The love of a dog named Paddy

Paddy the wanderer who stopped into Ballinagoth and made himself at home and not an objection was raised. Now Ballinagoth is not a major thoroughfare, it’s down in a valley and sits cosily between the river, hills and a small preserved woodland and I used to joke that even the rabbits get lost down there. So how he came to be there no one knows and no one in the area knew him so my guess is that he was abandoned. His facility to adapt to a very quiet life in the small country cottage where only my late father hid out most of the time suggests that he wasn’t ever a city slicker. It was an old cottage with a smoky open fire and only 20 yards from the river Nore, a river that was once renowned for its fine salmon which have sadly been poached out of existence by the locals greed for money today with no forethought for tomorrow. Paddy watched the fishermen come and go and never stirred unless they were accompanied by their own dogs and then Paddy spontaneously exploded into a vicious terrier tornado. He’s seen a lot of life as would be normal for any member of the Hayden family. I’m open to correction on his exact history but from what I know he’s been in the care of my mother after the death of my father and then he willingly took off on a grand adventure with my late niece Ciara, she had the wanderlust bug and a courageous curiosity that had her traveling far and wide until her sad and untimely death. And then another new chapter began for Paddy. He had been living in the mountains of Orgiva in Spain with Ciara and her daughter Lily but when Ciara became unwell she came home to Ireland. And Paddy was brought home later on in the camping car by boat from Santander to Cork. He made the voyage without a growl except when he wanted to pee or when he met another dog on the deck. He was put off his food by the anti rabies medication and I guess the long drive and boat journey didn’t help but he bounced back and today is living in Co Kilkenny with my sister Deirdre. Now that I think of it he may have lived with my other sister Maria, but I need that confirmed? We’re not certain of how old Paddy is but he’s surely more than 20 years old and like us all with age his sight is not what it used to be nor are his legs but he looks well, he eats well and has been much loved by all who came to know him. We’ve had several dogs in the family but for me Paddy is one of a kind, a kind of angel. His presence has enhanced the life of us all, his nonverbal way of communication has entertained us and his old man charms coupled with his roguish eye has seduced everyone that's been priviliged to meet him. As a photographer he's been my educator and tester and I can credit him with giving me a deeper appreciation for my profession. He's also a constant reminder of how important it is to be connected to your subject. You'll see in the images that I have more than a little affection for Paddy, there's a place in my heart for him that connects with my eyes and my soul, my chakras are equally alligned and for me that connection is essential in portraying the true personality of my subject no matter who or what it is. Connection is everything.

Paris bio ice cream

It’s a sunny day in Paris with temperatures hitting 14 degrees amazing for March 29th not! But with the sun in the sky and an ice cream shop in front of me Shaw’s quote comes to mind,”I can resist everything except temptation “. And so I entered Bachir’s ice cream shop and treated myself to 3 flavors the first was pétale de rose, next a classic vanilla and to finish a delightful almond ice cream. On entering the shop I was welcomed by a smiling and bubbly young lady who took my order and had me in ecstasy in no time. I’m an ice cream fanatic and it was a régale! I must add that she offered me a complimentary crème chantilly which I declined but the delightful lady wouldn’t have it and let me know that it was home made and very good so I crumbled and went for. I almost forgot that she said it was “good for the heart”. That’s good news to me how true it is remains to be discovered in later years by a bored scientist. It was however the best cream I can remember ever tasting. And I’m not a fan of cream Chantilly. So if you find yourself near the centre Pompidou and rue St Martin head to Bachir. I don’t usually blog about ice cream but this one is worth sharing. The price is nice to. I liked the fact that you can choose as many flavors as you want. See the photo for the prices and original flavors. I’m going to try and include this area into one of my photo tours.

Film Photography

I recently picked up my old medium format film camera, it's a Bronica ETRSi. Some would describe it as a Hasselblad copy, but it was the long held dream of Mr Zenzaburo Yoshino who first attempted to build his dream camera in the early fifties. Alas due to financial troubles he fell into bankruptcy and went back to his original business of making ladies cosmetics and novelties.

Thanks to the financial success of his cosmetics business his "dream" began life at the end of 1952 he then formed the Bronica camera Co. Ltd in 1956 when the first prototype was produced.

It's an easy camera to handle, and feels good in the hand making it a useful camera for both studio and street photography.

I use Fuji Neopan 400 film among others, and when I see the results I still think digital cannot produce the same 'character' and the difference is visible in these shots I took of my daughter and of the town of Joigny in Burgundy, France.

I was also brought back to relearning how to frame the 6 x 4.5 cm image area, my errors are obvious with too much space left in the top of the frame. It was an enjoyable trip down memory lane, and the results have inspired me to take it out more often to take pictures of my daughter Clara Louna.

I don't think I'll be brave enough to shoot weddings in Paris with it though. I'm to used to my Canon 5D MK11 and it's fabulous ISO range.