Irish blessing
Harry Reid walks the streets of his home town, capturing the people he meets with his unique eye for personalities
I think that my interest in photography started when I was aged about five years old. An aunt that I visited regularly had a camera which featured a bellows of some sort. This camera always fascinated me, but I was never allowed the privilege of handling it. (I wonder why!) As time passed I bought a series of very basic film cameras and eventually bought a Russian 35mm film camera, which is where my interest in photography really started in earnest.
In those days I gave priority to photographing landscapes and seascapes, plus a few shots of girlfriends, as you do! Then digital arrived and wow, what a difference that made. I started using Fuji compacts until one day I decided to seriously upgrade to a Nikon D200. This was the starting point of my journey with Nikon cameras. Since then I’ve owned a D300, two D700s and my current ‘baby’, a Nikon D800.
Ireland and its famously beautiful scenery is a photographer’s dream.
I endeavour to be discreet, sensitive and courteous… Folk who I photograph ‘on the street’ appreciate being shown their photos
The opportunities are endless, and we still enjoy significant freedom to roam in the Irish countryside. Before I retired from my job as a sales manager for a fire protection company, my job gave me the opportunity to travel the length and breadth of Ireland, plus to a few of the off-shore islands. Needless to say, my camera always travelled with me on those trips, although my travelling opportunities have been a little curtailed since I retired.
Time to explore
While my travel opportunities are more limited now, Waterford’s ‘Copper Coast’, Counties Wexford, Carlow and Tipperary, afford superb landscape and seascape photo opportunities. Along with the aforementioned categories of photography I thoroughly enjoy street and wildlife photography, and some night sky shooting.
Whenever I’m involved in street photography I endeavour to be discreet, sensitive and courteous. The majority of folk who I photograph ‘on the street’ appreciate being shown their photos and being asked if it’s okay for me to post the images on Facebook, for example. This creates goodwill and, very often, allows me the opportunity to give out my business card which, in turn, makes for a few sales. A little common courtesy goes a long way.
Woodturning is also a parttime profession for me and I use photography to record and advertise some of my range of turned products. In addition to that and my street photography, I am currently building a part-time career in commercial photography serving solicitors, estate agents and commercial property owners as well as covering weddings, christenings, fashion shows, and so on.