ABOUT ME
MY STORY
ABOUT ME
I have been Aaron Doherty for 56 years now and live on the north coast of a small island, Ireland or Irelanda Du Nord. I have two adult offspring and I used to work as a school swimming instructor and lifeguard. However I have applied recently to become a full time photographer in a town near Belfast. I live near my Dad so I’m with him every day. He’s a hoot, he will be 90 in June. He still drives and is fairly independent. He feeds giant swans out the front of the house. I love my family. I love music, great chinese food, watching movies… I used to go to the cinema often when I was growing up. I run, I cook, I connect on social media with photographers and friends in “Club of Black and White Photography” or “The Universe of Colour Photography”. What makes me happy are the important people in my life. Hugs and long showers into the wee wee hours. I love genuine and passionate people and I’ve met a lot in the last few years. Great to be around. My favourite places on this planet are Paris, San Francisco, Donegal and Delaware, oh and Mallorca. My favourite musicians used to be Springsteen and Knopfler. However I’m listening to Steve Forbert, John Prine, Kiefer Sutherland and Tom Russell, Brian Mc Donald and our own Hans Krabbenbos.
ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY
I have enjoyed taking photographs since I was ten years old when I was given a camera by my uncle Billy. I live near a river so as a kid I took photographs of ships going past the house and took the camera on a school trip. (I found the shots from 1975 the other day). Also my father took loads of photographs from the 1940s to the 70s, he has a great collection now of archive shots. I’ve taken over, I suppose. My daughter can take over from me, she’s good. It’s very satisfying capturing a nice image. A child’s smile or a sunrise, Musician or the roof of an old chapel. Then there is an outstanding image where you are happy to stare at it all day. That’s art. I made a shot in the 90s where a model was underwater and I thought “There’s my roof of the sistine chapel I should quit now” but that just meant I was getting better. I once drove all night from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon for sunrise. So there can often be a lot of effort to get one shot. I’ve taken a few shots recently that I am really pleased with, like the shooting with the models Rebecca and Fanny or my recent Photographic tour of Mallorca (That was amazing). However I have a special place in my heart for “Blue Nude” and “Springsteen in 99” , I believe these are my favourite shots, from my favourite themes.
Photo Credit: Judith Doherty
If you are a photographer you are never bored. You can be planning a shoot. Thinking on an idea that can come to fruition in days or months. I have photographed a few CD covers and have had a few exhibitions. Shot some weddings and my ongoing theme/story is one called “Prodigal Daughter” where a character is on her way home. Bit of “The journey is the destination” where the location plays a part of the story. I like it. I recently got to shoot part of the story in an old College building before it was knocked down so that was a real “Cout d’ etat”. Some shots made that day, are amongst my favourites. The influences in my photography that have stayed with me the longest,are shots with impact. Memorable images that will always stay with you, in your mind and in your heart. I do struggle with images that I think are boring, flat or lifeless. I could not say that shots by Henri Cartier Bresson or Elliot Landy are boring. There are so many photographers in the photo clubs that have stunning shots with impact which are a real visual delight. Same thing with artists who paint. I can stare at a “Caravaggio” all day. starting with a black canvas, love it. A great photograph has Impact and tells a story, it’s narrative. I often see a shot of a path or a road and then
a similar shot with a person walking down the lane, snow or tree lined path and I ask “Where are they going?” It’s like the character in a song. Maybe it’s “Raglan Road” or “Telegraph Road” or whatever your favourite song is. Imagine a photograph that can go along with it.
Editing is my least favourite part of photography. Used to be filing negatives. Now I can click something and 38 thousand images can disappear… so I am really not into that. Fortunately I Like High key and Hi contrast shots where I just slide a brightness scale up or down. I was asked last year “did I use an Infrared tool?”, I said “No, I just made it really bright”. For some images that I really like or want to enlarge to 120cm x 75cm to hang on the wall and make a canvas, I might ask a professional to help as Nic and Photoshop would twist my melon. Some experts in the world of editing must be angels.My favourite setting must be “P” or “Auto”. Just Kidding. At a gig I watch the lights, (almost spoils the gig) then I can go with F8 or use a fast lens. I was at a gig in Belfast upstairs in a bar and there was only one small “Spot” so I had to uprate my ISO to more than 6400. In the dark pubs in Belfast, I had nice results with Steve Forbert and Tom Russell.
Photo Credit: Dave Brady
If I work with a model I’ve not worked with before, I make sure samples and an idea of what I want are forwarded in advance. You might need to “Recce” a location, maybe get permission. Risk assessment, model release form, charge batteries. I used a spare room in my house last year that included moving all the furniture out and setting up a studio. So there is often lots of work in getting a great shot. A recent shot where I was asked to be a “second shooter” had make-up artists and a documentary filmmaker all busy. Great day. I also supplied images for a magazine that included attending editorial meetings. I provided cover shots and events where I was asked to turn up to. It stopped going to print 2 years ago.
I shoot with a Canon EOS 5D mk4 and a 6D mk2. My glass is 24-105mm L lens and a 100-400mm L lens. I also have about 25 or 30 rescue cameras, a collection that has shelves 2 metres high and some old glass plates over 100 years old so that goes back to the “Can you live without photography?”…Mmmm, definately not now. I used the long lens for gigs and musicians or a Grand Canyon sunrise. Today I was using a nifty fifty 1.8 canon for a landscape of the human body theme.
My work closed down after Covid. The school kids I used to teach swimming to never came into the pool for a year and eight months. I kept fit and became creative with photography. I had the opportunity to book models and visit locations I had not been to in many years. I have been keeping busy with photography over the last two years. Frankly since I came back from phototoursmallorca.com I have been inspired to keep my love of photography going from strength to strength. My trip to Mallorca was more impressive than I thought it was going to be. Maybe I return to Mallorca this year. Great having many chats with Mar there and many many laughs. I would like to travel again, I enjoyed taking the kids to Paris and London. I will go back to Donegal and for the future with photography, I’ll keep the “Prodigal Daughter” story alive.
My goal this year is to make it to the start of a marathon and finish, hopefully. So when I’m not behind the lens, I’m training for a final Marathon. I’ve run a few, not ran one in my 50s. I hear some marathons in Europe are flat. I have only finished Dublin and Belfast. I will keep being busy with some work I do for human rights organisations. I’m happy with this professional website made and I will be updating it regularly with some news shots and impressions.
Best advice I had in life:
Upon arriving home from a bar maybe 25 years ago there was a monk on the TV who said “it’s impossible for two minutes to happen at the same time, so live life one minute at a time”. I liked that. Also on the radio a couple of years ago the bloke said “We live on a dash in between two dates. So, “enjoy your Dash”.
A wee word of thanks
A few people to thank for the help in the many years of making nice images.
Damien Devenney, LSFX Productions, Judith Doherty, Tommy and Raoul at Blackdoor Productions, Gary Cogdell, Dave Brady, Martine Heyvaert for all her hard work, patience, inspiration and friendship.
Thank you. Hug
