Hello,
my interests are photography, politics, sport, music, comedy and people.
I have been working as a semi professional photographer since 1992, when I gave up a full time semi state job after I rediscovered my love for photography.
The seed for my interest in photography began when I was quite young, about six or seven years old, I was always looking in the display window of a local studio photographer. He displayed mostly wedding and portrait shots, but I distinctly remember a black and white photo that he took from a standing position on the saddle of his Honda 50. It was of when JFK visited Ireland (1963) and he was in an open top car accompanied by his wife and our president at the time, Eamonn De Velera.
I met him (the photographer) years later and reminded him of the times he used to chase me away from his shop, I was always poking my head inside the door as a kid. When I was about ten or eleven, I began selling newspapers, like most of the young boys from my neighbourhood at the time, the North Inner City of Dublin. I can remember always stopping at the Irish Independent and Irish Press newspaper office's windows and looking at every photograph on display, sports, news, pr etc. It wasn't long after this that I joined my local youth club (the famed Bevedere Newsboys Club) and that's when I got my first camera, (a Japanese 35mm joblot model, Mekaii El and I still have it) that was nearly forty years ago. My interest and enthusiasm was such, that the youth club converted a room for me into my very own dark room. I was developing my own pictures at thirteen years of age. But as you do, into your teens, other things catch your eye, sports, music, girls and work, with the result that my interest in photography waned (very regrettably), but I always had a camera.
Anyway, roll on to 1986 and my new job, I worked with a guy from my old neighbourhood and he was also getting some part time work shooting weddings and christenings. We got into talking about photography a lot, and my spark was relit, soon I got myself a Pentax Spotmatic 35mm camera and I haven't looked back since. I have had quite a few cameras, mostly Nikons (FM's), then I went digital in 2004, Canon 20D.
I was interested in covering news, documentary and sports events. So I travelled to the North of Ireland a lot, mostly hitching lifts, (even from Belfast to Derry, and with my Dublin accent!) during the latter period of the conflict, the nineties. It was a terrific way to see the country and I got some great experiences for my troubles including some amazing and historical photos. I've been shot I think five times (plastic bullets) one almost serious, a direct hit on the back of my left thigh, the others were ricochets. I have been published in most Irsh national papers as a freelance, Evening Press,Irish times, Independent, to name a few and Hotpress, sports and trade union publications. I find it very difficult getting work with newspapers now, I have been told it's because of my trade union and political stance. But that's part of it and the fact that lots of trades (including photography) are feeling the effects of cheap labour undercutting most skilled workers. Having said that,if I was to take photographs just for monetary gain I wouldn't be doing it, but it's nice to get paid now and again for my efforts.I have enough on my plate to keep me going for another five years at least, three exhibitions in the next three years, including the one you see on the poster below.
I have plans to travel a lot with my camera, so who knows what may come of it all.......****I just got back from New York where I was for two weeks. I went to check out a gallery in Manhattan that will be staging an exhibition of the work of six photographers including me. This will be one of the most important exhibits of it's type in the history or modern photography, but apart from the photographs, we will also be providing up to date information on the casualty lists, the costs and damage to infrastructure, the long term effects on the inhabitants and the real real reasons behind some of these wars. To see a sample of some of the images, go to: www.flickr.com/photos/libertypics
