If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed.
Click here to find out what an RSS feed is. Thanks for visiting, Phil!
This Thursday I have a very special photographic exhibition to mark the opening of Belfast City Office. This is an office space centre on Elmwood Avenue, close to Queens University and the Students Union.
Merging premium serviced-office space, top-notch in-house IT support from Xootec, administrative & business support and very smart facilities for meeting, greeting and networking, the BCO team have fashioned a fantastic alternative to the traditional rented office space.
“…We are a small and greatly motivated team here and we strive to ensure our clients receive top quality support. If asked, why BCO? We would answer because, We Care for Your Business.”
…[They] have successfully brought this period building bang up to date as beautiful Victorian architecture fuses effortlessly with dynamic modern design.
The photographs on display are of sights around two contrasting cities; Belfast and New York City, both continuously growing at a rapid rate in all directions; culturally, economically, musically, artistically as well as in architecture and cityscape.
The launch of the centre is the only time members of the public will have the chance to see these photographs, so please do stop by on your lunch break for some free lunch! It begins at 11am, though will be open throughout the day.
Recently I’ve been working with local promotion company Moving On Music, who specialise in classical, traditional, world, rock and jazz music.
MOM are putting on a mini-festival in the Black Box from today, 26th March, to Sunday 30th March, encompassing many great musicians, as well as film screenings before each show.
In the Café, however, a selection of my photographs, taken at Moving On Music events, are on display throughout the festival.
If you are in Belfast it would be great if you could stop by and have a look, maybe even get a bite to eat - they do a good lunch.
For full details on the festival programme click here
For over 2 years I have used the most clichéd self-portrait of a photographer ever as my avatar for most sites online; my blog, myspace, facebook (until just recently), bebo, lastfm and a few others. Yeah that one with the camera at my face, taking a photograph of myself in the mirror. The first was used from May 2005 - April 2007, the second from then until today.
It isn’t the most original photograph of a photographer, I know, though I didn’t want to risk taking one of me any other way. Since having that photo a few people have said that it’s a bit crap, and that as a photographer I should show some more ‘imagination’ by either using a photograph that I’m proud of, and also change the picture occasionally - or just use a better picture of me.
There is another photograph I use occasionally, though not sure entirely how much I like it, so it’s use will remain minimal:
To answer this, I want a picture that can be easily recognised through all the masses of avatars, to be static. I am not the photographs I take, or the people I shoot. It will be a photograph of me. Just a decent one, if that’s possible.
Recently, however, my friend Miriam took a a photograph of me from half way up Cave Hill that I quite like, and so this photograph will be me new avatar throughout the web for the next few months. Me, with my camera, and North Belfast and Belfast Lough in the background.
For those wondering why the hell I have just posted four photographs of myself (I’m beginning to doubt myself whether I should hit that ‘publish’ button), I am in the process of putting some thought into my online identities and how to make best use of them. The plan is the get a photo blog going again when I get a spare moment, as well as a redesign of icedcoffeewords.
These identities are important to me and so I want the content to be clearer, to readers and myself. It is a process I’m working through.
Why do you use your current avatar(s)?
When I first heard of Twitter I thought it was so totally ridiculous. Sending and receiving txt messages is not new. It’s distinctly old technology. So I signed up.
After receiving some useless messages from some people I had added - the sort of messages that said, “Just got the kids to bed, now gonna have lots of hot sex with the wife” or “Monday mornings suck, I hate my job”, or “I hate technology and computers. What’s a blog?”
As well as the usual mutterings of new technology ideas, crazy entrepreneurs telling us their new money-making scheme, conferences in Cork, Seminars in Limerick, photo meets in Dublin and sheep giving birth to deformed creatures from hell with a Tinyurl linking to a picture.
So 11 months after getting bored and switching off, I have switched it back on.
Today there was talk of a random piss-up in Dublin, delicious biscuit meetup group, querying the cost of twitter txting among other things.
I now understand its usefulness, as well as its potential. I have some ideas of my own.
There had been rumours that this year would be better than the previous two, and with the addition of intros, music and a few words from George Bush it was. Once again, but very deservedly, Twenty Major won the award for best blog, coinciding with the recent release of his book the two prizes go hand in hand. Maybe it’s time to give someone else a chance next year.
Highlights of the night include Robin Blandford’s mum collecting his prize on his behalf, Kieran Murphy of Ice Cream Ireland’s dress sense, Nialler9 winning once again, Grannymar and Grandad sharing the same stage.
