Friday Night Confessionals...humble reflection

Sooooo, I’m sitting here Friday August 2nd…

A special day, My mum’s birthday - we went to the beach for fresh sea air, ate fish n chips (then vegan ice cream when we got home - have you tried the Vegan Magnum?? OMG!!) and I feel blessed we had a sunny day - we went to Goodwood one year and the heavens opened and we got drenched!

AND I’m beaming because I’m also thoroughly delighted the short film I worked on in April in Dublin had a screening this week, unfortunately I wasn’t able to get back to Dublin for it BUT I was most definitely there in spirit :-) + I’ve been made up that the poster is a combination of two of the images I took as ‘Stills Photographer’ - I can’t wait to get my hand’s on an actual paper copy too - I’m going to pin it up in my office, I might even frame it!

Patricia wrote, produced + directed this film and what a talent to be able to do all three! She + I met in 2000 on set of a feature film in the depths of Dublin, it was an ‘experience’ and firm friendships were definitely formed, the kinds were an event bonds people and that shared hilarity/crazyness/dancing/cocktail experience means those friendships even if not seen every day, still remain and make you smile when you see that person or people again.

I remember Patricia constantly writing back in the day and so you know when you are just beyond thrilled to witness their journey and see the process unfold, it’s such a blessing to cheer them on and working alongside Patricia again was wonderful. I’m pinching myself in fact because even though 19 years ago I clearly remember the ‘professional’ photographer coming on set to take the pictures for the poster, DVD case etc…..Now full circle I was taking those shots.

I guess it means more when you circle back to where it all began and a bold move + sense I had to make a change, trusting my heart that it’s whispering ‘you need to do this’ even when I couldn’t see how it was going to turn out - but letting it unfold at it’s own pace, ended up changing my entire life.

So I’m chuffed to pieces for Patricia + super chuffed to have captured the stills for her + see them take on new life in the form of the poster + I’m excited to see where this goes x

So I know, acknowledging our achievements, actually sitting with them for longer than a couple of minutes, doesn’t always happen. We are pleased, we smile, we rush to the next job, piece of work, we perhaps feel bashful (imposter syndrome kicks in and in our minds we’re delighted but don’t want to appear gloating or show off-y) and as a way of ensuring that doesn’t happen we move along quickly. Well, I’m celebrating these journey’s tonight for longer than 2 seconds, I’m letting it sit and soak in. However big or small an achievement, take more than a few breaths, smile, beam and then carry on :-)

Never work with Children OR Animals....PAH!

BRING…IT…..ON…..!

Well now…who hasn’t heard that age old saying about never working with animals AND children, I have busted that line out and laughed about it a few times myself in the middle of photo sessions with clients BUT the truth is I love it! What is not to love?

Unpredictability, chuckles, laughter, inquisitiveness….the list actually goes on and..ummm.. it’s fun. In what other realm is it possible to revert back to being a child yourself or act like a looney in order to get a great shot or just do your job….I’m sure in any other environment I’d get fired for blowing raspberries at my clients lol BUT this last week I worked with both and I just had to share these out takes !!

If I didn’t know I was playing ‘Peek - A - Boo’ with Henry I could totally read that as him being exasperated by me lol + ‘Whiskey’ here totally laughing at my jokes….I am very funny lol :-) Have a super Afternoon everyone!!

Friday Night confessionals....Dublin + once home, a trip to A&E.......

On set at the beach in Ireland

Well now, it’s been a week and I really could start with “Well now Universe, enough playing around, this year you’re really whipping up a storm”….and just like one of those books you can get where there are two or three story lines you get to decide upon which ending you’d like - I feel like it would be possible to write that out, although that would be rather dramatic.

Last Thursday (I skipped last weeks confessional as I was standing in the rain in Dublin, merrily working on a film set) so last Thursday I flew in to Dublin for work. My friend Patricia who I met 19 years ago on a feature film had written a short film and hired me to take the stills photos for it so off I went.

I was full of excitement to head home, a city I had lived in for 2 years, where I met + made the most amazing friends, created an awesome life for myself, fell in love + discovered photography was my thing.

Working with Patricia again felt like I had come full circle and wandering around Dublin between being on set enabled me to take trips down memory lane, to ponder how life had gone over the last 19 years and see how Dublin had changed, evolved and like old friends we had catching up to do.

Seeking out The Gallery of Photography I smiled so broadly!! (It hadn’t changed a bit) It was here I would bring my rolls of film to develop and make contact sheets and then prints of the film I worked on and cut my teeth on. The film that propelled me in to a new career, a new direction + an enormous amount of opportunities I never imagined existed. 2000-2002 was a time of growth and change in Ireland + everyone was so friendly + helpful. I love that I can walk around now and have such fond memories, I can see where shops have changed and new ones take their place or the old ones exist + have weathered the storms of the past years. Breathing through the kinks of some memories, I set some of my own ghosts free.

The BEST place for an ‘Irish Black Russian’

Ahhh Captain Americas!!! A wonderful accompaniment to a Thursday evening :-) + a good place to start a night out! The MOST epic cocktail ever circa 2002 was The Irish Black Russian

Part Kalhua, Tia Maria + Vodka, 4/5ths cola + a smash of Guinness - well worth trying!!! :-)

So back to the film…..A wonderful two days photographing the stills for a great film with an amazing cast + crew and being back in the thick of it all was great fun.

Now, what started as a cough tickle on Thursday went full blown by the time I got home on Sunday evening and by 10pm after calling 111 three paramedics were on my doorstep. I’d had difficulty breathing and called 111 to ask for some advice, by the time I was chatting, well I’d like to say I was chatting but the fact is I was drawing heavily for breath + in quite a lot of pain by the time I spoke to “Katie” the lovely call handler - she was great + could hear I was in trouble, I always feel like I’m making a fuss or wasting their time so must have apologised about 15 times before she said she was sending out the troops.

It was a bit scary, they ran tests when they arrived and asked me to pack a bag as they were running me in to hospital for extra checks. After a series of blood tests + an ECG I was allowed home + diagnosed with a Viral lung infection - delicious! Not delicious. I discovered this week, even when really sick I am a rubbish patient and for two days was fighting with myself and my virus until Wednesday when I finally gave in, lay down and slept. I’ve been reading, colouring (a new one on me) + drinking so much juice, squash + tea it’s amazing I’m not just a puddle right now. Anyways, it’s been a week of delights and leaning in to being ill, giving up and surrendering and waiting and allowing whatever is next to come along. I feel so blessed to have been part of the film crew in Ireland and I am excited to see how it develops and what the future holds for it over the coming months. As for me, I’m off to lie down again and read, hoping that this virus disappears very quickly!

Have an amazing Friday everyone + super weekend!! xx