I sometimes struggle to find inspiration in a city that is familiar to me. I am more aware of my environment and engaged with my surroundings, paying more attention to what and who passes me by when I’m away from home. I am most comfortable in Dublin. This makes me think I should be more confident photographing in my home town, yet the everyday goings on can often slip by me unnoticed.
This image by Eamonn Doyle is one that caught my eye. His series ‘On’ was photographed in Dublin’s city centre. I pass buildings and people like these on a daily basis, yet have never thought to photograph them. Doyle’s use of unusual angels encourages the viewer to engage in the entire composition and not just focus on the person in the frame but the familiarity of Doyle’s subject is what I love the most. By embracing the ordinary, he captures something wonderful in what can sometimes be quite a grey city and produces images that encapsulate the modern day Dublin and it’s inhabitants beautifully. Doyle has inspired and reminded me to appreciate my home town as it is full of interesting potential subjects, truly amazing characters who make Dublin the city it is.
Ashley O’Sheehan
L1, Photography, University of the West of England
UWE Bristol Photography Research Group 