The award for best photoblog this year went to Claire of Gingerpixel and with her blog being filled with so many brilliant photographs, especially her great portraits of people she has stopped in the street she definitely deserved this prize.
He tried, he failed, he left. But he won a prize finally. Jett Loe was honoured with a special prize this year for being “shafted” in previous years, and truly shafted once more being 3899 miles away in Nashville, Tennessee. However I retrieved his prize and have brought it back to Belfast - not before taking it on a journey around Dublin first.
Jett, I’d be happy to bring it to you…
For me the award ceremony was better than previous years, especially with the super-enjoyable photo meet beforehand, and meeting more people than before. Unfortunately I regret meeting less people than I would have liked, and for leaving too early due to Andy telling me that he had gone to another bar, but in the end turning out to have changed the plan and ending up going back to the hostel, while everyone else was still drinking back at the Alexander.
Before leaving I did get plenty of photographs of random people hanging around - many of whom I don’t know. If you know their names, add tags on flickr
However, as usual the whole weekend was one big motivator to organise my blog better, to figure out a real agenda and better acquaint myself with more bloggers.
I also hope to get down to Dublin, and maybe other cities in the South of Ireland before the next Bloggies.
Finally, congrats again to all the great bloggers who won, to everyone who was there and made the weekend so good, and of course to Damien and everyone who helped put together another great awards ceremony.
For more photos of Jett’s ‘Shafted’ award click here
For more photos of the Irish Blog Awards 2008 click here
The date is January 4th 2006, nominations have just opened for the very first Irish Blog awards to be held in Dublin on March 11th at the Alexander Hotel.
I was very excited, I had lots of visitors to my photoblog at the time. I was in with a chance. I didn’t expect to win, but I knew I had a chance.
The day before the ‘ceremony’, Friday 10th March 2006, my camera arrived in the post. My first digital SLR. After ripping the box open, I headed to Dublin City, having barely any idea what I was doing with the camera, sticking to ‘auto’ much of the time, I snapped away through the busy streets.
The next day I met Gavin and we both snapped all around us, he having received an SLR for Christmas a few months prior. Some of these photographs I still like today.
We arrived at the Alexander Hotel, a little unsure what to expect. I was nominated and short Listed the title of ‘best photoblog’. The prize went to Donncha O Caoimh for his In Photos blog - well deserved. I was quite relieved, anyway as I didn’t want to have to say anything in front of all those people.
The following year, however, I did. Gavin Mullan won the ‘best photoblog’ for Headphoneland. There was no way I could win it this year as I hadn’t updated mine in over 6 months. Unfortunately, Gavin was ill and couldn’t make it, so I accepted the trophy on his behalf.
Having very much enjoyed the last two Blog awards and met many great people, I will definitely be going to again this year. Unfortunately the photoblog is still no longer active (still on the to-do list), I do have this blog of course. So if you feel that this blog fits into any of the categories, have a go at nominating me.
Some would say this isn’t a photoblog, I don’t even consider it a ‘proper’ photoblog, though there are lots of photos. It could also go under the category of ‘personal’ blog, ‘arts and culture’ blog or ‘music’ blog, your choice. There is ‘best overall blog’ too! Each blog can only be nominated for Best Blog and one other category.
Nominations close at 9pm on Friday January the 18th. Click here for the nominations page
The blog awards this year are being held this year on Saturday, March 1st, 7.30pm at the Alexander Hotel. Time to book the hostel I think.
A photograph of mine has been printed in today’s copy of The Ticket, the entertainment section of The Irish Times!
It all becomes clear. It makes perfect sense now. The reason we make ‘new years resolutions’ is to try to prevent ourselves from recreating the events of Christmas which are still so fresh in our minds, if even just for a few weeks.
Christmas day was the usual quiet day at home with the family, a couple of beers, some wine over dinner followed by a movie - Garden State. Yes I don’t even watch T.V. at Christmas.
Each year, however, I look forward to Boxing Day more than the day preceding it. On this day my whole extended family goes to my Auntie and Uncle’s house; drink, eat, be merry and give out presents to each other. When I was younger I loved it for all the presents I would end up bringing home with me, but now that I’m older, and a little more mature, I enjoy being around my family, the kids, and the drink.
All the kids running around makes it so much fun. Always up to something, or saying something funny.
By 10:30pm, having polished off quite a few glasses of wine and taking plenty of photos, it was time to head out with my cousin Helen, and a few of her friends.
