Examiner Front Page again

Great fun assignment last weekend for The Examiner - the annual culchie festival held this year in Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan. Went out on the Friday and took a few photos of one of the first culchies to arrive in McCabe's Bar, Ballyjamesduff - Patrick Smith from Castlepollard, County Westmeath. The festival seems to be great fun and for the October Bank Holiday Weekend something different to do.

The Virginia Pumpkin Festival was also held the same weekend in the nearby town of yep, you guessed it - Virginia. After reading some of the info on the festival lineup I decided to concentrate on culchies arriving from Ballyjamesduff to Virginia to pay homage to the Pumpkin so I got there early on teh road from Ballyjamesduff to Virginia which is a great long straight stretch of road. They were to arrive on hundreds of Honda 50's, in the end it turned out they arranged to meet in the town of Virginia, unbeknownst to me or the stewards I was talking to on the Ballyjamesduff road.

Ireland at the best of times can be disjointed and disorganised and in my line of work you just have to accept this, once you do things go smoothly enough, no point having a hissy fit when you can't control events.

A warm enough day I had planned to stand in the middle of the road and get shots of bikes flying past me, this could have been a foolhardy venture but for the fact that I had large hi vis jacket in the jeep, these luminous garments infuse the wearer with great powers it seems, especially the ability to stop traffic, which I did when I saw Elvis arrive on his trumped up Honda 50, I was delighted with the photo I took of him and it ended up on the front page of The Examiner - good result all round.

If I could paint...

I am not an artist and could never draw/paint/sketch or do anything with oils/acrylics/charcoal but if I could I would probably paint something like this image I took of the sea looking out over the mountains at Carlingford, County Louth. The image hasn't been touched up or any special effects added to it, it was a 1/8 second exposure at f22 and I really like it, taken at 1 minute past 6 last Sunday (13th September) I love the colours and sense of drama. Incidentally, to th e best of my knowledge I got a C in Art in my LeavingCert, the highest mark for my art theory where I wrote an essay eschewing the virtues of a work of art entitled 'How to Explain pictures to a dead hare' by German sculptor Joseph Beuys, which all sounds pompous and pretentious, the fact is at that time in school students had to pick their favourite painting and write an essay about it for the Leaving Cert state exam.

I didn't like art at the time and certainly had no favourite painting so I scanned quickly through a book of modern art and found the aforementioned piece and figured if I wrote about it rather than the Mona Lisa or Picasso's Ice Cream I stood a better chance of getting noticed and therefore getting a higher mark for originality, I reckon it worked.

HSE Community Games 2009

The 2009 HSE Community Games Finals were interrupted by atrocious weather this year and I got right and royally soaked whilst photographing them, but the games seem so well loved by all involved that the rain failed to dampen spirits and appeared to generate more smiles than frowns. These kids amaze me they are so focused, photographing from the edge of the track I was so lucky to witness first-hand the determination these athletes muster. At one stage I swung around to avoid a particularly nasty shower I spotted Orla Brady from County Clare 'on her marks' and it made one of my favourite images from the day, a sentiment it seems was shared by The Irish Examiner who I was working for that day. Although in many ways there are technical issues with the image, including the omission of her feet I think her emotion, the rain, her number hanging off her, her sagging clothes etc. etc. don't detract at all from the photo.

My other favourite from the day is here:

LeavingCert exam results

Photographed students in St Olivers Community College in Drogheda, County Louth today for The Irish Examiner.

The reason I am blogging is twofold, 1. to unburden my thoughts back to when I got my results (I managed 5 passes, 5 d's that is) from almost no study, certainly an underachievement but my late Mum Judy was delighted that I had at least passed and gave me 5 quid for every pass I achieved, 25 quid (in circa 1987) for doing nothing isn't a bad return by any standards.

Reason 2. The Leaving Cert isn't the be-all and end-all, so for any students that might not have got the results they were hoping for out there that happen to google their school and my blog turns up - take heart and don't be upset.

