I was in Madrid a couple of weekends ago. I usually stop by a few times a year. This time I stayed in Malasaña, quite a central and trendy destination which suits anyone looking for independent art, good food, nights out etc. Sleeping is the least important aspect in a town that can stay up 24 hours.
This time I made sure to enjoy local produce. Vetusta Morla, 8 Apellidos Catalanes, Rastro and a few other activities were part of the menu. As for food, I tasted olives, tapas, arroz a banda, cured ham, Idiazabal cheese, tortilla de patatas with caramelized onion, tostas, aubergine tempura with honey and the list goes on but the most important part is that I finally tried a home-cooked Cocido.
A "Cocido Madrileño" is a stew made with chickpeas, vegetables, potatoes, pasta noodles and different meats (chorizo, pudding, ribs). This version was not vegan so I apologize in advance. I was initially told to eat the ingredients in whichever order I pleased, separately or all mixed. A cook recently told me in Bilbao that the best way of enjoying a dish was breaking it all and mixing it. This made sense as I have always enjoyed putting tiny bits of every single ingredient on my spoon in order to have a full experience with flavors. Basically it is all up to oneself. One very important last thing before you live Madrid, if you find a mirror make sure to take a selfie as a proof that you were there.
A gig in Dublin with Keith Burke & The Little Black Book
Music has always been a really big scene for Ireland. Music is also a very special friend of mine. The weekend gone I had the chance to listen to a few great performers at the Grand Social accompanying "Keith Burke & The Little Black Book" music band. I only wish the photos I took did more justice at times but being part of what is taking place is sometimes just as important. This was yet another great gig in which we enjoyed the presence of each other and we celebrated some of the talent Dublin has on offer.
I take my hat off an applaud such spirit!
Food on the Edge Galway 2015
Two weeks ago I had the chance to attend the "Food on the Edge" symposium which took place over two days in Galway. The full event covered two days of talks and a few more celebrating as well as traveling to visit home produce on location around Galway and the Aran Islands. The theme of the symposium was to discuss and to challenge the perspective on food and our connection to it.
The 2 day conference gathered over 40 internationally well known Cooks who came to get inspired and inspire other local cooks, foodies and a photographer food passionate like me. Their mission was to open a debate on how to become more sustainable and possibly become an example of such purpose. My objective was to offer a photographic view to the relationship I am slowly developing with good food and its makers. This time I was accompanied by some food making stars, celebrities, home produce food & suppliers, event organizers, farmers, bloggers and many food/drink tastings all over Galway. All of these served as my photographic background. What I was inspired by mostly was the overall hospitality and the sharing of thoughts and home produce the event had on offer. I really enjoyed the little moments shared with hommy cooks such as Elena Arzak, Igor Zalakain, Kevin Patricio, Albert Adriá and Quique Dacosta as well as with so many others involved in the event over its full extent.
At the symposium in one of the first speeches, cook Albert Adriá expressed a cry out on how our oceans need to be sustained differently as fish species that used to be commonly available are slowly disappearing. Most of the cooks invited agreed on how seasonal and local produce can make food makers become more sustainable overall. Some cooks like Matt Orlando have opted to include a garden for self growing in their way to develop a more sustainable system. The speech of Elena Arzak made a remark on the necessity to reinvent oneself but in a way to maintain tradition with a phrase like "It's time to rethink everything." There were some honest speeches that praised their best achievements, as cooks and owners of awarded restaurants, on their working teams. One of the last talks was carried by Quique Dacosta and touched one of our unsorted realities, our incapability of eradicating world hunger. A young cook Mark Moriarty ended up resuming the full event by stating the shortage of staff the industry appears to suffer from and how responsibility should be shared upon the owners of such industry so this can improve going forward. The event was full of kitchen creatives & masters who spend long hours and talent in cooking labs or cooking on the go trying to bring perfection into a plate. Many words and laughs were shared at the event but it was the thinking and the amount of hard work cooks put behind each day what made me believe that it is truly not an easy path to take. It requires passion, dedication and most importantly sustainability. As for my photography, it was carried on the go, with little use of sometimes much needed/wanted equipment, time or planning to produce what we would most like to under the appropriate lighting conditions or ciscunstances. The photography mostly surfaced from what I experimented as I arrived to all the different events and was priorly discussed. Intuition, inspiration, observation, conversation, experience and such roller coaster of an event did the rest. This can probably have a lot more in common with the way we produce food today. It is not the same cooking for 10 than for a 100 eaters out of a sudden but it keeps our creativity jumping in between the unknown and how to impress within our style. As creatives we should never stop experimenting but we should play with and make use of what we have around us, what is closer to us, what is easier to reach and possibly smaller but really good. This is more sustainable. Because most of the times "Less is more" says one humble photographer on the edge.
The Slide shows below show part of some of the events that took place at Food on the Edge in Galway, October 2015.
The first batch shows the atmosphere over the two days of talks.