A couple of years ago I decided I would never go to the Limelight again - for the club thing anyway, only gigs. The last time I was there was Boxing Night 2006. It takes me a year to remember why I don’t go back. The next time will be Boxing Night 2008.
It was both good and bad. Though had I been a little more sober there may night have been the slight bad in there just for good measure. I may also not have had to walk home in the rain.
The following day all I could taste was melon Schnapps.
Of course I do try to go with the motto ‘No Regrets’, and regret my night I do not. Live and Learn. It’s all about experience.
So have I got new years resolutions? In a similar vein to Andy Goodonpaper, they will likely be more aims than resolutions. First, and probably the hardest, will be to quit smoking.
Many of these I will take from my big list of life-long aims I first created 2-3 years ago over at 43things.com. Many are psychological things, like improving my general personality, but I guess that’s the same with many resolution-makers.
Becoming more confident and self-assured, is something that I am slowly improving in myself - I will say that I am a hell of a lot more confident than I was 3 years ago, but that can always be improved upon.
To become a better photographer will be a big one for this year. To take more meaningful photographs too. The photography thing in general will be a big one for this year.
To learn to cook. That’s also quite a big aim. To make it more achievable I will go for setting goals, such as learning a new meal every 2 weeks, something like that’s gotta do the job.
Managing money better. I have put quite a bit of effort into this one in the last few months - much more to be done to be perfected.
One for the next few months; get a new job.
Have a great weekend and New Year’s Eve whatever you do!
Thanks to the help of my good friend, Andy, I have a nice new website for you to marvel at, with an updated portfolio.
Check it out at www.philokanephotography.com
Stay tuned for more updates over the next few weeks.
While at the launch of the first solo exhibition of the excellent local artist Alice McCullough at the Safehouse Gallery on Monday 26th November I was asked whether I consider myself an ‘artist’. This got me thinking…
According to the Dictionary.com:
pho·tog·ra·phy - n.
1. The art or process of producing images of objects on photosensitive surfaces.
2. The art, practice, or occupation of taking and printing photographs.
3. A body of photographs.
To me, photography is, by default, an art, though many photographers do not consider themselves ‘artists’. I guess it’s a frame of mind. Many people don’t like the idea of wanting to be part of that crowd of ‘artists’, often seen as being “extremely pretentious”, spending their days and nights with praising each other and their work, as well as rude, arrogant, demanding etc etc. Do I want to be associated with that?
Well, my first hand impression of artists, at least those in Belfast, is that of my own friends, all of whom are great people, whose talents range from musicianship, poetry, painting, acting, writing, singing, comed and of course photography. Each one is truly dedicated to their medium, to the art that they create. Each one is honest, true, loving, and make me happy to be involved in what they are doing. According to Wikipedia:
“Art refers to a diverse range of human activities and artifacts, and may be used to cover all or any of the arts, including music, literature and other forms. It is most often used to refer specifically to the visual arts, including mediums such as painting, sculpture, and printmaking. However it can also be applied to forms of art that stimulate the other senses, such as music, an auditory art.”
Shelley Esaak at About.com states that:
“Art is form and content” means: All art consists of these two things. Form means (1) the elements of art, (2) the principles of design and (3) the actual, physical materials that the artist has used. Form, in this context, is concrete and fairly easily described - no matter which piece of art is under scrutiny.
Though there is a general consensus that there is no single definition to sum up art. From the University of British Columbia:
- the product of conscious intention,
- a self rewarding activity,
- a tendency to unite dissimilar things,
- a concern with change and variety,
- the aesthetic exploitation of familiarity vs. surprise,
- the aesthetic exploitation of tension vs. release,
- the imposition of order on disorder,
- the creation of illusions,
- an indulgence in sensuousness,
- the exhibition of skill,
- a desire to convey meanings,
- an indulgence in fantasy,
- the aggrandizement of self or others,
- illustration,
- the heightening of existence,
- revelation,
- personal adornment or embellishment,
- therapy,
- the giving of meaning to life,
- the generation of unselfconscious experience,
- the provision of paradigms of order and/or disorder,
- training in the perception of reality,
- and so on.
As a photographer I do not consider myself a ’snapper’ or one who simply takes photographs, then trundles home again. I photograph that which I have great interest in, that which I love. I take care over each photograph, the end result and what happens to that photograph.
Art is a state of mind.
I am a photographer.
In the words of Marilyn Manson “I’m not an artist, I’m a fucking work of art” - (s)AINT
Alice’s Exhibition runs until 12th December 2007
Next »