This year is nearly over and we barely even got to see it.

Hard to believe my last post was back in April. I am super shocked at how fast this year is actually going by. At the start, i’m sure no one was thinking we would be still stuck in the same place come October.

Hitting November now shortly and surprisingly a lot has happened. We have lost people this year, we have gained extra minutes to spend with others (2 meters apart), I got a promotion in work, and film is still going strong.

I didn’t think it could happen but my love for photos has become stronger and stronger with each passing month this year, maybe due to the boredom that is 2020.

Lets start with some images.

These where created in Sligo during the only “Holiday” we got this year. A little trip with family and friends for Dari’s birthday. Such a relaxing trip and one that every single person living on earth this year needed.

We rented a lovely Air BnB from our host Cora which was in the middle of nowhere, just at the bottom of the Benbulben mountain.

The below photos where taken on the Fuji XE1 :)

Check it out…

Whilst wandering around Sligo, I wanted to created another memory that I could keep forever.

This lead to some 5 second video clips. 5 second clips that I knew I could stitch together in order to make a pretty decent memory of the trip and I am very happy with how it turned out.

The idea of video always scared me as I always assume you need a large amount of storage space, but really, if you get into the mind frame of “5 seconds”, then creating mini movies can become a fun and easy process along with stills.

Check out the video below.

The above digital images are like a trusty pen and paper to quickly jot down as you're walking and seeing things that appear. I absolutely love the camera and as I spoke about before the lens too. The f2 23mm lens is delicious !

But, I feel like when you shoot something on film, you can almost feel the light burning the chemicals in your hand. When that shutter opens I feel like I am one of those lightening harvesters capturing the light in this little black box.

Captain Johannes Alberic you could call me.

Any way, here is some of the recent film I had developed from Sligo, shot on the Ricoh KR5.

REWIND

Actually need to back it up here because I just remembered there was another trip before this one.

Back in July we went to an undisclosed location. I am saying undisclosed here as the area has since been closed down to the public for anti social behaviour which in turn ruins it for the rest of us. One of my mates asked us if we would like to join them on a one night camping trip and of course we jumped on it.

My GF looooves a good mountainous area so it was great for her to finally see something like this in Ireland too. So we went deep into the Wicklow mountains on a hearty hike with our tents booze and cameras.

The first camera we are looking at here is the trusty Action Sampler from Lomography

The area is stunning.

Where we camped was deep in between two mountains on either side. Carved through the mountain during the ice age so i’m told, and the carving leads straight to a dream like lake which a spent forever in, just floating.

The next photos below have been shot on the Ricoh KR5 with some Kodak Gold.

We left the place untouched of course. Cleaned up everything we had brought with us and brought our black bags away from the area and properly disposed of them.

Unlike most people who camped here which lead to the closure of the area. SAD TIMES !

Even more of a reason to take photos. (Belfast NYE)

Even more of a reason to take photos.

I really didn’t think that I would need another excuse to keep a camera in my hand but here I am making one up.

This new idea of writting has changed a little view in my mind on the approach before pressing down on that shutter button. The subjects I am coming across, any subject that pops into my eye, I am taking a moment and really considering how I can tell a story with it. Photography is just that, and I always wanted to tell a story or show a great moment but the difference now is I am actually typing out some words to accompany the images. I may not be retelling how the exact moment happened but having some words beside the image can help with not only seeing through the “eye of the beholder” but also an insight of how that person thinks (that being me)

Walking through the streets of Belfast we walked past some shutters. Not just taking the one image, I wanted to take the second as I knew he would look straight to the camera. We didn’t stop to take this, we where continuing to walk to the restaurant we had booked.

On the go photos!

Strolling through the city with that excited feeling of finding something new. Eyes like predator locating movement in the shadows, my camera at the ready.

The streets of any city is where I love to be. Photographing any moment that is happening before me is when I am at my calmest and also at my most creative. Even just photographing my friends as they move through the streets with me. Grabbing a portrait here and there. Stopping in for an oul pint of the black stuff is a threat from the street. We chilled in The Tipsy Bird.

