A FRESH START!

Difficult as it is to move away from home and make a fresh start one person who is rising to the challenge and is full of optimism for the life ahead is Graham martin.
Graham, from Loughshinny, sat there for me a couple of weeks ago.He took time out from seasonal work grading veg for the christmas market to make the shoot.Being one of seven photographers I have photographed over this project Graham, like the others has an keen sense of the importance of this documentation. In fact emigration  is as much an important part of the fabric of the Irish psyche as it is the destruction of Irish society.

Here is what Graham had to say
I worked Briefly in Bank of Ireland to save money before I went traveling, since then I have done some odd jobs, photo work, internships and a Diploma with Griffith College in Photography.I spent 6 months in South America a few years a go and 3 of those months in Brazil. The country, it's people, music, food and culture made a big impression on me and I always wanted to return there. I met a Brazilian girl in Dublin since then and we are now expecting a baby. Brazil is experiencing a bit of a boom at the moment and have the World Cup and Olympics happening there in the near future, so I see a lot of potential for work and opportunities for me and my photography and my girlfriend who is a qualified psychologist will sooner find work there than she would in Ireland


 I am happy to be starting a new life and family in Brazil and reuniting with my girlfriend. I am excited about exploring a new city, country, continent and recording my experiences with my camera. I will miss my friends and family but quite a few of my friends have either left already (Daragh & Ara to Mexico) or are soon leaving themselves (I will try to encourage them to contact you if you still need sitters by then), so there is very little keeping me in cold depressing Ireland. I'm ready for a change and regardless of my situation or the countries state I had not shaken the traveling bug and wanted to see more of Brazil and so would have probably head off somewhere anyway. It is sad that so many are being forced to emigrate, but we are not the first generation who have been faced with this and I think it is a positive thing in some ways, everyone should see other parts of the world and experience other cultures and ways of life.
Good fortune to Graham and his new family in brazil I really hope he can stay fresh in the tropical heat!!
Ray Hegarty and Artur Sikora lit up this dark pier with the usual enthusiasm, Big thanks there!!

Things have been moving on pace since my last post I have been talking with lots of people over the last few months.Since talking with Ciara Kenny at the Irish Times ,I have had several long telephone conversations with,Other international newspapers and a production company in the U.K.who are researching a documentary on how recession is effecting youth in Ireland,Japan and Greece.


I have also been busy reaching out to make contact with venues who can show my video piece over the march St Patricks day season. Now I can say that all this communication is starting to show results and I have scheduled 3 such screenings on in Alabama,one in Minas Gerais,and one in Melbourne. (hopefully with many more to come over the next month)
If you know of a suitable venue and/or you have contacts that could help ,please direct them here and send contact emails and phone numbers to me at dmon@me.com.

here is the short 6 minute version of the clip,when I have finished the shoot the plan is to make a 12 minute piece at broadcast quality sound and picture. If you have any leads at all re venues please let me know.
I will follow on with a mail to all my sitters to date to see what can be done to include them in the process.To date all that I have contacted have been a great help!


As always the best thing all readers of this blog can do is to SHARE it via the SHARE buttons on the top left of the page.Its only one click for you and it gets the work to a new audience especially if you have never shared it before!!
And of course comments are always welcome as they keep me connected!!