Apologies for the quality of some of the images in this post. I wish I could blame my ‘second-best camera’ but the faults are all mine!
Last week, a couple of months into my photography course, I had a week off college. It’s such an aeon, almost the first ice age, since my school and student days that truly I cannot remember if half-term featured back in the day when I was last glued (not) to text books.
The photography course wasn’t forgotten as on two of the days I did work experience (ten days work experience is a mandatory part of the course) at Sea Change, an exhibition held at a pop-up gallery beside Dun Laoghaire’s People’s Park. The two exhibitors were photographer Christine Redmond and artist Ann-Marie Garvey. I was much taken by Christine’s strikingly beautiful photograph of a woman in a red swimming costume which she took with an underwater camera at Dublin’s Forty Foot bathing place. Sadly my pic doesn’t do her’s full justice.
Fortuitously, at least for me, a new café/restaurant opened in the recently renovated Victorian pavilion in the People’s Park. So, I was able to breakfast there on my way to work experience. I’ve been eagerly anticipating this opening as the café/restaurant is run by Fallon & Byrne and I am a fan of their city centre operation. The stylish new place has only been open seven days and already I’ve been there more times than is decent in such a short time span: twice for breakfast and once for an over dinner catch-up with my sis-in-law.
Kathleen McCormick’s Scoibs
On one of the days that I was off I headed into the city centre to get my hair cut and when I had parked up I popped into the RHA (Royal Hibernian Academy) gallery to have a look at a set of moody, misty photographs by Gary Coyle which are currently hanging in the foyer.
Shane Holland’s pendant light
While I was in the gallery I also had a look at this year’s Portfolio exhibition. The Craft Council of Ireland organize Portfolio. They say: ‘Portfolio actively works to grow the potential of craft makers across all major disciplines of contemporary craft.’ Getting into the Portfolio Collection is a big deal, there are currently around a hundred makers in it and thirty-one of them were exhibiting new work at the RHA.
Jennifer Slattery’s Cushions
I am back at ‘school’ this week. Having handed in a couple of projects before the break I now have some new ones to tackle. Nothing too onerous but still and all I am wondering if continious assessment rocks as much as I thought it did when I first heard there were no year-end exams.
Note: Gary Coyle’s photographs will hang in the RHA foyer until the 19th December but the other exhibitions I mention in this post are over.
Just Add Attitude 
Well I guess with your artistic and professionally trained eye the photo’s don’t look good but I think they look great. The top one is really cool, what fun you must be having with this course.
Thank you so much. I love Christine Redmond’s image of the lady in the red swimming costume, it’s really striking when hanging alone on the white wall. I was disappointed with the photos I took in the gallery as the light was poor and I didn’t have a tripod with me so I wasn’t able to take them at a slower shutter speed. I am pleased I am learning all these things as the course goes along.
Sounds like life is very rich and full at the moment. The bathing costume photo is lovely.
Yes, that’s a pretty good description of life for me at the moment. 😉
I love your replica of the underwater picture, how unique! It sounds like you had a lovely break. You’ve been putting alot of work into this course! It’s been so much fun to hear your updates.
Thank you Heather, yes I had a lovely break. I think I need to put a little more work into the course, a couple of project hand-in-dates are looming so I need to put my head down and get on with it. 😉
I had to google Christine Redmond – great images! However, the one above is truly exceptionally outstanding. Love that you have been in the cafe an inappropriate number of times 🙂 x
I so agree Christine Redmond’s image of the woman in red is outstanding, I was very drawn to it. I love where that cafe is as you can see the sea from it. And I have been back again! 😉
I’m jumping on everyone else’s bandwagon; I thought your photo is lovely, and it had the added effect of me wanting to know more about the artist. so you not only gave me eye candy but educated me.
I would have thought continuous assessment was better than year-end exams but after reading your post, I’m not sure anymore, lol. I’m living vicariously through you at the moment. 😀
Thank you so much Lauren and I am sorry for the delayed reply. I am in two minds about continuous assessment. It’s great not to have a year-end exam but as soon as one project goes in we seem to get a brief for another one. 😉
Work experience as well as a course – I hope you put your feet up during half term! I love Shane Holland’s Pentant Light shot. Beautifully simple with lots of lovely lines.
Thank you Suzanne. And yes I did put my feet up as well during half-term.
I love the chairs in the cafe! I could sit there for hours! So often the seats are terribly uncomfortable in restaurants. (Or maybe I’m too hard to please?)
And I really love that you say swimming costume instead of, as we say here “swim suit.” I’m going to adopt your lingo, it’s much prettier and will make me feel cheerier when I’m getting into my swimming costume for my pool exercise. (I find the photo really beautiful, too).
Those chairs are really comfortable. The cafe is not far from the shore so it’s possible to see the sea as you are sipping a coffee.
I hadn’t really thought about swimming costume v swim suit but I am glad you mentioned it as it made me think about the two terms. I too prefer the more archaic term. I hope you enjoyed your pool exercises. 🏊
Ah, but you’re ‘growing’ as a result of it. 🙂 That pendant light photo is pretty good. I can’t do lights to save my life! And is a ‘scoib’ a flat basket? Pardon my ignorance 🙂
Yes, you are right, I am. A sciob is a traditional Irish basket that multi-tasks. Now it’s mainly decorative but it was used to strain and to serve potatoes. 😉
where are you doing the photography course? if you need any help, drop me an email at contact.perfectlight@gmail.com; i might have few tips for the work experience 😉
Thank you so much for your kind offer. I am doing a one year course at a college of further education. I am not planning to go on when I am finished to do more study. Thanks again. 📷 😉
regarding photography, the offer of help stands anytime doesn’t matter if it is fetac 5, 6, iatd or just something personal 🙂
Thank you so much. I will get in touch in the new year. 😉
I love, love the first pic! It reminds me of Brett Weston’s photography. Pure genius! 🙂
Hello Francesca, I too love Christine Redmond’s image. I will have to look up Brett Weston. Waving towards your part of the world and I hope the Thanksgiving preparations are going well. 😉
I know you must really be enjoying your photo experience. I know I am enjoying your photos. 🙂
Thank you so much Karen. 😉
I always enjoy it when you highlight a store, cafe, or exhibit. Looking forward to more.
Thank you so much.