Oldies (Part V) Sunsets & Nightscapes in Anna Maria Island.
In keeping with pulling up older photos I’ve taken over the past five or six years. I’m also running with the theme of posting photos of Anna Maria Island, the tiny little ‘city’ in the form of an island that I consider to be my second home, where I’ll be headed back to on Friday.

These photos I shot back in 2006 for arts and culture magazine, Contra, of the Danish band ‘The Kissaway Trail‘.

To be completely honest, band photography had never really interested me and I was still a relative newcomer to photography in general at this stage. The shoot itself took place in Primrose Hill, North London, on one of the coldest days I remember from that year. I walked from my place in W.Hampstead to Primrose Hill with absolutely no intentions or ideas. I had very little equipment, just a camera and a tripod (I didn’t even have a flash or a light meter). The band were friendly, but we had a bit of a language barrier which, thankfully, the photo editor (who joined us on location) helped out with that.
It’s funny to look back and see how the photos at least turned out to be somewhat useable given my complete unprofessionalism. Now when I turn up for things like that I have a full outdoor and studio lighting kit, external flashes, umbrellas, different cameras and lenses, yet I don’t think the results have varied all that much. Photography is such a trick.

Since then, the band seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. You can visit their official site here or go watch them on youtube.

Just four, totally random, snaps I took last winter in Anna Maria Island, Florida, my ‘home other home’. I will be back here in nine days and I couldn’t be going at a better time. Not only am I trying to warm myself up right now because we have had no electricity or heat for 12 hours (along with the rest of the country) but the cause of that was high winds and snow blizzards. Yes, snow blizzards a day before April. Being a girl who loves the sun and hot-heat and despises winter, I’m pretty glad to be packing my bag and headed back Stateside. My month and a half back in Belfast seemed far too long mainly due to the weather.

Also, the day after I arrive is April 10th – my birthday, my 24th birthday to be exact, and there is nowhere I’d rather hit my mid-twenties than that sunny little island.

Another video post, eh?

Another video post in which I explain why I’m a terrible blogger (and that I have a fairly decent excuse for it). Thanks for all your responses on the last one – especially regarding that old accent of mine, I think I’m a bit more fast-talking and Belfast in this one, so don’t worry if it’s a bit more inaudible. This is much the same and nothing special, but I do have a nifty little HD camcorder all to myself and I’m working on some videos for the blog that are more than me chatting about my day into a webcam. I sense a revolution of video coming on – it’s about time! Being a photographer isn’t about still images, picking up a camcorder is no different and I’m working on it. Plus, I’m spending most of between now and May in South-West Florida, a huge source of inspiration for me, so I foresee plenty of video-action VERY soon.

…PS, I’m going to do a live-webchat for camera/photography advice.

A little tidbit I forgot to mention in the video is that I’m going to hold an online chat sometime very soon (and hopefully make it a regular thing) – either a video chat or just a plain old typing chat – for camera advice. I worked for 6 years in camera sales, repairs and commercial retail, so I figured I should put that to use in some way. So if you want to ask about which camera to buy, if I would recommend a camera or lens, if you have a problem or a broken camera, if you need general advice on cameras and what to buy or how to use them etc, that’s what this will be for.

So, if you are interested in participating can you please let me know. I only plan to have a few people at a time involved in the chat and it’ll be first come first served. It will be completely free and informal. So if you’re interested, hit me up.

Just another silly little promo.

A fashion illustration I drew up this afternoon. A bit of fun, drawn freehand…
Trying to expand my portfolio and get used to my new Bamboo Creative Graphics Tablet.

Oldies (Part i) : Belfast Street-Photography
Documentary style images shot on the streets of Belfast during ‘The Twelfth’. Shot as part of a much larger series of images over the course of a few years (most of these were taken in 2004 and 2005), during the ‘Marching Season’. Shot in areas of the city, at a time of the year when there is unrest on the streets, a kind of heat that matches the weather at the time of year (July).

Old Photos (Part ii): ST.PATRICK’S LANDSCAPES.

In honour of today being a day when the world celebrates the island I am currently on, the one I grew up on. Here are some photos I’ve taken around Northern Ireland (I won’t get into the politics of Northern Ireland being a separate country from ‘Ireland’, because it’s not a topic I feel strong on, just confused and I like to clarify the reason I’m a British Citizen). Hope you enjoy them, this country can be pretty when it wants to be!

