Paula Dawn
I was sorting through some old films this morning and wondering what to do with them when I came across this shot above, The Paula Dawn one very early morning in September 1998 on the north Norfolk Broads.
I also found her being talked about on the following web site. Paula Dawn
I don’t think we had one spot of rain all week and what a boat.
This is her some years before
Slievenamon
Canon G1x
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Rising as a huge heathery dome amid gentle green countryside, Slievenamon’s profile naturally attracts the eye. This is an easy mountainwith with a broad and clear track leading all the way to the summit cairn.
On fine days there are extensive views, taking in all the best walking areas in the South East of Ireland.
Slievenamon is a mountain of history and mystery of lore and legends. Its name means the ‘Mountain of the Women’ and the story is told how all the fairest women raced to the top to claim the hand of the warrior, Fionn Mac Cumhail. Fionn secretly fancied Grainne, the daughter of the High King of Ireland, so he advised her how to win the race!
Although it looks like a solitary height, Slievenamon is surrounded by a series of lower heathery humps. Some of these, like the main summit, are crowned by ancient burial Cairns. The highest cairn is said to mark the entrance to the mysterious Celtic underworld.
The Celtic Underworld … and the Otherworld
According to the Celtic myths, the Celtic deities and the fairy folk lived in the spiritual domain that was generally called the “Otherworld”. These domains were usually hidden from mortal eyes, though not always. Sometimes, human beings are admitted, sometimes against their will or better judgement.
In Irish myths, the Otherworld could be an island, such as Glastonbury, or a dun or hill-fort. Sometimes, the Otherworld was called Sidhe, the fairy hill-fort (dun) or palace.
In the Welsh myths, the Otherworld was often called Annwfn or Annwyn, and the fort or castle was usually known as Caer.
The Underworld is what many people today might call the afterlife, referring to the spiritual realm in which newly dead spirits and souls go. Sometimes the underworld is identified as being like the Christian Hell because Hell is sometimes pictured as being under the Earth. The Underworld is possibly linked to the Earth because that is where the body goes after death.
Molly
Molly is a 10 year old Golden retriever who has been out with me on almost every landscape photography trip I have made in the last ten years. This visit was to a beach in Co. Wexford, covered in fresh snow as you can see.
I thought it was time for her to say hello.
Fujifilm X100
Fuji film X100
In my drive to replace a long lost but much loved contax G2.
An electronic range finder and film camera, I have purchased two cameras in recent months.
Both being second hand but much loved, these are a Canon G1x and a Fujifilm X100
Since giving up film way back in 1999 I have only used Nikon digital SLR camera bodies for everything I do.
Every time I sorted out my photography kit my Contax G2 just sat there looking at me and begging me to do something with it, so last summer I sold it on ebay for a price that I was just about happy with.
This created a problem however, all the time it had still existed for me it created a possibility that I had a compact system that I could use if needed, however I never did. The idea of ordering then posting off film, to be processed just killed my interest in using it anymore.
So now I have replaced my Contax G2 with these two second hand cameras, I have used them on times when I just don’t need or want an slr system with me.
Over the next few weeks I will post just exactly what I think of them both, I don’t intend to do a ken Rockwell type camera review however, I just want to share what I think of them as I use them.
Fuji film X100
Kilkenny landscape photography
By:Nigel Borrington
Nigel
Spring; The age of rebirth
Fujifilm X100
Kilkenny Landscape photography
By, Nigel Borrington
“I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring. Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature’s rebirth?” ~Edward Giobbi
One night in Dubrovnik
One night on the streets of Dubrovnik.
Kilkenny photographer : Nigel borrington
Kilkenny Photography
Portrait of Kilkenny sculpture artist : Saturio Alonso
Outside KCAT art center Callan, Co.Kilkenny
Nikon D700
Kilkenny Photographer: nigel borrington
Music saved me
Learning music and the violin has saved my soul.
For about four or five years I have been learning to play the violin, studying with both Jacqueline Burke and Patrick rafter (Co.Kilkenny),
it is just one of the best things I ever decided to do and during these times it has lifted me so many times I cannot count.
I find when I am playing I only think about the tune that I am trying to learn, that’s it nothing else. For an hour the devil of the world and its news are behind me and after, well I just don’t care about them that much.
Nigel
The Boatman
The levellers
http://www.levellers.co.uk/videos
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a boatman
On the canals and the rivers free
No hasty words are spoken
My only law is the river breeze
That takes me to the open seas
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a boatman
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a rover
And if the road was not for me
Then I MIGHT choose another
Cross mountains and the valleys deep
Where I WILL take these weary feet
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a rover
But these things they’re so hard for me
I cannot choose my own destiny
And all the things that I want to see
Are so unclean
Well I wish I could choose the life I please
But I am not a free man
Others rule my destiny
But my will’s never broken
I know someday I will be
Everything that I dreamed I’d be
And when I live the life I please
Then I will be a freeman.
I know someday I will be
Everything that I dreamed I’d be
And when I live the life I please
Then I will be a freeman.
And when I live the life I please
Then I will be a freeman.
High on a hill
Artist: Kate Rusby lyrics
Title: High On A Hill
Kate rusby
You tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX_2NLrF484
High on a hill,
There’s a sweet bird calling,
All come together,
Are you in or are you out,
He sings of a time,
When the sky was falling,
All come together,
And be in no doubt.
Chorus:
Oh darling let’s go over,
Now the devil’s here,
Oh darling let’s go over,
Now the devil’s here,
Oh darling, oh my darling,
Be strong and be proud,
Oh darling then you’ll see,
The devil will go round,
Round, round.
