Move to online creates new demand for photography

Photographer Eva Blake used her lockdown period to raise money for local charity East Coast Mask Makers and now that she is allowed work again – from June 8th – she has found she is busier than ever with local businesses rushing to get online.

However, during the first stage of lockdown she put her camera to good use launching her own Wicklow version of the global Front Door Portrait project in Kilmacanogue. The idea was created by photographers from around the world who wanted to play their part in the Corona Virus pandemic. The concept is very simple: run an auction with the prizes offering to take a portrait shoot for the highest bidders. The portraits would be done at the front door of the home or in the garden. It would capture a family or perhaps a missed opportunity to celebrate: it could be a missed communion, a new birth, or a big birthday.

The portraits would all have to be done within the locked down radius – in Eva’s case a five-kilometre circle ranging out from Kilmanacogue. She launched her project a few weeks ago and offered to do nine portraits on a Saturday. Her chosen charity is the East Coast Mask Makers set up by two Sineads: Sinead McGuinness and Sinead O’Riordain. They have been making washable, reusable cloth masks for volunteers for the past three weeks.

People wanting to bid for the portraits contact Eva directly and she is currently advising them that the lowest bid is Euro40.

“However, I have had bids of Euro200 also,” she says.

The bids close on Friday and she will announce the winners that night. If there is sufficient interest, she will run another project next month.

“There are stories with each connection. So many events that should have happened in the past two months have been largely undocumented. I hope to capture not just the images but the stories behind why they want their portraits done.”

Understanding the stories is part of what makes Eva’s photography unique. A keen amateur photographer, she finally took the jump from the corporate world to setting up her own business in 2018. She had worked in sales and marketing in the pharmaceutical sector but really wanted to go out on her own.

At first she dabbled in different photography styles and fashions but soon found her forte in shooting personal brands.

“Understanding the person and their business is key to finding the right images. People buy from people and it’s my job to capture their unique offering and to create the images to support their values.”

We decide that had she not already opened her new business, COVID19 would have pushed the button.

“I am finding that people are re-assessing their lives and their business during the crisis. The unimportant is being erased and people are paring down their offerings. They are being authentic and looking to connect on a more significant level.”

For Eva, the new world of photography has been very exciting. She has a natural eye for form and her commercial photography has an almost playful feel to it. There is nothing boring in her shots for sure.

To contact Eva please visit her website on www.evablake.ie

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