The second shows the gathering at Electric. The 3rd shows the portraits and the next two the trips taken to the oyster tasting, different farms, homes in Galway and the Aran Islands.
to view more photos of moments taken at Food on the Edge
https://www.flickr.com/photos/105642064@N02/sets/72157660176604146
Spit Wine Tasting 2015
Last Thursday I documented the Spit event at the SmockAlley Theatre in Dublin. Spit is a trade wine fair for professionals and also for a public with an interest in wine. It was an opportunity to taste wines from five independent and specialist importers, Grapecircus, Nomad Wines, Tyrrell and Co, VinosTito and WineMason. This was a great opportunity to apply an artistic photographic outlook in such an amazing venue and event. Spit has been my first wine tasting photo event in which I learnt some of the tricks a sommelier applies when judging the quality. Ultimately the sommelier needs to Spit the wine but it seems to me that getting tipsy might be on the menu no matter how many times you spit. The fair offered a taste of some 150 wines. Sparklings, Whites, reds, sweets. I tried a few and even though I am not a great wine connoisseur I do certainly enjoy the company of a good glass of wine. I really enjoyed the experience of navigating through the sparklings, whites, reds and sweets and discovering some new tastes in Dublin. Thanks for such experience Spit!
Eateries in Bilbao: On Egin
Most of the cooks begging learning to cook because of their desire to eat what they want but it is passion, constant observation, experimentation, perseverance and dedication what makes a good cook. This may or not be true, I am no professional cook after all, I do certainly enjoy good food and I have learnt how to cook from watching inspiring cooks doing so from an early age. What I have experienced is that eventually the relationship we have with food changes which could have a lot to do with our emotions, the relationship we have developed with food and how this is integrated in our culture.
This blog will begin by showing the relationship I developed with food and the makers of such savories while I was in my hometown Bilbao back in August via photographs. The photos show the hands and heart of some great food makers and thinkers. There was no planning but just a purpose to get to photograph some Pintxos and other food trends on offer in Bilbao. Intuition, talking and an encounter with real nice humble cooks, waitresses and overall customers did the rest for me.
Please welcome to some of the foods I had the delight to photograph. From observation learning, eating, cooking, experimenting, dreaming to becoming a graphic designer and photographer of food. Still further bit to go but some steps are being made. The eateries featured are all in Bilbao, Basque Country and are well worth a taste.
El Puertito Oyster Bar, Licenciado Poza, Bilbao. Some of their Oysters come from Ireland.
Zuga, Drinks and avant-garde turned cuisine. Plaza Berria, Bilbao.
Sorginzulo, Avant-garde Pintxo bar. Plaza Berria, Bilbao.
Inma, Bar Degustación. Plaza Berria, Bilbao.
Zaharra Pintxo Bar. Plaza Berria, Bilbao
A big eskarrikasko from Dublin for letting me get into your heart ;)
More photos available to see
https://www.flickr.com/photos/105642064@N02/albums/72157657016924324/with/21250597764/
South Studios & PhotoIreland Festival Exhibition July 2015
The PhotoIreland Festival runs for the month of July. Every year it promotes international exposure of selected Photographic work. This year it was the second year I had the chance to invigilate one of the exhibitions held in South Studios. The real reason to view Korean photography and a work called Jigeum. I have always been a very curious person and therefore I thought it would be great to bring a camera and share such curiosity. The following images show part of what goes on a random day at an exhibition. People come visit, look at work, get inspired or not, you approach them, they talk to you, everyone has a story to tell, sometimes this is shared sometimes it is not, you listen, everyone then leaves gently.
Irish photographers Kate Nolan and Gerry Blake are also present in these images which are a mix of documentary and interiors description. Also present are my invigilation companion and some gentle photographers.
Sense-Not Just Another Helmet
Eilis Delany has developed a sensor that if attached to a helmet can advice on potential hazardous situations. Back in May Eilis asked me to document the look of the sensor and helmet when in action. We spent a lovely time recreating scenes from movies that involved fire, smoke and helmets at the Malahide Fire Brigade station. It was a great experience to work with Eilis. Firstly she impressed me with her sketches, then she helped out with checking on how smoke could affect the photo equipment and finally she gave me the freedom to carry my work away which hopefully shows an enjoyable experience. Eilis has since been awarded a best Visual Presentation and has been shortlisted in the 2015 James Dyson Awards. Best of luck Eilis, I can see that you will be achieving greatly ;)
http://www.dit.ie/news/archive2015/latest/title,116188,en.html
https://www.behance.net/gallery/29136845/Sense
Love for Good food and Photography
Pintxo is an artististic food photography project mixed with some good design skills, storytelling but most importantly passion for good food. Pintxo is a visual guide that introduces how to make this small delicious delicacies which come from the Tapas tradition but are fully Basque. There is no need for instructions in this guide. You only need to enjoy the sequence in which the images have been positioned and be ready to create some taste. This guide was made to inspire the chef we all have inside of us which now and again should be nurtured. The intention was to create something beautiful as well as practical. My passion for food has certainly changed through the years. From watching, observing & unconsciously learning at home to tasting, experimenting, making, sharing and finally documenting. It does not really matter how our personal love for good food culture evolves. The most important thing is that we attain a good relationship with it so our emotions keep on craving a love for good food. And if good it needs to be shared.
