14 for ’14 – A Year In Review
When I sat down at roughly this time last year, to write my 2013 review, I had no idea of the changes that would unfold in 2014. That’s the nature of life I guess, but maybe it wasn’t something I was prepared for. When I established this business in 2010, I created a regimental routine, which I worked from month to month and year to year. I had a set way of doing things which helped me stay organised and on top of my duties. I took great pride in this ‘system’ because not only did it keep my occupied but it meant I could be relied upon. There were two issues though with this routine. One, it was focused entirely around one client. And two, it didn’t allow for any down time to recover. From April 2010 until April 2014, I estimate I had maybe a total of two weeks holidays (not including sick leave). That sort of pace catches up with you very quickly and is quite counter-productive in the long run, especially for a creative. If you don’t crash and burn, you just end up on autopilot. In April of this year, after more years than most realise (I started contributing to the project whilst still a college student), I parted ways with Speedhunters. Looking back, I think it was the best thing for both sides. They weren’t getting the best of me, and I was becoming more and more frustrated with the direction they were going in at the time. It was an amicable parting, but a parting none the same. On the first of April, I was a solo artist with no regular income (something Speedhunters provided). It was time for me to sink or swim. April was a particularly scary month. If I worked a single paid job during […]
Future Now – The Volkswagen XL1
Every now and again, a job pops up that you literally have no choice but to drop everything and go do it. When Volkswagen Ireland contacted me at short notice to ask me to come to Dublin for the day to shoot something ‘special’, my interest piqued. When I was told that they planned on driving the ultra-rare XL1 on Dublin’s streets, I knew I had no choice but to drop everything haul myself up the M9. The XL1 is a limited run production car, which showcases Volkswagen’s abilities in one neat and very futuristic package. It’s powered by a small diesel engine and an electric motor, allowing it to achieve almost unbelievable levels of fuel efficiency. Pictured below is the car’s OBC after driving around Dublin city all morning, 0.8L/100KM which equates to approximately 353.1MPG. You didn’t read that wrong. The most impressive thing about the XL1 for me, is not the efficiency, but rather just how incredibly striking it is. I’ve had the pleasure of shooting lots of cars but I honestly can’t think of another which could spark such universal attention. And all of it positive, where your typical supercar may polarise people. People wanted to know more about the car and weren’t afraid to approach and chat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many camera phones brandished so quickly either. This is the sort of car I was promised as a kid, raised on a diet of Back to the Future and The Jetsons. Please manufacturers, can we have more of this sort of thing? Photographed exclusively for Volkswagen Ireland