World cup winners
A Dundalk amateur photography club has become the first Irish group to win the Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (FIAP) world cup. eolas speaks to Chairman Gabriel O’Shaughnessy.
A gallery of evocative photographs from the Dundalk Photographic Society earned the club first place in the prestigious FIAP world cup in December.
The club, which is in its thirtieth year, has 65 members and meets once a week to “hone their skills and develop their ideas.”
Five photographers made up the winning contingent, who claimed the top spot against competition from 140 clubs from over 40 countries.
Chairman Gabriel O’Shaughnessy, who is also one of the winning photographers, explained that the club came eleventh in the FIAP awards two years ago. “That was the highest finish by an Irish club. This year our aim was to make it into the top ten, so to win it was a remarkable success for our relatively small club,” he tells eolas.
“To take on and beat the world’s top clubs with huge resources and big memberships was a marvellous feat,” he adds.
The club is a member of the Irish Photographic Federation. That body congratulated the Dundalk group’s “fantastic” achievement and welcomed it as “a great recognition for Irish photography.”
Two of the winning photos were also singled out for individual awards. They were O’Shaughnessy’s ‘Orphans’, a studio portrait inspired by the Famine and ‘Dunluce’ by David Martin, who is “well known for his moody land and seascape photography.”
Explaining the mechanics behind photos such as ‘Dunluce’, Shaughnessy says: “David regularly uses slow shutter speed and filters to create a mood and feel that often gives his pictures an edge.”
He adds that modern club photography is about the finished product rather than techniques employed.
“Quite a number of today’s photographs are composite images where the final work can be made up from a number of different photographs. However, each element of the final image must be the work of the photographer. Most modern photographers would be proficient in the use of computer software as well as camera craft.”
The Dundalk Photography Society has “a long tradition” of helping and encouraging newer members.
“Each month we hold a competition whereby our members get a chance to exhibit their work and gain valuable feedback from their fellow members,” he remarks. National and international photographers also give lectures and workshops, “all of which helps to improve the standard of photography within the society.”
The win is described by O’Shaughnessy as “a fantastic boost to our members and community.”
