My new Facebook Fan page

I am still getting quite a few hits to this old blog site so I thought I would put a link to the new Facebook page I created specifically for Mike Patterson Photography.

If you are a Facebook user then please become a fan and don't forget to pop in and say hello :-)))

Mike Patterson Photography's blog has moved ...

Hi Everyone,

Yep, I still exist, honest!!! I keep apologising for the delay in posting but most of it is due to my focusing on what I need to do to get the business the way I want it for the future. Also, the blog is moving to a new home, so please make sure you update your RSS feed to the new site to ensure you get the latest and greatest from there instead. The new site is Mike Patterson Blog.com.

One of the biggest perks of having a self hosted site is the ability have much larger pictures from all the sessions I cover whether it be from portraits, engagement sessions, weddings to boudoir.

Thank you everyone who has read and commented on earlier posts and I look forward to seeing you at the new one.

MONDELLO PARK PHOTOWALK, JapFest 2009

I was recently made aware that I was one of 21 people across Ireland asked to attend the Mondello Park Photowalk that is taking place on the 6th September this year.

I feel very fortunate and honoured to have been picked but had better start practising the various techniques required to get some nice shots.

It is a unique opportunity to get access to a lot of areas that are not normally made available to the general public and to do something I enjoy. The other unique twist to this is that this will be a day off for me from the usual weekend shenanigans and it means taking pictures for personal enjoyment which is something I have been lacking of late.

Volvo Ocean Race exhibition

As I am out the country, I was fortunate to have some pictures taken of my print at the Exhibition I spoke about earlier.

Thanks to Aafke Bakker & Nico Den Heeten for taking and sending across the pictures for me to post.

Continuing the Volvo Ocean Race Festival theme ...

As I indicated in the post below, I have one image selected for the free exhibition being held in Galway this weekend.

However, I wanted to provide a couple, ok more than a couple then, of images I took at the event which I really like and would want to share them with you. The rest of the set which contains well over 100 images can be found here - Enjoy!!

In the shot below you can just make me out. I am under the letters o and n.



This is the view from one of the apartments facing the main stage.



Got to have the Green Dragon boat in amongst these shots somewhere lol



We were also very lucky with the weather during the event with some amazing sunny days and a few drops of rain just to remind everyone of the typical Irish weather system we have here.




Aslan:



The Stunning:



Lucia Evans:



General Band whatnots:

FREE Exhibition from LookWest.ie & Pix.ie Volvo Ocean Race Festival Photo Competition

Today I was fortunate to be asked if one of the images I took during the recent Volvo Ocean Race stopover here in Galway could be used for an exhibition that is being held here in Galway. I obviously said yes as it was such a monumental event which I thoroughly enjoyed being part of.

In a nutshell, over 10,000 images were uploaded and of those 100 were chosen to be represented in the exhibition.

The image in question is this one:-



The exhibition will take place this weekend in Galway (21-23 August) and is free to anyone who wants to see them.

Details can be found here

New Blog

The new blog is slowly taking shape and will still be a while before it comes online as I want to ensure it has been tweaked to my liking. I will in the meantime still continue to add bits and pieces here.

A tad outdated

I have been sooo bad of late with the blog and there is no excuse for it, it is me just being plain lazy.

So, I am back and will be posting a lot more images to get everyone's juices flowing again lol

The plan is also to convert this to another format that is a lot more pleasing to the eye so watch this space, it has been a long time coming....

Matthias & Kerstin

I was contacted recently to do a portrait session with a couple from Germany. This was the 4th time they had visited Ireland over a 15 year period and it was to be a pretty special trip for them both, more on that later.

One of the requirements was to find somewhere that was romantic and we all know that we are not short of a place or five here in the west of Ireland. The other reason for this request was that Kerstin did not know anything about the portrait session as it was a surprise present for their 25th wedding anniversary they had celebrated just before coming to Ireland.

Here are a selection of images taken.










































































Now this last one is really special to me especially in light of what Matthias & Kerstin did after the session. The last shot of the day was taken on the bridge as you can see below.














However a little while after these were done I had a surprise email from them both with a couple of photo's attached. As part of their wedding anniversary celebrations, they had a party with family and had the images printed to show everyone their fantastic time here in Ireland. One of the images taken at the party was them holding one of the shots and you can see the result in the last image shown.














I just hope that my wife and I will be in love as much are you are after 25 years of marriage!!! More images are on my web site - www.mikepatterson.com

Car Park shoot

I am a member of Galway Camera Club and a shoot was arranged in an underground car park here in Galway. The idea of the session was to get people used to and being more confident using using off camera flash. Some of the members that turned up were very new to photography and using flash, so basic schooling was given showing how things work and what can be done by changing various settings. Everyone was let loose and had a go at working with Nicola and Carl using either standard camera flash on stands with umbrellas or using proper studio lighting too which was great fun.

