I was asked to think about taking a few shots for a new cafe opening down on the River Liffey by Mr. McCabe himself. He loved the fact that the opening was going to coincide with the Dublin Tall Ships festival arriving down the Liffey in late summer. As a result he wanted nautical themed pictures that would look great even when the festival was over and the ships had sailed. As his new branch is a stone’s throw from Dublin’s central artery, this made perfect sense. I thought about it for a couple of days and decided that the best place to fit the brief was the Howth Marina, situated thirteen kilometres north of Dublin. Emails were sent and within a day or two I had the location set. I packed a lunch, warm jumper and weatherproof jacket and set off. I knew Ray was looking for around eight images, so if I aimed for about ten to fifteen, he’d at least have a choice. Here are a small selection of the final prints I’ve chosen to show you which will give you an insight to what was going through my head that day with regard to fitting the brief and the customer’s specifications.
Finding texture is always a great way to make dirty old objects look pleasing to the eye.Its always good to look up, especially when there are no options at eye-level. A fun and simple shot.Always remember the target audience. I don’t want to give the coffee drinkers a headache before they go back to work. I tried to emulate the mood of the sleepy-head here with a peaceful shot of the yachts.
When looking up still brings no joy, look out.Keep it simple, over-cluttered images are not easy to view. You wont win the hearts of the tea-ladies if you don’t. I figured if my granny didn’t like it, well…Think about the main image. This could easily be the first image customers see. Treat the commission like a gallery. Each viewing should transition smoothly to the next.The end of a long day in the office. Time to go home. Your collection is complete and the project is concluded. It’s also a peaceful image to send your viewer on his way.
I had the lass in the print shop finish off the days work which she then submitted to Ray and he was delighted. He just received a custom collection for a great price, and in the space of a couple of days. Aim to be a little cheaper and a whole lot more reliable. I think this small business tip should fare you well. Three jobs like this per week would make life very comfortable indeed and would make the Canon 5D mkiii seem ever that little bit closer to being mine. Ach, I’m dreaming again, till next time.
Shuttermaniac.com is a Photography blog authored by Lee Williamson, a Scottish photographer based in Ireland.
Before this blog started (prior to Oct 2012) he had a Facebook page which served as a means for keeping clients and friends updated to any upcoming gigs, work and events. This also served as a back catalogue for said clients wishing to see their portfolios shown on a public platform for review and critique. He currently has a website which only started last year May 2011 and has already attracted a plethora of international interest (but mainly Scottish..)
‘Dublin’s Arts and Antique Quarter’ use his images in their highlighting of the up and becoming cultural area in and Francis Street.
The Blogger comes from a small, quiet agricultural seaside town just south of Glasgow, so always had the aspirations to seek out the next big city and run away from home. Since the childhood dream of leaving home officially (usually a kick in the arse when you turn sixteen) he has worked, lived, and squandered his time around the globe. Dodging in and out of Hospitality/ Catering work as often as a stray dog to a home he worked in every level of Hotels, Restaurants and Bars and even served time in the Merchant Navy as a Drunken Sailor/ Sommelier on board the QE2 cruise liner.
The common factor in all this unsettled chaos, was the pastime in which this young man adhered all his spare time and attention to. With years spent away from home and cultural comfort zones, and having a distinct lack of wanting to return, he was only going to be immersed deeper into this new-found career path.
“It’s only by looking back and organising your photographs, that you can make sense of all this madness, which we call life”. At least that’s what I think she said, as my forgetful grandmother asked me for the third time.
“Who is this one again, son?”
Shuttermaniac Productions™ 
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