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ABOUT
Welcome
to Waking Dreams Photography, a personal website where I display my
most memorable and favourite photographs. My interest in photography
dates back to around 2002, having been the occasional picture snapper
and nature enthusiast for some time prior to that. One of my other
major passions is music, experienced both as a musician and sound
engineer, but I have never been a stranger to wandering out and about
with some sort of camera in tow.
In
2008, as part of a band, I relocated from Ireland to Vancouver, Canada
on a twelve-month life adventure of sorts. It was this move that really
ignited my passion for taking pictures on a regular basis like I once
did at home. I bought my very first DSLR on the third day in Vancouver
and it was definitely a great
way at getting to know the entire city. For that is one of the many
reasons why I enjoy taking pictures so much: getting to know a new
place, an excuse to get out of the house and go for a long walk, a
way to kick the brain into creative mode or simply transforming a
moment into an eternity.
But the fundamental reason why I enjoy photography so much is that
it provides more than just a means of capturing moments and collecting
digital memories. Just like with the performing and recording of music
or any other creative endeavour, hobby, or skill, the learning process
involved requires a mind-set for progressing consistently and continuously
toward long-term growth.
We can all so easily become caught up in achieving something, or in
measuring up to someone else's standards, that we forget how pleasant
it is to simply be. For me at least, photography is not about ultimate
perfection. It's a process; a journey.
“Goals and contingencies are important. But they exist in the
future and the past, beyond the pale of the sensory realm. Practice
exists only in the present. You can see it, hear it, smell it, feel
it. To love the plateau is to love the eternal now, to enjoy the inevitable
spurts of progress and the fruits of accomplishment, then serenely
to accept the new plateau that waits just beyond them. To love the
plateau is to love what is most essential and enduring in your life.”
-George Leonard, Mastery
Anything of value which we strive to learn about involves challenges:
high points, plateaus and dips along the way. But we should never
give up just because our practice is not producing the visible results
we would like it to. One should practice simply for the sake of practising;
even loving the plateau where no noticeable improvement is occurring
and remember that mastery is a road, not a destination. There are
few pursuits which would not be enriched by the insights and principles
of this kind of philosophy, and I bring it into my photography in
every way I can.
For the record, I've never considered myself as anything other than
an enthusiast, due to there being a vast amount of far superior photographers
out there, but with each new photograph I feel that I learn and improve.
The photographs featured on this website were captured in places such
as Ireland, Seattle, London, Sweden, Germany, San Francisco, and all
across the provinces of Canada. As the future unfolds, I look forward
to developing my skills further and visiting new locations of interest.
So,
if you managed to get through all of that verbose waffle I would now
like to thank you for visiting my website and I sincerely hope you
find something to your liking. While I do employ the use of some imaging
software, through subtle enhancements and experimentation, my aim
with each photograph is to always try and keep reality intact and
never push an image too far into the realm of caricature or fantasy,
which is in keeping with the name I chose for this website and its
overall theme.
Thanks for visiting Waking Dreams Photography and I hope you enjoy!
Equipment
(both past* and present):
Sony DSLR-A350
Sony
DT35mm f/1.8
Sony
DT18-70mm f/3.5-5.6*
Sony
DT16-105mm f/3.5-5.6
Sony 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6
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