The inspiration for my work stems from a long-standing interest in photographers that used documentary photography to create powerful messages. Photographers such as Lewis Hine. Lewis started his career in documentary photography, primarily to make a change to people’s lives and bring attention to social injustice and to give dignity to working people. All his work was for the public and for their awareness. Lewis never questioned his camera and what it was capable of in terms of documenting feeling, emotion, and truth. He used his camera to speak for those men, women, and children who could not do so for themselves.

I sometimes feel that I was born in the wrong era for photography, my interest for older cameras and the photographers that used them has been hugely influential on how I see the world.  I have explored many forms and techniques in photography, but I find that I am always drawn back to documentary and reportage style work and the photographers who have specialised in this genre to change the world. This genre can be many things, it's not about perfection of an image or technique it's about the truth and the power held within. 

History, folklore and myths have contributed to Northern Ireland's cultural way of life from arts and music to sports. Through traveling and photographing the people and the country of my birth, I have steered away from the traditional tourist board attractions to reveal a country that is not just full of breath-taking scenery but steeped in rich legends and social and political histories.

The Real Northern Ireland is presented as an artist book. It depicts a narrative of contemporary Northern Ireland through documentary photographs that look deeper into its culture.

The intention of this project is to combine my passion for an older style of photography in a contemporary time frame, blending this with the passion I have for my home country.  My work took three and half months of research and planning and five months to complete my final piece.

 I drove all around 6 counties, learning so much about my home, both uplifting and motivational, as well as truly depressing and saddening. The deepest impression I gained from this project was not the landscape or even the work I produced but the people I met during my travels; Strangers were openly willing to talk about themselves, their lives and stories. I found out that in a modern Northern Ireland there are a small number of people that choose to live in a more traditional way. They spoke to me with passion as they told me that they still live off the land and in their thatched homes the same way as many generations before them have.

Studying in Wrexham, I know first-hand how hard it is to be away from your home and empathise with many of my forebears, as such a large part of the Irish population emigrated to countries all around the world, in order to escape political and economic difficulties.  The purpose of this project is to remind people of home and bring comfort to them when needed.