February 9, 2011

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Rosette

I will be out of circulation for a while and may not be able to post regularly for about two weeks ... but I will be back. T


Photo: Taken last week, hand-held shot of the roof of the main exhibition area at The F.E. McWilliam's Gallery Banbridge, Co. Down.

February 4, 2011

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On this day in 1977, Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" was released. Extra.

The Willow Weaver's Yard

Oh for a quiet life! Believe it or not, this is a snap shot of one aspect of Irish life today, a scene that probably looks the same now as it did a couple of hundred years ago.

February 3, 2011

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On this day in 1979, "YMCA" by Village People peaks at #2 on pop singles chart. 

Make Your Mark

Is it any wonder that the school desks I remember as a teenager were made of the finest and most durable of native Irish timber with the abuse they received from the generations of youths who sat in them listening intently to teachers rant on about theorems reckoned by mathematicians that died thousands of years ago! It never made any sense to me. I spent a lot of time drawing in the margins of my books or whittling away with a pen or compass on the desktops of Muredach's College when I was supposed to be listening to the teachers. God bless them, they done their best but I was bored to tears most of the time. That said, I guess even then we were conscious of the passing of time. We knew our time at school was short and we were anxious that while we were there, we would make our mark as many had done before us. Isn't it the human thing to do after all ... and weren't our arses red if we were ever caught! We developed a code so they wouldn't know, "not me Sir" ... but the mark was made and some day, like the deciphering of hieroglyphics, we'd be identified and remembered for ever.

February 2, 2011

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On this day in 1901, Queen Victoria's funeral takes place.

The Castle 3

This shot was taken at the back entrance to Dublin Castle at Ship Street. It's a busy day, there's a lot of running about, there's bits and pieces of everything started but nothing is finished ... sound familiar?
I'm very fond of this lane and hope to use it for a shoot some day when the right job comes along. I love it's orientation towards the sun, the arched opening fills with light in the early morning this time of year. I spent almost 30 minutes leaning against the wall, waiting for something to happen in the framed archway, something ... anything! However, I was a little disappointed. I managed to catch a few silhouettes to generate a point of interest against the backdrop of the stepped lane.

February 1, 2011

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On this day in 1900, Eastman Kodak Co. introduced the $1 Brownie box camera.

Gift 1290

In 1900, the Eastman Kodak Company introduced a low-priced, point-and-shoot, hand-held camera, called the Brownie. The Brownie camera was a simple, black, rectangular box covered in imitation leather with nickeled fittings. To take a "snapshot," all one had to do was hold the camera waist height, aim, and turn a switch. The Brownie camera was very affordable, selling for only $1 each. Plus, for only 15 cents, a Brownie camera owner could buy a six-exposure film cartridge that could be loaded in daylight. Kodak promised to develop the film for the camera's owner, rather than the owner having to invest in materials and a darkroom.
No longer was taking photographs just for the professionals and only of grand events, the Brownie camera allowed the capturing of birthdays and other family events. In fact, for the first time, in front of the Brownie, people smiled and said cheese. In just the first year, the Eastman Kodak Company sold over a quarter of a million Brownies, forever changing the future of photography.
Text courtesy of 'About.com'.