this year for a university visit was special. Walking between campuses, I took a detour through Valencia’s historic market. The colours are what captured my eye first, then the beauty and elegance of this woman. The eye contact is a bonus.
I have about a limit of between 10 to 15 minutes to get a shot. So many scenes appear and all the elements may not be there yet, or may need extraction to arrive and marry with the scene I see in my mind’s eye. Usually, I get frustrated and impatient and move on. In Busan, this summer, I was shooting frames of this apartment block and a door opened on the floor below. The light catching my eye. A figure emerged and rested on the wall as they spoke on the phone. I was ready. Patience met luck. He stayed for about 20 seconds. I stayed another 10 or so after him. I had the shot I had seen in my mind’s eye.
Any year I get to go to Tokyo I am going to return with photos I love.This year was no exception. Busy days working, exciting nights out shooting. Trying to do a little more in locations I know well, I worked to create images each night I was out. This one shot in Shinjuku is one of a series in progress.
In 1994 I left Cork and went to live in Badajoz in the south west of Spain. I had never heard of such a place and back then I had to go to a bookshop to read about where in the world Badajoz was. It read: Badajoz is not Spain’s most beautiful city, but its people are known for their welcome. Well, it was true. To the north was the stunning medieval city of Caceres and to the south the wonderful Merida with its famous Roman ruins. Badajoz was not as spectacular, but its people certainly welcomed me. The guy on the left of this photo here, Juanma, was one of those who befriended me and has stayed a good friend since. Back in October in Valencia I met him and his husband, another Juan, and two of their friends who hosted me for lunch.
And finally, family. Not much else matters. These photos of strangers and abstract scenes are just things that call my attention to construct and craft, but the photos that truly matter are only the ones of moments shared with those who love me. Leaving Korea in July, my son holds the hand of his mother as he looks from the plane and understands that then and now is being separated, but that memories of happy times can last a life time.
Thanks to all who are appreciative of my photography. Here’s to 2024. Be kind!
