EXPOSURE: A Photographic Showcase – Part One (Mel Foody)
This is the first in a series of articles celebrating the photographic talent of the North Mayo region. This week we look at the captivating work of Mel Foody. Mel’s work captures the raw beauty of our local landscape. The smart use of both vivid colour and black & white gives each of Mel’s images a voice and a feeling. The wide angle shots employed also evoke a strong sense of immersion. Now based in Sunnyvale, California, Mel specialises in landscape, urban and portrait photography. What follows is a short interview with Mel about his relationship with photography:
1. How did you get into photography?
I’ve taking photos for almost as long as I remember, but I learned how to use my first “proper” (SLR) camera just before I travelled to Australia 15 years ago – unfortunately it got stolen almost as soon as I got there! I really took up photography again seriously when my children were born, as I wanted to be able to capture those special memories. I still love photographing my kids (and they are great models), but I’ve since branched out into landscape and urban photography as well. I also really enjoy doing photoshoots for family and friends.
2. What do you love about photography?
I think that photography helps you stop and notice the world around you that little bit more. You can find amazing moments even in what might seem like the most mundane places. I really love when I can show someone a photo of a place or a person they might know really well, but in a way they have never seen before. A good photo can help someone to see something almost as if for the first time, to remind them of what they really love about a place, a person, or a moment.
3. What is your favourite place in the North Mayo area to take photographs and why?
All of it. The great thing about the North Mayo landscape is that it’s just so diverse. You have amazing coastal scenery that’s as spectacular as anywhere on the planet. You also have lakes, rivers, great towns and villages and amazing pieces of history almost everywhere you turn. On my most recent trip back (I now live in California), I was especially captivated by the wild beauty of the Ox Mountains – the starkness of that landscape is hard to capture in a photo, but I had fun trying.
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