Author: declan

Is féidir linn

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Today finished off a busy week in Ireland with Barack Obama paying a flying visit. After some meetings in the city he headed off to Moneygall to meet his cousins and his route out of the city took him over my office. I missed the flight out and almost missed the flight back but just got out the door in time to see one of his Marine helicopters fly directly over my head between two buildings. Was he on board? Since the idea of using two identical helicopters is that no one outside his group knows which one he is in so I’ll be positive and assume he was on board this one. I managed to grab one photo and then he was gone back into the city center to address the crowds waiting there and to practice his Irish, “Is féidir linn” or Yes We Can.

Congrats to Leinster

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Congratulations to Leinster who yesterday got utterly destroyed 6-22 for the first 40 minutes of the Heineken Cup Final against Northampton but then came out for the second half staged the greatest comeback in the history of the competition to beat Northampton 33-22. I’m a Munster Rugby fan but I dearly wish I could have been in the stadium for what sounded like one of the greatest games in Irish sporting history. Many other teams would have let their heads drop and accepted their fate after being destroyed so completely but Leinster proved themselves a great team when they came out 15 minutes later and blew away the opposition.

This is a pic from a couple of months ago during the Six Nations when the Robert Emmet statue in St Stephens Green was presented with a rugby ball by some passing fans but it’ll do for today.

Lack of inspiration or just busy?

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It’s been a quiet few weeks for me on the photography front. I’m not sure if it’s lack of inspiration or if I’ve just been too busy with other stuff. I’m getting married later in the year and the last few weeks have been pretty hectic with planning. Not that I’ve not had time to take some photos but when I get home I’m just not in the mood to put them on the computer and do anything with them. I have a set from Cahir of the castle and River Suir that I took a couple of weekends ago that I havent even looked at yet.

Still I have to do something photographic and having the iPhone helps because I’m able to snap some photos and mess with them without having to open the laptop. This week as part of the wedding planning the ties the bridal party will wear arrived. I’m sure it’s probably not the done thing to post up photos of wedding clothing before the event but the hipstamatic effects distort the true color and appearance of the tie so mean this is more like a teaser rather than a real spoiler.

Spring Flowers

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The apartment complex I live in has a tennis court, which I’ve never actually used. Tennis courts seem to have been a popular thing to build in 1980s developments as I’ve lived in two developments built around then and both of which have tennis courts. It must have been an attempt to improve the living standards of the residents. Though considering the fact that there are several gyms, a couple of swimming pools and two large sports fields within a few minutes walk I’d rather they have improved the sound proofing to improve my living standards, I guess a tennis court was the cheap option.

Last year the management company came in and cut back some of the weeds and bushes that had grown up around the court wall and fence. This has opened up the space to allow some climbing ivy type plant to flourish which, it turns out, has a lovely pink flower on it. Much nicer than the old weeds.

Italian Railway

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Photography is my hobby but unfortunately I could never make a living in it (I like gadgets too much to live off a photographers income). My real job over the last few years takes me out of the country quite a bit, usually to Italy and Paris. There is never space in my bag for my camera gear and there is never time to wander and take photos.

This trip though the sun was shining and on a walk back to our office after lunch I managed to get 5 minutes to take some photos. Office parks are pretty much the same all over the world and our one is no different, but across the road is the back of the local railway station built separately and in an older style and behind it in the distance is the start of the Alps. It might be the only decent photo I’ve gotten of the area, but it is the only interesting building within walking distance.

Karen & Damian

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I had the opportunity to shoot my first wedding along with Shauneen (better known as RedMum online) and Lauren my fiancee. Karen and Damian are good friends of ours and are, in fact, the reason Lauren and myself met since Karen contributed to the same group blog as myself (along with Shauneen) and we were nominated for an award at the second Irish Blog Awards. Karen brought along her newish boyfriend, Damian and her bestfriend Lauren.

Four years later Lauren and myself will be married this coming August while Karen and Damian were married last Thursday. When she first asked Lauren and myself to help take the photos at the wedding I refused and tried to talk her into hiring an experienced professional. She held her nerve and her faith in us and insisted on having three friends photograph her wedding.

It was a hectic day and we really didn’t stop running until well into the evening festivities and the cameras continued to make appearances until the party retired to the residents bar. Karen and Damian were very accommodating of us, allowing us plenty of time and putting up with the 3 lenses pointed at them for most of the day. I had the pleasure of photographing the groom preparing and his family were great, welcoming me into their home on the special morning and treating me like a family member instead of the mad man with the big flash most would have assumed I was.

Since then the work has been trying to get them a set of photos before they left for their honeymoon this morning and now taking those prints and doing some extra processing on them to try and come up with samples for the album. I’m gaining a whole new respect for wedding photographers.

(Update: I posted this late on Sunday before getting on a plane to Italy so I forgot the links to the girls blogs. Also I’m not too fond of the last photo at the castle, it’s only an early work in progress and I shouldn’t have uploaded it. I’ll probably post more complete photos later)

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