Author: Enda Cavanagh

Trees, mountains and more trees

Posted on by Enda Cavanagh

Well. I’ve been working non stop on my exhibition for the last 2 weeks and I thought it would be nice to take a break today and work on my series of images I took for a client of mine recently. Some of the images which I like the most were not selected because they were not quite related to the brief so I just got around to doing them now. The commission was to photograph different locations around the south of Ireland for a series of huge photos, which will be part of a new office fit out in Cork. Each image has a connection to a piece of text or poetry from famous Irish poets and writers. When I say huge photos I mean really huge. The largest is 3 meters high and 13m wide!! Quite a few photos were to be off trees and forests. The forrest images are the largest  with a very wide aspect ratio.

During the commission I realized how much I forgot about a large part of the countryside. Namely forrest and mountains. That might sound strange considering I’m a landscape photographer plus I was brought up in the countryside but I am always draw towards the sea when I photograph. It’s not intentional. I just love the sea. Always have and always will. The client wanted me to photograph specific trees, namely oak, ash, holly and birch. I actually had to research what the trees looked like. I could once identify many Irish trees without any trouble as a child. I also realized how much I love trees. I love their statuesque form and their determination to grow wherever they please. In Tommies wood in Kerry they appeared to grow out of rocks! I even saw a tree that seemed to be 3 different types of tree!

I photographed a 360° image of a moss covered oak forrest  at Galway’s Bridge. I spent 3 hours there alone, surrounded by these beautiful trees, many of which must have been several hundred years old. Everything was covered in moss. The ground, the rocks, the trees, the dead branches on the ground. The place was so peaceful. God knows what these trees have seen over the years and I decided a tree based series of panoramics will be my next project. I loved the challenge of the 360° shots. For the image to work I had to be completely immersed in the scene, to imagine the curvature of the landscape and the location of every object around me which would make or break the image.

Here are my favorite images from my trips. The forrest images loose their impact on the screen because they really have to be view in a large size to appreciate them. The images here are un cropped.

O’Sullivan’s Cascade Tomies Wood

Tomies wood, County Kerry

Tomies wood, County Kerry

Gougane Barra Forrest Park

Forrest, Galway’s Bridge

Mahon Falls, Comeragh mountains

 

Hawthorn tree, County Wicklow

Mahon Falls, Comeragh mountains

Old Head, County Cor

Strancally Tower, river Blackwater

 

Invite to the launch of my exhibition Duality

Posted on by Enda Cavanagh

Well folks. Here is an invitation to my exhibition Duality of 11 huge acrylic panoramic images of the old Dublin swimming baths and areas. All are welcome. Admission is free and it should be a great night.

The Copper House Gallery will launch Duality, a photographic exhibition of my work, from 6-8pm on Wednesday 24th October 2012. Duality is based on a series of large panoramic images celebrating the swimming areas and baths along the Dublin coast.

Senator John Crown will launch it and I’m donating a piece to cancer research which will be auctioned off at a charity event.

While living in Berlin, I developed a fascination for aging man made structures that feature in urban and rural landscapes. The series of images in my exhibition Duality reveals the unorthodox beauty and vulnerability of these manmade subjects. These structures are displayed as evolving and almost living entities with their own personalities: visible connections to our past. I illustrate how these transient structures may be an intrinsic part of the Irish landscape, yet in time become consumed by their surroundings, evoking a fragile beauty that beholds a sense of memory and of place.

Duality consists of images in a large panoramic format, shot using a Hasselblad H3D39 digital Back on a Cambo View Camera. Much influenced by the cinema, I use the panoramic format to add epic character and clarity to this series, resulting in wonderfully balanced images that draw the viewer into the scene.

Duality, runs at The Copper House Gallery from the 24th October to the 24th November 2012.

