Summertime!

Don't these two look gorgeous together?! Glowing inside and out in the summer sun...the days are so long in the summer, the sun setting as late as 10pm, turning the trees to bronze and gold, as though autumn has come and not the height of summer! These pictures were taken in the summer of 2018, before our move to Dublin, Ireland. It was also the summer after Florence's graduation in Abu Dhabi, UAE. These pictures were taken on a old farm track on the edge of the woods not far from our home, and in the fields dotted by the typical French hay bales. Now that Dublin has entered a period of stricter lockdown owing to covid-19, now is a good time to go through old RAWS and specifically work on my website, and the Client section. Over the past eight years or so I've mainly taken pictures of my family, but I'm looking to take on some clients now. Contact me for portraits, engagement, maternity, new baby, family, debs...and any other special occasion. I am passionate about black & white photography, however there are times when colour is wonderful for conveying mood and emotion and to convert to black & white would lose something of the essence of the photograph, Cara x

Under the apples when times were sweet & self isolation

So as coronavirus continues to spread across the globe at an astonishing rate, and most, if not all of Europe is currently under lockdown, now is the time to finish all the things that were previously hanging in the air. For me, it's partly about clearing out hard drives of old RAWS, and seeing if there are pictures worth salvaging. I'm simultaneously working on new pictures whenever the mood takes me - or my son or daughter. These pictures were taken last summer of my daughter in France. They were taken under the old apple tree in the field in front of our home in the Dordogne, western France. In the Dordogne where I inherited a house from my French grandmother, there is primary woodlands and forest - woods, that have always been woods - as far as anyone can remember. The biodiversity is incredible too - deer, wild boar, hares, all kinds of birds, plenty of butterflies. I have to watch out for the "chevreuil" , Roe deer, which come right into our garden to munch on rose buds! The quality of the soil, so rich in nutrients and no artificial fertiliser, means the fruit trees on our land is overflowing with fruit. Apples, peaches, and plums, mainly. There are also a fig trees. Here you can see the apples are literally crammed into every inch of the old tree, that has been standing since I was a little girl. I have hesitated with these pictures for a while, as I'm not sure the settings were quite right on my camera. I would repeat them in a different way; but now, looking back, as ever, I can't wait to go back to this wonderful place. For now, though, it's time to stay in cocooned, and try to keep healthy - also to make sure those in greater need can get to hospitals and ventilators, and get the healthcare they need. It's a far cry from apple trees and Roe deer. However, doing these pictures has been good to get my mind off things, even for a little while... Cara x

The Wheelbarrow series, Summer throwback

Here in Dublin, the rains pour down from the heavens. And I haven't taken my camera out in the rain...yet. I am however desperate to do a series at the 40 foot in Dublin, bathers in the background, and in the foreground, some poor shivery soul. to be honest, it will be a miracle if I can get any of my lot in a bathing suit in these icy temps, let alone in the water. I can but dream of the 40 foot, Glasthule, Dublin, in the rain. However, back to what I'm showing here. I'm noticing that many of my blogs to date refer to pictures I've taken over six months ago. Relevant, much! Here is the full wheelbarrow series, both in color and black & white, taken in Dordogne, France . The summer light through the trees when I took these pictures was clean and bright, and the trees offered some shade in the mid afternoon light. The light in France in summer is very harsh so any type of shade is needed. As much as I love a dramatic black & white portrait, there are times when color really does have the power to evoke memory and mood. I'm leaning towards soft natural colors with a gentle glow option. I do like a bit of 'glow" on my editing palette. So with no further ado, as all the vlogger's these days seem to say, here's to colour portraits. I love taking pictures of teenagers and young adults, so contact me if you'd like a session in time for the Dublin debs this year as well! In fact contact me for portraits, engagement pictures, maternity, newbaby, and debutants. I'm here in Blackrock, Dublin...If I've missed anything out, let me know! Cara x