The art work in Belfast is a major focal point for my eyes.

I am seeing so much great art work, and even better the fact that I know and have followed some of these artists for some time now.

One image found was by SmugOne (@smugone). I had first seen work by this guy a few years back when he done a huge portrait for the Waterford walls series. He had painted another of my favourite artists ARTDMC who I can no longer find on social media any more. ARTDMC created a collection titled “Call Girls”. These call girls where ghostly figures with dripping paint coming from the body and could be seen all over Dublin and even framed in some pubs around the city too.

SmugOne seems to do a lot of large format portraits almost in a realism style. The Chef seen below is of John Henry Dawson (@jhdaws) John is holding his pet lobster.

There is a movement of artists around Ireland, Il be speaking in regards to Dublin in this case as its the only exposure I have had to it so far. The movement is of large scale public art work. Unfortunatly Dublin authorities have been removing all of the amazing work being done around Dublin and other cities I am sure. The guys behind this is SUBSET. They have been turning Dublin into a very special place. A very colourful, artistic and stylish place to be, but the efforts are for ever being blocked by the doors of “The Man”. Its nice to see some colour and soul here in Belfast and knowing that these peices of art have been standing for some time now.

Below are some more images of the art I have come across so far.

Train trips and shooting from the hips.

As John Mayer once said, when people are taking their bags from the carousel, If everybody just stepped back, then there would'’t be panic for you to miss your bag when it comes by.

The same goes for getting on the train. If you just wait for people to take their seats and don’t squeeze by all at the same time, well then every one will be happy.

Taking the train to Belfast this weekend (midweek) for New Year’s eve. I have brought 2million cameras. No :) just the 5. The FED5b, my favourite camera at the moment. This is a Ukraine based camera which was made in the 70’s. From what I read, this camera was built like a tank! Able to survive through the war. The photos I have made with this camera have been almost dream like, So I am excited to see what photos I produce this weekend.

The photo below was taken with the FED whilst I was on the way to Vienna with my family. For me, its like a dream sequence. A flash of a moment you might get in a dream or in a movie.

For Xmas, I have been given the Action Sampler Clear. This is a 35mm film cam with some special skills. When you take a photo, it has a cross like section on the opening to the frame which burns four sequential images onto the film. I will be up north with some friends so I am looking forward to taking some moving portraits with this little thing.

Telling a story with images.

The easiest way for me to shoot most of the time is with my Canon 550d. I have had this camera for many years now, my first being a Nikon but I cannot remember the model.

Below are some images of the Airbnb we are staying in up in Belfast, Ireland. These are shot with a Sigma 1.8, 18-35mm lens. This thing is beautiful. One of the best purchases I have made. The photos that come out of this are so good. The depth of field is stunning and its 1.8 all the way through, so for me, shooting street and wanting to get that little bit closer to the subject without being up in their face, I can just zoom in and still stay at 1.8/2f

It also means that with such a gorgeous depth, I don’t really feel the need to edit to much with photos any more. They look so good coming straight out of the camera. The images below have been touched up slightly in Lightroom. Boosting contrast and fixing the colour balance just a little bit better. Meaning, the blacks are black and the whites are white. (as good as I can get)

Sometimes I may convert to black and white as this would be my favourite style. Black and white is timeless. You can shoot an image and not really be able to put a date or year on the photo.

You can check out my Black and White Gallery here…

I am continuing this piece of writing the morning after our first night here in Belfast. (and now re writing it the morning of the 31st)

The possibility to edit such a large amount of photos on the go and being able to create little story lines from them is a new experience for me. Normally I just edit my photos and then post them on social medias such as instagram and Facebook. This new approach feels like it is bringing so much more meaning and life to my photos. I am not just looking at my past , I am reading about it too. Reading about a moment I was able to catch in time.

Right now I am excited to look back on this and read it once again with older eyes and a completely different perspective.

Great start to the trip.