Youghal Shoot 2015

Posted on 12/01/2015 by admin

Denis Barry-2

On 11/1/15 ECCG revisited Youghal as part of our Blackwater and Lighthouse projects. Arriving early, the sky looked promising for a couple of minutes prior to the 8.40am sunrise but it wasn't to be. Cloud obscured the sunrise and imposed a flat sky for the duration of our visit. Not to be outdone, however, we took to the town where we found some nice people and some great subjects.

Mouse over the image below to activate the slideshow controls. Enjoy!

Cork – Resplendent in the Rain

Posted on 30/12/2013 by admin

Though buffeted by high winds and rain, Cork City presented with a charm all of its own on Sunday afternoon, 29/12/2013, as hardy shoppers scurried about the streets in the festive atmosphere.

Despite the testing conditions, people were in great humour all around the City lending credence to the City's 'friendly' tag. 20131229-DB2_7052

Though hardly ideal weather for photography, two members of ECCG threw caution to the winds and ISO settings to the heavens and headed out into the storm to record activities in the 'Real Capital'.

ECCG reporters-5 20131229-DB2_6973 Business at The Giant Wheel on Grand Parade was understandably slow but the friendly cashier on duty was undaunted as she sipped her cuppa to keep out the chill.

Given the adverse weather, there was little room in the McDonalds Inn at Daunt Square

The Echo Boy on St. Patrick's Street appeared to try to catch everyone's attention as they passed by but was having little luck.

Storm? What storm? - Time to relax in Carey's Lane

: A welcome refuge in St. Oliver Plunkett St.

: Memories are made of this

: Shoppers on Opera Lane

: On the beat – Sgt. Mick Kelleher

: The English Market

: The Berwick fountain

: Christmas Reflection

: Casey’s festive window

Click the thumbnails above for a bigger version.

New and Old: Opera Lane and Queen Anne House, Emmet Place

Selfie on The Giant Wheel - ECCG's intrepid reporters: Denis Barry and Anthony O'Connor high above the Grand Parade.

While willing to risk life and limb to get the shot (well we did have a go on the Giant Wheel!), the gear had to be protected from the elements. The first defence was the incredibly cheap and effective OpTech Rain Sleeve, without which, we would not have been able to get out at all. These kept the bodies and lenses dry and after that it was a constant battle just to keep the front lens elements dry, an impossibility in the circumstances so it was really just a matter of getting on with it and hoping for the best.

ISO crept towards the 2000 mark at times in order to maintain some chance of a hand-hold-able shot. Both Nikon and Canon were represented but with conditions as they were, there was no lens changing. 18-55mm and 18-200mm were the lenses of choice and proved their versatility on the day. Umbrellas and tripods were brought along but were more of a hindrance than a help, such was the high wind and could really have been left in the car.

All in all, a challenging but enjoyable day of photography in our City by the Lee - and a few 'keepers' into the bargain.

Street Photography – in your face!

Posted on 23/12/2013 by admin

Street photography is a genre all of it's own and some of the greats like Cartier-Bresson and Doisneau made it their own. The biggest obstacle, it appears, is the fear that most people have of photographing strangers in public and the risk of confrontation. Well not for New York photographer, Bruce Gilden, who takes 'up close and personal' to new heights in his street photography. Even his website proclaims "I'm known for taking pictures very close, and the older I get, the closer I get". Take a look at his unique style below:

http://youtu.be/mDoRL3OIhbk

Club Exchange with Ballincollig Camera Club 7/5/13

Posted on 13/05/2013 by admin

Photo 07-05-2013 20 21 51 On Tuesday 7th May 2013, Ballincollig Camera Club came to The Midleton Park Hotel on the first in our calendar of club exchange nights for 2013. A strong contingent arrived lead by newly elected secretary, Graham Daly who was accompanied by Pierce Coady, Cian O'Mahony, Denis O'Driscoll, Ron Giesbers, Ilinka Drieu and Margaret Beaty.

Graham began by apologising on behalf of their Chairperson, Pascal Lee, who was unable to attend. He outlined the history of the Ballincollig club and how they filled their year with various activities and competitions. He spoke about their involvement in SACC events and how they were extremely happy with their recent placings in the inter club competition.

Graham then introduced the first of their group to display his images, newly crowned Photographer of the Year, Pierce Coady.

Pierce began by thanking ECCG for the invitation to come along and said he was a relative new-comer to photography but had developed a passion for portrait and street photography. He displayed a panel of 10 images that drew gasps from the audience, each of which was accompanied by a story as to how the images came about.

This lighthearted banter relaxed the group and questions soon began to flow. As the images were passed around, members remarked on the shallow depth of field with eyes pin sharp. We learned that Pierce's favoured weapon is his Nikon D700 with a 50mm 1.4f prime lens attached. The high quality of the prints really enhanced the images, bringing out the detail in the shots. Pierce prints all his images on an Epson printer using Permajet Portrait White paper. He wrapped up by again, thanking the group for the chance to display his work and reiterated his love for photography.

Next up was Cian O'Mahony to show his successful L panel. Cian explained the concept of his panel and how he favoured the coast and landscapes of West Cork and Kerry to create his images, and how he was influenced by the style of John Hooton.

His images showed a range of pastel coloured seascapes dotted with close up detail, and wildlife images. He finished with a few shots taken on a recent trip to Iceland.

Graham finished their presentation with a wish that the two groups might again meet up before the end of the year. Tom Tattan, in reply, thanked the Ballincollig group for coming along especially on such a bad night, weather wise.

All adjourned for refreshments and a chat with some of the die-hards having to be evicted out of the bar to continue discussions!

Photos: Dave Edmunds

Robert Doisneau 1912 – 1994

Posted on 01/04/2013 by admin

"A hundredth of a second here, a hundredth of a second there – even if you put them end to end, they still only add up to one, two, perhaps three seconds, snatched from eternity".
Robert Doisneau

images While enjoying lunch in a restaurant in Kenmare, Co. Kerry recently, I noticed that there were several black and white photographs hanging on the walls. On closer examination I discovered that all, including possibly his most well known "The Kiss in Front of City Hall", were by the French street photographer, Robert Doisneau. Since the genesis of ECCG can be traced to an over dinner conversation in the same town, the coincidence wasn't lost on me so, Mon. Doisneau had to have a blog post dedicated to him on this site!

Robert Doisneau was born in Gentilly, Paris on 14/4/1912. His mother died of tuberculosis in 1920 and his father remarried two years later. At the age of seventeen, he qualified with a diploma as an engraver-lithographer. In 1929 he made his first pictures with a camera. Shortly after, he was hired as a draftsman, and soon became assistant in a newly created photo lab.

In 1931, he became assistant to the photographer André Vigneau whose influence was crucial to his career. Thereafter he met Pablo Picasso, Henri Cartier Bresson and many other personalities with whom he became friends. Upon his return from military service, he was hired as a photographer for Renault factories in Boulogne-Billancourt. He stayed there for five years until 1939. He then decided to become a photographer/freelance illustrator.

After the Liberation, he worked for some time before joining Alliance Photo agency Rapho permanently in 1946. In his status as a freelance photographer, he sold his pictures to magazines as diverse as Viewpoint, Life, Life working, Match, Look, Woman and Vogue. He participated in many international exhibitions and won many awards. In spite of his busy schedule, Robert Doisneau managed to do a lot of personal work and experienced a huge success over the last ten years of his life . Two films pay homage to him: "The Paris of Robert Doisneau" François Porcile in 1973 and "Bonjour Monsieur Doisneau" Sabine Azéma in 1992.

Visit his official site (in French, which can be translated in the browser) and see his work here.