Photography has a been a great source of creative joy in my life. There have been peaks and troughs, prolific periods of creativity and development and long lasting furrows where it seemed like no photograph could be made.
During the last 12 years since I first graduated from the LCC BA Photography and subsequently the MA Documentary Photography at LCC, I’ve been fortunate enough at times to earn my living from photography. I’ve completed commissions for multiple arts and heritage bodies and through my practice have had the privilege of meeting amazing people and have heard and shared their stories. Through a lot of hustling and door-knocking I was able to create an almost sustainable teaching career, and have enjoyed helping adults and younger learners alike on their journey in photography.
With great regret I have to say that I can no longer continue to try to sustain a living through the art form which I love. Successive Irish governments cut education to the bone, and teaching as a career is now just a mirage. Former colleagues have retired, not to be replaced and other colleagues chase ‘hours’ not jobs.
I’ve come to the realisation that my role as “photographer as supplier” (quoting my good friend Jonathan Worth) is not a sustainable way of making a living. There are many photographers out there, better than me and better at self-marketing than me who have found a way to survive, I admire them.
And so I find myself at a crossroads with the route clearly marked. I will still make films and produce stories and portraits, I will find new ways to get my work out there and and will find ways to be the “publisher”, and to make stories and work that I care about. I’m completing one or two current commissions and will begin the difficult and daunting process of finding a part-time creative role which allows me the space to keep creating.
I am happy to discuss any opportunities for creative roles or roles in photographic/visual education. My contact details are here
I will re-design this site quite soon, and my archive resides on my pixelrights site.
Various other projects are on
www.ww2vetsproject.com
www.whispersofwar.net
www.corkcreatives.com
www.soundportraits.net/carrick