Here are a small selection of images taken during the couple of hours we were there:

These two are using natural light only.


















Here is one of my shots using off camera flash.


















Thanks to Sean for organising and bringing the various kit for everyone to use. Also a huge thanks to Nicola and Carl for braving the cold too - great sports!!

There are other images contained within the portrait section on my web site that are using similar techniques. Go on, you know you want to go and have a look - www.mikepatterson.com

Oscar Ball

Galway was fortunate to have its own Oscar night recently but with a twist. It was a Make A Wish Foundation charity fundraiser here at the Clayton hotel owned by John Glynn.

I was there to help cover some of the guests with the help of these two old timers who proved to be a real treat and a laugh too. I have no idea how they did the twist the fork trick but it really got everyone wanting to know its secret. I think the best one was the two teaspoons trick, which was hilarious watching when people were rubbing the spoons on their chest trying to generate enough static - yeah right, if that was ever going to work!! lol

There were lots of people here willing to dig into their already deep pockets and provide some help and assistance to a worthy charity so well done everyone who took part. There were also some excellent prizes to be won including a childrens quad bike and protective gear, massive LCD TV, paintings and trips to various amazing hotels in and around Ireland.


For those who were there and want access to see the images via www.mikepatterson.com, please email me directly to mike[at]mikepatterson[dot]com to get the password.

Here are a small selection of images taken on the night.

Maternity SHoot

As my business is growing, I am looking to offer maternity shoots as part of my portfolio of services.

I am looking for volunteer's to try various ideas with and have a specific look in mind for these shots. However,I am always open to suggestions so you can have your creative input too. The shoot will be free and you will be given images in exchange for your time.

Ideally I would like someone who is

*1+ month pregnant
*5+ months pregnant.


Please email me at info[at]mikepatterson[dot]com for more information and if possible please include a photo.

Thanks

Trash the Dress

I hate the term "Trash the Dress" as it really gives the impression that the session is about ruining your dress for the sake of some unusual pictures. It clearly isn't about that but more about having a set of images that are done after the big day and it also gives you the opportunity to wear your dress again. I would also like to add that I seen some great work where it is both bride and groom, so come on guys, why not give it a go...

There were articles written in the New York Daily News and also in the New York Times recently about this phenomenon which is very popular in countries including USA, Australia and in the UK too. It would seem the brides of today are also a little more adventurous and this would explain the recent examples of this trend here in Ireland. I think that is more down to brides seeing shots posted on-line whilst doing research and planning for their own weddings.

I am sure there are a few brides out there that would like to try it and we have some great locations in this country. If you are up for a fun session then please get in touch with me at info(at)mikepatterson(dot)com.

Carrie & Gerard - Engagement Pics

After many weeks of emailing back and forth, I finally had the pleasure of meeting with Carrie and Gerard for an engagement shoot in Dublin.



I had originally planned to allow about 2 hrs for the session based on our various discussions. That was a great idea at the time but as the day went on and as we were all enjoying it so much it was somewhat disregarded. We had also planned to go to certain locations but somehow in the end we just did our own thing and it worked a real treat.



I can't thank you both enough for the amazing time. For being such great sports when I asked you, whether it be to either stand somewhere, sit here, sit there, put hands there, adopt a certain pose and be all sloppy - lets be honest, that last bit wasn't very difficult either hahahaha.

Oh, I can't wait to try that Italian wine you kept going on about too.

Paintball

Some people who know me will know that my biggest vice is paintball. I have been playing for almost 19 years now and have had some major exciting times with it over the years ranging from doing it as fun to taking it a whole lot more serious and eventually doing it every weekend . The sport has become so successful it has taken me to places like Barcelona, Toulouse, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Kuala Lumpur, Oregon, London and Euro Disney Paris to name but a few.

Like everyone who tried it for the first time it was in the woods pretending to be Rambo and plotting to ruin the other sides chances of success. I went back and enjoyed it even more than the first time - I was gloriously hooked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paintball as a game has evolved so much in the last few years and has moved from the woods to areas that are much more spectator friendly. One of the gripes in the past was when you played in the woods you just couldn't see what was going on the other side of the field if that was where the action was. Woods ball is still a major part of the game of today and I think it will be with us for some time. I mean it's just too much fun romping around in the dirt.

Some of the significant changes in the game include the the equipment used. Everything is becoming so much more lighter, faster, easier to operate. Just imagine the markers (guns) being able to shoot as quick as your finger can pull the trigger. The markers themselves are more than capable of going a high as 32 balls per second - now that's fast!!!

So, how has it changed I hear from the back?? I have got some YouTube videos below showing what I mean as I believe its easier for you to see for yourself - enjoy!!!