I am one of the lucky ones that after a pretty appalling participation in the Irish education system with a failed 'inter cert', (ask your grandparents what that is!) and a very ordinary pass in the Leaving cert as well as the notoriety of being the first prefect in St. Patrick's Classical School in Navan to be expelled, I have done okay.

I have been in the UK, Iceland, Germany (twice), France, Hong Kong (3 times), Hawaii, Malaysia (twice), Japan (worked there as a software engineer for 4.5 years), China, America (twice), Dubai, Oman, Austria (twice), Australia (twice).

I have photographed bands from Green Day to Coldplay, Massive Attack to Paul Weller, and REM to The Foo Fighters, I have photographed Tiger Woods playing in the Ryder Cup and photographed Chinese Premiers in Aras and Uachtarain, Sumo champion Wrestlers ringside (with a GAA photo pass!) as well as having the privilege of photographing kids in my locale that were champions in their own right and I have over 60 book covers to my name (ironically most of them used to illustrate educational textbooks!).

I have had images printed in almost every national newspaper in the UK and Ireland and other publications all over the world as well as front pages and even a photo in Newsweek magazine of an image from the 50th anniversary of the cultural revolution in China depite being told I wouldn't allowed within a 10 miles radius of Tiananmen Square.

Where am I going with all this? Well, I did all the above armed with a camera, self-belief, hard work and a little chutzpah, if you didn't get the results you wanted, try harder, try again, try again and try harder, believe in yourself, don't screw anyone over and you will get there - sermon over...

One boy and his dog

As a dog lover and regular contributor to The Examiner I am feeling a
little proud of today's front page, Here is a copy of the Front Page itself. The organisers of Boardsmill Community Games were even taken aback when I told them I was covering
the games for the local paper - The Meath Chronicle, there were about 40
spectators at best, and the volunteers collecting the voluntary
contribution at the entrance were using a plastic box that would just
about hold 4 Jacobs Cream Crackers! The photo of a boy and his dog was also singled out for praise on today's Gerry Ryan show on 2FM. To see more photos from the assignment click here...

George up for best job in the world

As they say on Top Gear - 'I have been literally inundated with a request' to update my blog and so here goes, I had a great shoot the other day for The Irish Examiner in Bettystown, County Meath. The story is on George Karellas fought off almost 35,000 people from more than 200 countries to be shortlisted for the position, which involves being a “caretaker” of tropical Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef. George was great fun, told some very interesting stories about his grandfather and went out of his way to accommodate me. I think this is reflected in the photos. George deserves to win and you can vote for him here islandreefjob.com.

AIB Photojournalism winning award 2008 (2nd Prize - The Arts)

This is a first for me in more ways than one, on Friday night I was presented with 2nd prize in The Arts category in the 2008 AIB Photojournalism Awards run by the Press Photographers Association of Ireland. I was stunned out of my seat and couldn't believe when my name was called out. (Neither could my wife, my harshest critic).

The last award I won was for beating comedian Dylan Moran in a game of Bomb Jack (brilliant arcade game, circa 1985)when we were both about 15 years old, it was in the back of a sports shop called 'The Sports Den' - a hastily organised competition held by both Dylan and I, the prize was a small trophy lifted from the shop) I can't remember if Dylan stole ot or if I did. I still have posession of said trophy and whilst it wasn't officiated by the Guinness Book of Records and was an unofficial competition it is a small treasure I hold over the great comedian.

I am not going to name drop any of the people that attended the awards but suffice to say it is a highly regarded awards night that is attended by most of the newspaper industry. More than 120 photographers submitted over 1900 photos in 10 categories and only one other freelance (Valerie O'Sullivan - well done) won an award which I am sure made it sweeter for both of us.

Enough from me and over to you Buzz, what do you reckon?

