Hi everyone,

I hope you are all staying safe. What a very strange time we are living in right now. It can be hard being at home all the time especially with the beautiful weather we are experiencing. The studio is closed at the moment due to the Covid 19 pandemic so we have converted it into a temporary study hub where the kids can do their homework, study and receive their online classes. I, on the other hand have been relegated to the kitchen where I am finishing editing shoots that I had already carried out before all this happened. It means I’m closer to the kettle and the washing machine!

Over the last week or so I have found myself revisiting my first love of photography – the landscape –  and for fear of forgetting how to press that shutter button, the camera is out everyday with me when I go for a walk. When you work as a photographer, it is easy to forget to go and take photographs for your own pleasure. It has also reminded me of the meditative qualities of photography..something I have wanted to explore for some time now. Photography for pleasure brings us into the outside world and encourages us to see and appreciate the beauty around us in different and new ways. We breathe in the fresh air, soak up the sunshine (yes, I realise this is Ireland we live in!) and all the while we are distracted or engrossed in the imagery we are capturing, temporarily putting aside our worries. Before you know it, an hour or two has passed by. Escapism at its best!

Being principal of the Carty Education Dept, I took the executive decision today for the girls to have the morning off for what I called their P.E. class. It’s very important for them to get exercise and be in the fresh air and I’m sure their school would whole heartedly agree with me! We decided to go to Hook Head. Coupled with the fact that I have a commission to photograph it for a client and the beautiful day that it is, we packed a snack basket, camera case, tripod and the dog into the car and off we drove down the Duncannon line.

Towering above us the lighthouse basked in the glorious sunshine as the waves gently brushed against the rocks. There was no wind today which is unusual as everyone who has ever been here is familiar with the blustery winds typical of the Hook Peninsula. Luckily for us there was hardly anybody there and we met only two single people on our walk. Keeping physical distancing, we acknowledged each other with a knowing smile of how lucky we are to have such a wonderful landscape on our doorstep and to be there with no over crowding on this strange and beautiful day. I even took time out for a self family portrait for the first time ever!