Im back to work today after ten marvelous days in Portugal, where I randomly went on a surfing holiday. Im not known for “being elastic” and therefore the choice of such an active holiday even surprised my travel buddy Ailsa, who is used to 10K runs, followed by a couple of hours of surf and then a yoga session on the beach afterwards. None the less, I had a great time, mastering the art of surf(kneel)ing on my board the size of a mattress… but hey, every beginner has to start somewhere. Of course, a holiday isn’t a holiday without my faithful camera, and so I really enjoyed watching those who could “catch some greens” and the amazing November light which saturated the beach with the most beautiful colours every evening.

Here are a few shots, all taken at Baleal, Peniche, Portugal, where we stayed at Lagido Surf House. Happy days, looking forward to my next holiday already! 🙂

It was take two for this shoot with Kate and James. Our initial voyage down to Ballynamona beach at Shanagarry, East Cork was greeted with heavy rain, thundery skies and absolutely no hope of leaving the car unharmed! And so we rescheduled for a few days later and wow… you couldn’t ask for more. Beautiful clear skies, evening autumn sunlight and a great couple who were up for anything…. even putting their deck chairs in the surf. Have to say, I really enjoy shoot like this, full of the good times.

Skully is one of Ireland’s best know electronic music players, and specializes in instrumental music for film and tv productions. This a shoot for upcoming promotions for Skullys music. Currently he is working on an album around the theme of transport. Using this idea of journey, travel and the inevitable waiting around for planes and trains, we shot these photos around Cork, in the train station, nearby alleyways and a junkyard of old train carriages. The post production using desaturated colours was chosen to tie in with Skullys branding to date which has been dominated by black and white images with popping reds. I’m sure you will see plenty more of these photos popping up in his website and facebook page over the coming months, but for now here are a few of my favourites.

Ian Kelleher has a knack with poetry. Its simple, brief, emotive and from the heart. Conveying Ian in a photograph is almost as simple and yet as complex. This shoot was a mix of imagination and reality with influence from his work.

I shot the photos on my Nikon D700, processed the RAW files in Photoshop and then finished in Instagram. I suppose I wanted the control of shooting exactly how I wanted to and the spontaneity of an Instagram print. I think it’s kinda fun!

CurvyLady.ie, Ireland’s newest plus size online boutique has opened its online doors for business this week. The girls were looking to do a lifestyle shoot showing some of their wears in action for front page banners on the new site. We chose Myrtleville beach in Cork to shoot this because of the beautiful textured rocks, sand and natural colours that would show the clothes at their best. Fortunately for me, and to the surprise of our model (and business owner) Colette, I was delighted with the overcast and grey sky, giving a soft diffused, low contrast look, perfect for the subtle details in the clothes.

A few months back, Christine, a 21 year old Architecture student entered Masterchef Ireland and we met for the first time last weekend when we shot these photographs in her family home. It’s easy to see why she got to the final sixteen contestants in this difficult competition as her food is as colourful and lively as her personality and she really is passionate about all things food related. I cant wait to see how she progresses in the competition, which is on RTE Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next few weeks. Go Christine!!!

The Just Nuts Company is a new artisan food company set up in Cork this year, and specializing in savory and sweet flavored nuts. They really are delicious, and the kind of food that once you start eating you cant stop!

 

We shot these pictures in Fiona’s kitchen, using natural window light, raided the cupboards for all the spices and used lots of fresh herbs from her garden.

I recently did this combined photo and video shoot for the Lee Valley Clothing Company with shaunoconnor.com

 

 

This shoot is inspired by the story of a lighthouse keeper tormented by the soul of his dead wife and also this song ” the lighthouse tale” by Nickel Creek

Location : Old Head of Kinsale and Garretstown, Co. Cork | Model : Magda Krempa & Colm Hogan | Styling : Jola Wojtowicz | Clothing : Miss Chi Chi.com Tights, Stockings and Skin Tattoos

 

 

Marie and Emmet’s small family wedding took place in the beautiful Ballymaloe, Shanagarry, East Cork. Their civil ceremony took place in the warm and airy patio area in this magnificent Georgian house. followed by a stroll in the garden, canapes and drinks on the lawn and a family dinner afterwards. Simply magic.

It was so lovely being able to shoot a intimate wedding like this, because I got lots of time to really focus on individuals and family groups. Plus the kids were so much fun and I think they really enjoyed climbing up on that tractor we found at the back of one of the sheds!