 

Here is a link to the Copper House Gallery website with the selected works in the exhibition.

http://www.thecopperhousegallery.com/exhibitions/26/works/

Invite to Duality: An exhibition by Enda Cavanagh

 

Brand new Dun Laoghaire Baths Photo

Posted on by Enda Cavanagh

Here’s a brand new photo of the Dun Laoghaire Baths in County Dublin. By far one of my favorite locations to photography. I think this might be one for the exhibition in the Copperhouse Gallery October. I think it would look lovely on acrylic. It is one of 2 Dun Laoghaire Baths Photos. The other one was already in the RHA Annual Exhibition.

Overview of Photography in Dublin

Posted on by Enda Cavanagh

Photography has long since been considered as much as an art as the more traditional forms of art such as painting and sculpture. Photographs can capture stunning scenery, emotion and atmosphere every bit as effectively as any paint brush. With the digital age came digital cameras and photography, but instead of taking away from the skills required, digital photography just resulted in a whole new set of skills which aid the photographer to produce the final image as well as more printing options.

Photography in Dublin is popular because of the wide range of subjects and scenery. From the busy city streets crowded with people and lined with a variety of different styles of architecture, to the rural areas surrounding the city. Ireland is famous for its striking panoramas, haunting ancient ruins and castles and picturesque beaches. Capturing the feel of Ireland with a camera takes patience and skill.

I enjoy photographing Dublin wide, and try to put the heart and soul of the city into every photo; whether it’s the people, the buildings or the scenery. I enjoy each aspect of photography equally, and like to take into account the light, contrast, patterns and movement of each subject or scene. By taking my time and putting the emphasis on attention to detail, I can take and print a photo that captures the moment, not just the scene.

LOHA – Pembroke Lane

Posted on by Enda Cavanagh

LOHA – Pembroke Lane

When the New York Times contact you, you immediately sit up in your chair. So when the picture editor from the Times called I did just that. They had a beautiful house in Dublin, which they wanted photographed. The house was designed by world renowned Irish born architect Lorcan o’Herlihy from LOHA who is based in Los Angeles for many years.

I immediately said yes of course. The story behind the house was a lovely lady called Ella Flynn is the owner. She is also living in California for many years. Another ex pat living in the USA James Doyle from Doyle Herman Design Associates was the landscape architect. The New York Times  wanted to show the whole Irish American connection with their homeland.

I ended up photographing the house by LOHA over 2 days and Ella ended up spending much of that time with me in the house. I have to say, straight away I connected with her. I was so impressed that she decided LOHA to design and build a bespoke, contemporary and unique house in Dublin at a time that to most doesn’t make financial sense. Every part of the house speaks style and only the best materials and finishes were used by LOHA. The end result is more than just a home. It is a beautiful piece of art, which will be there for many years to come.

As an architectural photographer I love to photograph this type of structure. I love everything to do with design and I love to bring out the best of all those lovely shapes and forms in structures.

I got such a rush when a copy of the New York Times was posted to me. You can also check out the images in a larger size in the portfolio by clicking here

 
 

Welcome

Posted on by Enda Cavanagh

Hi there

My name is Enda Cavanagh and welcome to my photography blog.

I am an Irish full time fine art landscape and architectural photographer living in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland.

My aim is to show you cool and interesting things about photography and to explain a little behind what I do plus I will show you some of my techniques along the way.

In my blog you can see a portfolio of my photography. My fine art imagery is comprised of not only rural landscape photos of Ireland but also my urban photography of Dublin. Included here you will see my panoramic photos of the old swimming baths and swimming areas along the coast of Dublin. I have some really cool photos of the UK captured during my commissioned work and in time I will expand this portfolio as I aim to visit some fascinating locations in the Isle of Skye and Wales….eventually.

In my architectural photography gallery you will find a range of past projects I have photographed.

People often ask me which field I prefer and the answer is always an emphatic neither. I worked for over 16 years in architecture in a previous life and I love design. I love the subtle patterns, shapes and forms which exist in the urban and rural landscape and I look at a landscape scene in exactly the same way as a beautiful piece of architecture.

In case you are interested all of my fine art imagery are available as limited edition prints. Of course my architectural images can also be purchased by anyone who would like cool shots of some beautiful architecture!!

The gallery is much more comprehensive than on my main website and I hope you will enjoy the images as much as I had taking them.

Take care

Enda