In general, I’m sorry for the lack of updates, I’ve been unwell. I was supposed to be heading down to Dublin for St.Patricks Day tomorrow with my girls, but can’t because I am still not 100% well, what a bummer. I really should take advantage of being on the emerald isle on St.Patricks day, but ironically people here generally seem a lot less invested in St.Patrick’s Day than many folk I know elsewhere in the world.

That being said, Happy Paddy’s Day to you all this oh so green land itself!

I got Moses a year ago this month. He was only four months old and I could pick him up in the palm of my hand. He’s much bigger now but, amazingly, still has the face of a kitten. He also is still as playful, yet such a good cat. Everyone who meets him agrees they’ve never quite met a cat like him, he’s such a little character. He’s the cat who thinks he’s a dog who thinks he’s a human. At the risk of sounding like crazy cat lady, he’s my little buddy and makes everyday that little bit more fun and loveable.

FIRSTLY….Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments both here and around the web with regards to my video post. Looks like most of you ‘got’ the accent ok (although I think there was a comment refrencing Nadine Coyle from Girls Aloud. We Belfast folk will often launch into the Derry (Nadine’s home city) vs. Belfast debate – we’re the ‘big city’). I have a few more video blogs to come and we’re not just talking webcam, I’ve even got a nice hi-def digital video camera sitting beside me. So, I’m prepared to bring it on…

Despite visuals being my priority, I’ve always liked (actually, make that ‘loved’) the critical thinking and studying side of it. What would, say, art photography, be if we didn’t discuss it, analyse it or even write a little blurb of an explanation to accompany it. I know, it’d still be a visual which ‘speaks for itself’, I get it, but really – why not use words to accompany visuals? Done right it will enhance and unfold your visual in a way that we, quite simply as people with developed brains, have the distinct privilege and ability to do.

This week I’m starting to write my third major critical essay which will be available online once it has been completed and shipped about (depending if any of the critical journals decide to run it). I’m a thinker, I think a lot. I know we all do, but I’m the kind of girl who latches onto subjects, thinks about them a lot. Then, before you know it my head is muddled with thoughts, ideas and angry opinions that never get shared but cause me to revert to my teenage self (all that pent up angst). So, really, being analytical, writing and sharing is not only an expansion to my portfolio, but it’s a good kind of self-therapy. So the big topic I plan to write on? Well, it’s a tad controversial, but it’s the one subject within the world of photography that I feel so strongly about that I’m going to bite the bullet and write…

I’m a feminist and I’m a photographer. I also live in the city of Belfast. Anyone who knows me, even remotely well, knows how expressive I can be on the combination of these things. Belfast. Female/Feminist. Photographer. That’s all I have to say. To be honest, I don’t see this being a review, a critical study, a dissertation or thesis. I think this will be a piece of personal writing on my struggles as a female photographer emerging from Belfast. I’ve lived and worked in London and the USA, so I have a lot of contrasting to do, yet again, it won’t just be a critical contrast, we’re talking more like an autobiographical short story. I’ll do my research and be very PC in my methods, but, I have a feeling personal experience and opinion will be my main drive.
Why not? Why not indeed? I’m bored of shying away from truly saying what I have to say. I’m also tired of living by silly rules of how to take photos, how to share photos, how to write, how to communicate, exhibit, respond, evolve as an artist.

Once again, I said I’d do it and I will – I’m opening the box, getting out, dabbling in every form of self expression and art there is and making it about a lifestyle. Any opinions and views, send them my way, thank you.

On an unrelated side note, one of my best friends, Claire, and I are embarking on a joint project and it is going to be so much fun for everyone. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear from you or collaborate with even more people. Speaking of Claire, last night she baked my family a batch of her ‘Marshmallow Cupcakes’ and I can now throw my hands up and admit, I’ve tasted something that is more seductive than Johnny Depp holding a glass of merlot. When you’re on her blog, be sure to check out the recipe, she kindly put up.

So, I promised new things on this blog and here you have it. First go. Video blogging. As I say in the video, I have a funny little accent (well, funny to most of you non Northern Irish people) and who knows, maybe I’ll do one of those “How to speak Belfast” videos in the future. Or not. Either way, let me try this.
It’s taken using photobooth on the MacBook Pro (technology the dreams are made of, eh?). However, if this cinematic urge keeps its grip on me then I’m busting out my hi-definition video camera complete with Leica lenses and compactness to make a nerd melt. It’s my Dad’s, but he gave it too me – or did I take it from him? So here’s to new, exciting, fun things that I’m going to stick up on this old, tired blog.

By the way, if I look and sound tired, it’s because I am tired in a way beyond human comprehension. So stick with it.