Spirit of Folk Festival
This year I was invited to the Spirit of Folk Festival and took several shots that hopefully kindly portray the spirit of it. The SOFF is an annual festival which is set in Dunderry Park, Co. Meath. It is a family and dog friendly weekend which celebrates all things folk but it is also a holistic event. The presence of kids had doubled from last year. They must had been all shy or in their prams back then. One seems to appear in almost all my photographs. They are all playing, running, tumbling, rolling and what not. I love kids and they come really handy when composing, they can add a bit of action to the image but most importantly their free spirit is inspiring. It was a sign not to forget that we have to let our inner one free. This year I had an excellent journey though the fields. Dam you responsibilities of the grown up ;)
Culture Night Dublin 2015
Culture Night is a night that promotes culture in Dublin. Every September Dublin opens its doors to culture and makes it free of charge for everyone to enjoy. This is my second year photographing for Culture Night Dublin. A great pleasure and experience to take shots and create ever lasting moments. This year I was present at the Curragh racing on the Liffey, the Philharmonic Choir and Stomp Brass Band at Trinity College Dublin, Alex Barclay's reading in the Irish Landmark Trust in Temple Bar, the Giant jungle of Games in O’Connell Street and Tara Erraught at Meeting House Square. I got a bunch of favorite images but this one is the one that can explain what street photography is all about. Not the best quality but a great image. The way subjects randomly come up together in a composition can somehow become magical. The trick is observation, patience, focus, waiting for matter to form, technique, good light is the most important, good lenses help, click…and there you go…so simple and so difficult at the same time. This and some other shots occurred at Culture Night 2015.
http://www.culturenight.ie/gallery/dublin-culture-night-2015-photos-by-michael-nolan/
Creatives & WorkSpaces
Exploring creatives and their working spaces, Dublin 2014. Nowadays people are becoming products of consumption and so is the artist and creative. The project is an attempt to portray the creative as a consumption item in a sneak peek format. Ten creatives and workspaces were chosen. The project collects a set of three images per creative. The artwork is presented as separate prints that mix text and image. The text has been written by Eddie Lennon addressing questions such as, What does creativity mean to you? What is a creative space? When/how does a creative process start? The artwork has been finished as a book and completed with a set of Business Cards.
List of Artists/Creatives Sarah Bracken, Hazel Coonagh, Abner Brown, Ania Niepsuj, James Leahy, Aoife Dooley Eddie Lennon, Kristiana Kendzirova, Jaime FoodFiesta, Keith Burke.
Aste Nagusia Bilbao 2015
Aste Nagusia 2015 Bilbao.
Street Photography
This is a window to my hometown and its annual festival. Our main heroine's name is Marijaia. She drinks, she eats, sings and marches. She spends a full week partying with locals around the capital and then leaves quite dramatically but this is not a documentary about her. This is just a small part inside of all that takes place in Bilbao every August. It shows local people celebrating tradition but a lot more takes place. To see more follow on my flicker page link. https://www.flickr.com/photos/105642064@N02/albums/72157657954558882
Enjoy #AsteNagusia the same way I did ;)
Book Design & Photography Exhibition, Dublin Public Library, Pearse Street. Open until August the 15th
Cristina del Moral and Itziar Telletxea Rocha's work Open Exhibition.
What to see: Book Design, Lino prints Illustration, Album Cover, Food Photography and Food Guide Design, Obsession Series of Portraits following the "Follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly" quote and Creatives and WorkSpaces prints and book.
What to expect: A Short Story Reading in 4 languages (Spanish, English, Irish and Basque) and a photographic journey through my latest work. Inspirational work hopefully.
What to do: Enjoy the experience and if you like it share it.
When to see it: Open until the 15th of August. Friendly launch on the 10th of August 5-8 pm. Story Reading, photography journey and many more treats.
To follow up on our work see below.
http://www.itziartelletxearocha.com
https://quene.wordpress.com
Ametzetan
Knockanstockan Music & Arts Festival 2015
My personal view to one of the greatest music & arts festivals in Ireland. Time always stops here.
A lot of volunteers make this happen every year and it would be not possible without amounts of hard work behind it. Well done to all the organizers, musicians, artists, performers for bringing such an amazing scenario full of moments to remember forever.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/105642064@N02/sets/72157656450312022
Follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly by Franz Kafka-Obsession Series
This year I began portraying people becoming their obsession, what they do or think about all the time. This blog is intended to promote my creative obsession but it will also try to show a journey of many humans evolving to what they most like doing and who have transformed or are on the process to be one with what they are passionate about.
karin Ahlers' Obsession was Bob Dylan. Karin and I had a great time constructing an obsession for Bob Dylan. This may not longer be her most intense Obsession as "the times they are a changing' ". Graphic design skills and design thinking are useful when making meaningful photo portraits. This particular session can be found in my flicker account link below. My other obsessed subjects can be found at the web link below. Please enjoy your Obsessions mercilessly and responsibly ;)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/105642064@N02/sets/72157655582947258
www.itziartelletxearocha.com
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