The butterflies make a come back

Thank you all for the supportive comments and thoughts you shared on the decline of butterflies and insects here. Out of the blue they are making a bit of a come back!

The butterfly bush is in the latter part of it's flowering season yet this is the first dancing butterflies show of the summer. I mentioned our "loose garden" before and although it's full of nettles and thistles going to seed we are keeping it that way as a small oasis in this desert of EU grass.

Earlier in the week some one on twitter called me a tree hugger. I think it was meant as an insult but I will be wearing it as a badge of honour now and forever more Amen!

For those of you interested in the practice of photography most of these images were shot with a zoom lens. (Canon 70-300mm on a Canon EOS 7D)You won't disturb the butterflies this way and if you use an open aperture (the low numbers) you can get some soft background effects too. Always a bit unconventional when it comes to camera stuff, I can't vouch for the appropriateness of this technique, all I know is "I like what I like...."  



More wild life here

Set free in a loose garden

We inhaled the scent of herbs on the soft balmy air. Occasional yelps of joy bounced across the lake as youngsters leapt into the water from the dodgy bough that leans out over the deeper water. 

The Irish feel such deep relaxation in our bodies when the temperatures soar. So we are elated by this evening, warm enough to sit outside under the sky, warm enough to put our feet up, one where we can get the grill out. 

I love your "loose garden" she said.  And loose is a good word for it. 

Loose enough to sway in the breeze, loose enough to shed colourful seeds everywhere, to create dingly dells of stems and blossoms. 

If I were a thrush I too would want to be set free, in a loose garden......

More wild places here

Warblers, Andy Warhol and the beautiful art of land

Tiny warbler in the fennel

Small flocks of warblers have invaded the herb garden and I've taken a big shine to them. I think this one is a Chiff-chaff but as ever I am open to correction by my twitcher friends. 

This summer there are fewer butterflies and insects but a lot more warblers. My sister was visiting from Sweden and we both remarked on the eery silence and lack of bees buzzing. The buddleia otherwise known as the butterfly bush, has had no takers. Every other year it has been laden with them. 

This week I did a happy dance because one butterfly appeared in the kitchen.

It is probably no coincidence that the land around here has been cleared and fertilised having been a boggy wilderness for years. Although designated as a protected wetland, the local authority did not see any conflict of interest with clearing for "agricultural purposes." This consisted of the removal of a willow wood, a number of acres of boggy wildflower meadows, ditches, hedgerows, and numerous trees. 

Farmers can't be blamed if the relevant authorities fail to educate and monitor how farming should be managed. At this stage our couple of wild acres are an oasis of cover for small animals and birds on this boreen. There are other small farms around here but there won't be any talk of conservation when the younger generations finally inherit them. I suspect instead that all the shiny bulldozers and diggers will be out in force again.

I came across this prophetic wisdom from New York celebrity artist Andy Warhol, and I thought of the vulnerable landscapes of Ireland.

"I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want."

Learning lessons in street photography

Promenade Festival, Tramore

Train station, London

Pride Parade, Vienna

Two young Vikings, Waterford

Woman posing, Vienna

Familiar sight everywhere

More often to be found sneaking up on hares in the wild, I was recently asked how to take photographs of people in public places. This made me realise that I must have made some progress in what was once such a huge challenge. 

A few things have inhibited my street photography. There's my own shyness, the way certain people react so negatively to a camera, and the impulse not to interrupt the flow of some one's private life. Over the years I've learned how to capture relaxed scenes in public places but mostly of people's backs!

There is a distinction here between what I see as urban"portraits" like Humans of NY and "street" which I would define as casual and candid photography of the moment.....think Vivian Maier  Her street shots of a strangers tell a story in a particular way. It doesn't matter who it is or where, her images always captivate me.

While photographing a context, an event, a building, sometimes it's just a blessing when some one literally walks onto the set. Other times I am interested in a face, an expression, a pose. I like reflective and grounded people who are staring meditatively into the distance.......well they kind of remind me of hares and rabbits but that's another story!

Tending to draw more on the contemplative aspects of human nature, I have a particular soft spot for watching elders and their individual body language. There's also an ethical aspect to how I would want to portray some one and although I hugely admire documentary and human rights photographers I am reluctant to snap people in all their vulnerability.

In case like me you are slowly building up an interest in street photography her are three tips I've learned from my experiences over the years.

1. The best way to study other human beings is where everyone has their cameras out, festivals, parades, weddings, etc. People are so much more relaxed and everyone is at it....small camera phones are perfect for this.

2.  If I pick up unhappiness in people when a camera is produced and if I can't find a way for them to be more relaxed I just stop. 

3.  I am wary of photographing children unless I get specific permission. (Yes technically you are legally entitled to photograph anyone in a public place, but I think it's best to get a nod from the parents......) 




There are more photos here in the Street Gallery

A man who knows his flowers~ Pilgrimage

When the streets of Vienna are getting too hot to bear, I duck into a side street flower shop.  It's the bunches of "weeds" in the window that first catch my eye; familiar wildflowers as carrot and catmint, laurel leaves and common grasses, in bouquets and tall vases.

As I stick my head in the door I ask "do you mind if I take some photos?" Fine, is all he says.

I snap away. There are huge cat portraits and the rows of jars are filled with soft colour combinations, in the background endless telephone conversations in animated German. And I am in awe, here is a man who knows his flowers......

After a while I say, "I'm not sure I know much about the flower business but you seem to be an artist of the genre."

"Ah! D'you think so."

He continues to twirl ribbons around a wreath of roses, lost in the zone; the touch, the scents, the colour. For some time we work side by side. Deliveries come and go. Orders are taken, glass jars are shifted up and down the rows.

Vienna is old world and on a grand scale, but transported into the intimacy of his workshop, I feel more inspired than by almost anything else in this city of ghostly memories.



See more Vienna photos here in the Street Gallery

"Stop whining and get back to work!" ~Pilgrimage ~July

That blue grey Irish light of summer

It's been raining

Wildflowers after the rain really sparkle

Glistening foxglove fingers

He introduces himself to a field of cattle

The bull pokes his nose into the air

Red ants

The Irish light is blue grey and it's been raining. I'm snapping raindrops. He stops to introduce himself to a herd of frisky cattle. They get like that in the gloaming. Leppin around and hooshing themselves up on top of each other.

The bull is at the back, a foot or two taller than the others and he pokes his moist black nose in the air, sniffing us out. Still he stands there talking to them and peering into their midst.

Suddenly he jumps out of the ditch and scampers to rid himself of the red ants crawling up his legs. I capture him, my adult son ahead on the path while the dusky sky behind me darkens. The low light and low key stroll is a welcome break from the earlier procrastination and questions.

Are we in a period of "lowest common denominator" art? This has been the topic of the day. It's a challenge to argue against it. The on line art world is over saturated and the offline art world is a daily struggle to survive. 

I agree. I disagree. I argue. I listen. I don't know.

Later I try to find something relevant and soothing about leading an artist's life. More for myself than for anyone else. I find a quote from Werner Herzog where he responds to a desperate and disillusioned young film maker.   

"Quit your complaining. It’s not the world’s fault that you wanted to be an artist. It’s not the world’s job to enjoy the films you make, and it’s certainly not the world’s obligation to pay for your dreams. Nobody wants to hear it. Steal a camera if you have to, but stop whining and get back to work.”

I'm not sure how the jobbing artists upstairs have received this advice, but Herzog works for me every time and I immediately get the finger out and return to work......





More Irish wildflowers here in the Gallery