Neil Danton

I was asked to come up with a creative idea to promote the Irish Wheelchair Association’s Angel-pin day. This is a flag-day where lapel pins are sold to the public to raise funds for a charity.

Sometimes with charities they think some kind of personality and a brochure or flyer and that’s more than enough for newspapers to be falling over themselves to publish the image. There’s too much of the same old shite year after year promoting the same event, and picture editors get sick of looking at it. Not just them, me too. I prefer to push myself with ideas, and fortunately my client appreciates that:

It’s the second year I’ve been asked to dream up something for this worthy cause. Last year I decided on a very dark background:

This year I thought I might go with white-seamless instead. Then (as I tend to do unless dragged back to reality) I started to go overboard and decided that EVERYTHING should be white. Should be simple enough to light, white people wearing white clothes against a white background. *Why do I do this to myself*

Fortunately in this case I’m lucky enough to work with a client who appreciates and supports me. I dream this shit up, and leave him to sort out everything apart from the photography side of things.

Here’s another from the shoot:

My male model, for those not into sport or perhaps not from Cork is dual (hurling & gaelic football) player Eoin Cadogan. My female model is 6 year old wheelchair user Laoise.

**For people who aren’t familiar with Irish names, rough pronunciations are Owen & Leesha**

Last one for now and possibly my favourite because of Laoise’s impish smile:

Finally a shout-out to everyone that made it possible:

Obviously Eoin Cadogan for being brave enough to risk the ribbing he’ll get. He’ll probably never speak to me again.
Laoise and her family.
Thos O’Leary of the IWA for doing all the organising and logistics.
Stacy Corkery of Bare Minerals located in Brown Thomas for doing the make-up.
Norina O’Callaghan at the Silver Springs Moran Hotel for her assistance (not forgetting the staff too).

There will be a behind the scenes slideshow coming next, and also a post regarding white seamless (you’ve been warned. Go on holiday, emigrate, disconnect the interwebthingy). Wow, 3 posts from one shoot. I wish I could do that every time.

TTFN