Photographing Dublin

Kevin Gilligan saunters around the Irish capital with his Tamron SP 24-70mm VC lens.

Article by Jenn Gidman
Images by Kevin Gilligan

Reading James Joyce's Ulysses is an arduous task, but from a photographic standpoint, the author's hometown of Dublin is one of the most photographically accessible locales in the world. "As a photographer and person of Irish descent, Dublin was an amazing city to explore, mainly on foot," says Kevin Gilligan. "There are many gorgeous green parks and interesting people there. When you're in Dublin, you're also struck by its amazing appreciation for literature. There are statues of literary giants throughout the city, particularly in the parks."

Although Kevin brought most of his photo gear on his trip to the Emerald Isle, it was the Tamron SP 24-70mm VC lens he used the most. "I had a backpack I often carried, but sometimes I just had my camera with the 24-70 on it," he says. "That maximum F/2.8 aperture was great for shooting in low-light situations. The Vibration Compensation feature made it easy for me to handhold most of my shots there."

Although Dublin offered a variety of cityscape, landscape, and architectural photo opportunities, the locals were also a main draw. "One of my photographic mentors always encourages me to take pictures of people when traveling because I usually shoot landscapes," Kevin says. "So I tried to do that on this trip. The Irish people are so warm and friendly, and the pubs are fantastic. It's very easy to walk into one and strike up a conversation with a Dubliner."

Converting to black and white allowed Kevin to add a timeless feel to many of his images - especially those that captured Dublin's bustling social scene. "The city has an incredibly rich history, and shooting in black-and-white helped me to capture that feeling," he says. "There are so many photographic gems you'll see walking around if you keep your eyes open. The Confession Box Bar (shot at 31mm, F/3.5 at 1/125th of a second, 1600 ISO) has to be my all-time favorite name for a bar in Dublin. I captured it in color and converted it to black and white. The image of the horse outside the Auld Dubliner (shot at 24mm, F/2.8 at 1/100th of a second, 6400 ISO) was taken in the Temple Bar District, which is known for its lively nightlife."

A classic photo op of a Dublin resident presented itself outside the Exchequer Bar. "I was initially focusing on the young man in the street, but then I noticed the man standing at the bar in the window," says Kevin. "That addition told a more interesting visual story. Showing it in black and white was like showing an image from another era."

In certain cases, Kevin shot multiple images at different exposures and combined them later to bring out all the detail, which couldn't otherwise be captured in one image. One of his favorites using this technique was of the Long Room Library at Trinity College. "This was a difficult image to capture that required a bit of planning, timing, and luck," he says. "There are more than 200,000 of the oldest books in the library in this room, so I wanted to show that detail with the 24-70. I was able to get his image at the end of the day when most of the visitors had left. I stayed until the last possible second when the guard turned the lights off and shooed me out. I shot the image at 24mm, F/3.2 at 1/60th of a second with a 5000 ISO."

You won't be able to plan every one of your images, though, so make sure your camera is always ready. "I visited the Guinness Storehouse, which is a really neat place to tour," Kevin says. "I was fortunate to meet a group of Celtic drummers outside the Storehouse. Luckily, I had brought my camera and external flash to illuminate the street a bit. I got down very low to the ground, and the front drummer (who was almost 6'6") really got into it and started marching toward me, which is when I took the picture. Capturing the cobblestone street so low to the ground made the shot for me. The 24-70 helped me capture all the great detail."

To see more of Kevin Gilligan's work, go to www.photosbykag.com.