Hope Springs
Limited edition archival pigment print produced on 100% acid free archival paper.
Dimensions:
Medium - Image dimensions: 32 cm X 19.7 cm plus 5 cm border
Large - Image dimension: 46 cm X 31 mm plus 1 cm border
Purchase includes:
Signed print
Certificate of authenticity with a hologram containing a unique serial number and a matching numbered hologram on the back of the print
Registration of your unique print on www.myartregistry.com
Unframed prints are presented in an archival box with white cotton gloves.
Limited edition archival pigment print produced on 100% acid free archival paper.
Dimensions:
Medium - Image dimensions: 32 cm X 19.7 cm plus 5 cm border
Large - Image dimension: 46 cm X 31 mm plus 1 cm border
Purchase includes:
Signed print
Certificate of authenticity with a hologram containing a unique serial number and a matching numbered hologram on the back of the print
Registration of your unique print on www.myartregistry.com
Unframed prints are presented in an archival box with white cotton gloves.
Limited edition archival pigment print produced on 100% acid free archival paper.
Dimensions:
Medium - Image dimensions: 32 cm X 19.7 cm plus 5 cm border
Large - Image dimension: 46 cm X 31 mm plus 1 cm border
Purchase includes:
Signed print
Certificate of authenticity with a hologram containing a unique serial number and a matching numbered hologram on the back of the print
Registration of your unique print on www.myartregistry.com
Unframed prints are presented in an archival box with white cotton gloves.
The story behind this image:
For three years I tried to capture the perfect dive shot and failed. One day after several weeks of not even seeing a kingfisher I decided to take a break and meet a friend for coffee. He didn’t know the river so I brought him down for a walk. I don’t mix humans with my camera - it’s one or the other or both suffer so this day I left the camera behind. After all there had been no sightings for weeks so I figured what are the chances.
I should have known better…
On that day conditions were absolutely perfect - still water, no wind, lots of light and yes a kingfisher. Not only a kingfisher but one preening and diving up and down and up and down more times in 10 minutes than I’d seen in the previous 6 months.
‘Oh that’s such a pretty bird’ remarked my friend. ‘Yes’ I calmly replied (on the outside). On the inside I was screaming at him how he had ruined my day and my life and that if he’d never been born then I would have been at the river with my camera instead of standing there with him and no camera, missing the opportunity of a lifetime.
But then I calmed down and got philosophical about it and decided since there was nothing I could do about that, that I may as well just enjoy the moment for a change.
It was then I realised that after he dives in he has to come back out again. Up to that point I had always stopped shooting after he dived in. I decided in that moment to try a new approach, to try to capture him coming out of the water instead. That change in approach had an immediate impact and upped my game to a new level. Without that life lesson I would not have this picture.
Don’t get me wrong though - for every shot I’m happy with there are still a few hundred in the bin and many long days sitting just waiting with nothing to show at the end of the day other than a nice relaxing day out down by the riverside. It’s like fishing - you go expecting nothing then you’ll never be disappointed if you come home with no photos.
Of all the shots I have that I’m proud of this is perhaps the one that’s closest to my heart - it’s the inaugural shot for my personal project The Heart of the Mater
Copies of this image have been gifted to Ryan Tubridy and Charlie Bird to commemorate Charlie’s ascent of Croagh Patrick to raise funds for The Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association and Pieta House
For every sale of this print I will donate 10% to Charlie’s charity - see Charlie’s page here