Seeing Things

I made 'Seeing Things' book in 2008. Looking back at that work now it seems like an ill omen of what was to come in Ireland. From there until now I was too occupied with other projects and private matters to chase publishers. The truth is, photography books are usually money loosing ventures ... and possibility of it getting published the conventional way was negligent. So I decided to do it myself.

Thanks to people like Andrew Richards and Patrick Kirkby for dropping me an email every couple of months enquiring when will they be able to get their hands on the book. And to the Little Immigrant Club: Gina Brocker, Michal Iwanowski, Jay Bedwani, Alessandro Destro and late Corrina Adams, all remarkably talented photographers, for listening to my woes and being great friends. And to Bridget Hourican for writing the text back in the gold days. Thanks to all of Newport MFA crew who had to suffer my constant demands for tutorials, advice, or just a general chat about. Very importantly. I wish to thank Hannah Firth (and her crew at Chapter: Holly Davey, Dean Woolford and others) for giving me my first solo show.

Also to an amazing man I met in September 2009 -thanks to Cathy Pearson, who introduced me to him - John G. Morris - a legendary photo editor. John G. Morris was Life's editor when Capa's film rolls from D-day were destroyed in processing, he managed to salvage a dozen. He was the first picture editor for Magnum agency, picture editor for the Washington Post and The New York Times, etc. He worked with the most distinguished photographers of the 20th century: H. C. Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, W. Eugene Smith, Eugene Richards, to name just a few.

I left my book Seeing Things with him overnight. Did not sleep particularly well that night. To be assessed by a man who worked with the best ... not an easy one. Next day, he opened the door of his apartment and I think he said something like: "Your book is wonderful and bizarre."

I am publishing it through blurb and it's running in a edition of 500. It's also a good way of looking at it, for those who have no interest in purchasing. Enjoy.

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1462585