Buzz: Where is the photo you won the award for?
Me: Here:



Buzz: Hmm, not bad I suppose
Me: Not bad? It is a good one...
Buzz: So you didn't come first?
Me: There are no such things as losers in a competition like this
Buzz: Fair enough, and actually I do like the photo can I see the award?
Me: Please ignore the marks on my hand from your F***ing nails when I play with you
Buzz: Ah, don't be such a whingeir...Who were you on assignment for when you took the photo?
Me: The Examiner

Ireland's 1st French Bulldog Photography critic joins the staff of www.barrycronin.com

Hi All, yep (or should that be yelp), Buzz here and this is my first post, I am 3 years old and have a great eye for photography, Barry seems to think that because his work is published on a weekly basis that he is brilliant, well I am here to disabuse him of that opinion, I am almost as harsh a critic as his wife Norie. What qualifies me to do this? What qualifies him to take photos in the first place? he has no formal training in Photography, ok, he has been a professional for almost 13 years and has many supporting clients, nevertheless we will see how it goes.

Fat sheep

The other photo I took amused me greatly, whilst driving past a field of sheep I noticed a lamb enjoying the warmth of one of his parents back, sitting down like this the sheep looked liked a wide sack of spuds...

Update* - This images was used by The Irish Times that week!

Winter birds

More snow fell in my local area this morning, compared to the wildly inaccurate weather reports from a few days ago, it was a nice surprise, this is one of two photos I took today that I was happy with, yellow finches feeding outside a house in Stonecross, Navan...

Photographic Legend John Minihan

Today I was commissioned to photographic Irish photographic legend John Minihan prior to his exhibition 'Writing the century' featuring 42 images of Irish writers, poets, playwrights, authors etc. including, Samuel Beckett, Seamus Heaney, the late John McGahern, Irish Murdoch and practically every Irish author of note.

In this photo (once referred to as the 'Image of the 20th century, his not mine ;-)) he is looking at his most famous photo and pretending to photograph using what looks like a minature camera but is actually I cigarette lighter I bought in Tokyo in 2005 when I was a heavy smoker. There you go now...

John Minihan has been referred to as probably the most important living Irish photographer today, hard to argue with this when you see his work. If you click on the photo you can see more photos from today's shoot and you will get some idea of how much fun it was to photograph him today. Incidentally he was the first photographer I was ever commissioned to photograph - an interesting commission.

You can visit John's site at www.johnminihan.com

Ruth - the ultra cool bride

The photo says it all...

Gameshop in Akihabara

Photo of the moon looking down on a gameshop in the Akihabara (Electric town) district of Tokyo, Japan. Akihabara has the largest concentration of electronics shops in Tokyo but is considered by many as overpriced, you can get the same items in other parts of Tokyo cheaper, but Akihabara sells electronics items that can be exported overseas. Still, it is good fun to visit.

3 photos on one page of Irish Examiner

Bit of a departure from the title of this blog but as an exception it is one I am proud of, I had three images of the recession featured in Friday's Irish Examiner, this is a first for me and although it should probably be considered a coincidence it features one photo of Tara Mines that featured last week as one that 'Didn't make it into print'!

HD Ready TVs for sale in Blanchardstown

A girl looks at HD ready televisions for sale in a brabch of Currys electrical store in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, Blanchardstown, West Dublin.

Tara Mines workers on protective notice

Tara Mines (Europe's largest zinc mine owned by Boliden) workers have been on protective notice for over a week now ahead of talks with Tara Mines management this Friday (16th Jan.)

Land of Leather goes into administration

Another victim of the Irish recession, the Land of Leather chain, who have a branch in Drogheda, have gone into administration, even though this image was taken with a 14mm lens and could be considered gimmicky I like it because it takes in the adjoining TK MAXX Drogheda store which has been one of the success stories of the current economic conditions here in Ireland.

Busy week on the recession front

This week Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda made the headlines for three days after 40 A & E patients were left on trollies and the hospital refused to take in more patients with certain illnesses. This is one of my favourite images from the Drogheda Hospital, which is currently building a new A @ E department.