High on a hill,
And way up yonder,
All come together,
Are you in or are you out,
The eleventh day was hell,
But the heart grows stronger,
All come together,
And be in no doubt.
Chorus.
Over the fields,
Where the water’s falling,
All come together,
Are you in or are you out,
There’s a bird on the hill,
And he’s sweetly calling,
All come together,
And be in no doubt.
Chorus.
High on a hill,
There’s a sweet bird calling,
All come together,
Are you in or are you out,
He sings of a time,
When the sky was falling,
All come together,
And be in no doubt.
Kate Rusby is one of my favourite folk singers, I hope this image does her song proud….
Canon G1X
Gone Fishing
Just after the New Year I decided to pick up a second hand Canon G1x as part of a project that I have been undertaking for some time, this being to replace a missing part of my camera kit.
Since the end of the 1990’s I have owned Nikon digital slr’s, having dumped film cameras and moved to digital in about 1999.
For a long time I worked with a Contax G2 film camera and have not owned a compact system since, so the aim was to fill this gap. The purchase of this camera is I hope the start and finish of this aim for some time to come.
This morning I put the camera in a bag and along with my dog headed to a place called Boats strand, Co. Waterford, the following images are some of the results.
These images have Canon G1x filter effects applied in camera.
I will be posting the others soon.
As for the Camera well, yes I think it’s going to be everything I expected. I had read that the autofocus system was a little slow, however it’s not that bad for a contrast based system and I would much prefer correct than lighting fast.
I will keep posting my G1x impressions and images.
Nigel
Playing even when no one is listening
This image was taken in the court yard of IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art), in Dublin last year. I don’t take enough street images these days although anything is back on the cards.
The image cannot get across just how good this musician was and how good the court yard was for him to play in.
A much bigger thing hit me about this moment however and that was the fact that he had only three people to listen to him in such a large space, it was a Tuesday afternoon in August 2012 at about 2:15pm.
Again in an effort to look for inspiration I think this was just one of those moments you come across that in the big picture of things can mean nothing and everything at the same time. If you want to pass this by then its very easy to do so, however if you get the moment you can see everything you need in it.
What I got from this moment was…
I think the times we are living through have left many people without anyone to listen or even stop and take note of what they are trying to offer. The arts have suffered very badly but it’s everywhere, small business, hotels, jobs, arts and well anything you care to add.
That’s still not what this moment outside IMMA was all about however; it was the fact that this musician had selected such a large open space to play in and was playing so well to only three people.
Just like yesterdays post and the artist I talked about, keeping playing and productive even when no one is buying, listening or taking note is actually what it’s all about. It’s how you still have something to offer when someone is listening again.
I hope that one year on he is now playing to many more but even if he isn’t yet I have a feeling that one day he will be!
Frozen in the irish landscape
It has been sometime since my last post on this site and too long for my own good.
My photography however has not stopped in any shape or form; I have been working with many customers on their weddings and family images and still building up my landscape work.
For many living in Ireland the last four years it has been a difficult time and none of it down to any personal issues. It’s very easy during the times we live in to be moved from the direction you should be pointing in and to go down another path altogether. For me I don’t think I went down any other path at all be just found that I was heading in the same direction but much more slowly than before. Frozen out by concern as to what direction we all have been heading in and also a little swamped by all the bad news we have been getting almost every day for about four years. Since the new year I haven’t listen to any news at all since I don’t see the advantage to me personally anymore. All I need to know is what I am doing to get back on track.
Then something came to me that has actually been under my nose all the time. I have been working for a customer for sometime who has a large collection of art work going back to the 1940’s. This collection is nationally very important and needed to be photographed in order to produce an archive.
The amount of work produced during the life time of this artist is amazing and must amount to two or three items per day for many years.
Through the life time of this collection of work, day in day out this artist kept on working, no guarantee that any of this work was going to sell and indeed most didn’t otherwise I would not have anything to photograph. He took no shortcuts and no easy route to go and had no cast iron guarantee it was going to result in anything at all.
What he didn’t do however was to allow himself to be become frozen, stuck and distracted by anything.
So I guess all we can do is join this example, cut out the bad news and get back on track and see where we are all heading.
Nigel Borrington 
Real world photography
So this photography thing then, what’s it all about?
If someone asks me what my favorite form of photography is and people do ask, I don’t always have an answer at hand. I feel that a camera can be used in so many different ways that it’s almost impossible to narrow things down.
I also think that overtime my choice of photography has evolved, it’s not the same now as it was when I was 25.
However if someone asked me today what my least favourite form of photography is I would have to answer, anything that’s not real. I feel that life in a small town like Kilkenny, Ireland is a little more limited in what people do and what they dress like.Even so I feel that photography should reflect the world around us all and that anything that is created outside of this world is faked.
So I guess the answer to what my most liked form of photography is, is anything that truly depicts and reflects the real world around us.
Some photographers pay to dress models in make-up and clothes that they would never dress in and live real lives in. Now, like I say this may have not been what I would have said at 25 years of age but it is what I feel today.
The world around us, is based on “what you see is what you get” and what you get may sometime appear to be a little ordinary but that’s what it is, it is ordinary. I think that the skill of any visual medium, when used correctly is to show you something a little different that you didn’t see first time.
My camera is for the real world not a fake one, one that only make-up can produce.
So then (Street, Landscape, Wedding and Sport photography) anything that really happens and people really do.
Gallery:
Kilkenny photographer: Nigel Borrington
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February 20, 2013 | Categories: About Nigel Borrington, Comment, introductions, Nigel Borrington | Tags: Kikenny photographer, Kilkenny, Kilkenny photography, Nigel Borrington | 1 Comment