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