Pete's Blog

Portrait Workshop

2012-01-26T03:15:00.000-08:00

Another year older and deeper in debt.....

2011-12-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

Was just thinking about the year that's just gone by and all the places that my job ( and my passion! ) has taken me...

Actually the last few years have been pretty amazing for me with the variety of work I've done and the places I've ended up!

I shot U2 in Dublin, Paris, Rome & Montreal which was amazing.. I got to shoot the British Moto GP last year and see some of my sporting heroes up close & personal! I shot the Northwest 200 and a round of the BSB in Cadwell Park too where I did a documentary piece on Irish rider Michael Laverty. I also shot a round of the WSBK in Portimao, Portugal where I was a guest of Troy Corser / BMW for the weekend!! I stood on the runway in Dublin Airport and shot planes landing as they skimmed over my head for the DAA. I shot Gavin Friday at the Electric Picnic and in the Olympia Theatre here in Dublin..Two amazing gigs! I spent 11 days shooting stills for Lenny Abrahamson's new feature film which was shot around Dublin & Wicklow a couple of months back and just this month I was away in Cyprus shooting for ARI....

Kind of excited about 2012... Be interesting to see where I end up!!

Happy New Year Everyone!! Pete.

Website Update

2011-12-06T12:30:00.001-08:00

Major update on my website including some new unseen images... Check it out here... www.peterrowen.com

Gavin Friday Live

2011-12-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

Shot Gavin Friday @ The Olympia Theatre in Dublin a couple of nights ago... The show was amazing... He really is one of the best performers / entertainers I've ever seen...

Paul Mc Grath

2011-10-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

Had the pleasure of shooting Paul McGrath a few months back for the cover of this charity album he's just released... Was never a huge football fan myself but of course as a kid I would have watched all the important Irish international matches and Paul Mc Grath was certainly one of our best players... I found him to be a really nice guy and it turns out he can sing too!! The album 'Handle With Care' is available on iTunes now.

U2 T

2011-07-17T04:13:00.000-07:00

It was cool to see fans buying and wearing the new U2 t-shirt that features my photograph at the shows in Montreal... The shot that was used on the shirt was taken on the French leg of the 360 tour last year...

Here's a few snaps I took of some the fans at the gig sporting the said same shirt....!!

U2 Montreal

2011-07-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Just back from shooting two nights of the final leg of U2's 360 Tour in Montreal, Canada. Got really bad jet-lag, caught in a thunder storm with all my gear and missed a connection flight on my way home so it was a right old adventure!! It was all worth it though... The two shows were great and I got some really nice new images of the band!! Here's on of my fav's....

DAA Report 2011

2011-07-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

A few shots here from the DAA's annual report 2011. I shot these at the start of the year but it's only been published a couple of weeks back.... The brief was to show the wide variety of jobs that DAA staff do in Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports... To get the shots of the planes landing we had to literally stand right under them as they came in over our heads which was a pretty amazing experience.... We were so close we could actually smell the burning rubber as the wheels touched down!!

Gemma Hayes

2011-05-31T06:31:00.000-07:00

I've been shooting a few covers for 'The Dubliner' magazine over the past couple of months... Here are some shots from a shoot I did with Gemma Hayes a couple of weeks back.... Gemma's new album 'let it break' is just out... Haven't heard the whole album yet but what I have heard sounds great!! see more here... http://www.gemmahayes.com/

U2 360

2011-05-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

Delighted to see that U2 have used two of my images on some of their merchandise for the next leg of the 360 Tour... The shots were both taken in Paris in September last year... One is being used for a poster and the other one for a t-shirt. Here's the poster which is available now on U2.com...The t-shirt isn't on sale yet but as soon as it is I'll post some pics!! P.

http://www.u2.com/u2shop

People

2011-04-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

I've started working on a series of portraits in my little studio in Dublin 8... It's going to be a mix of people I know and people I meet along the way! I'm a huge fan of Richard Avedon's work so I've decided to shoot these portraits in the very simple style he was famous for... No gimmicks. Just them, me, a white backdrop and a camera!

Good Friday

2011-04-19T02:42:00.000-07:00

Shot some promo stuff for Gavin Friday over the last couple of weeks and found him to be a complete gent. Gavin's new album 'Catholic' is out this Friday..... Here's one of my favorite shots from what we got done...It was shot in his home in Killiney Co. Dublin.

see more here....http://gavinfriday.com/gallery/
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2011/0415/1224294703626.html

Circus

2011-04-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

As part of my ongoing fascination with the Circus I shot a new series of portraits yesterday... Here are a few of my favorites...

Winnie

2011-02-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

Came across these 5x4 Polaroids I shot a few years back of my Mum.... They were taken in my back garden on a gorgeous summers evening. Digital Photography is amazing but there was something special about shooting polaroid ( especially on a 5x4! ) that I really miss...

Winnie who's 77 this year is a mother of 9 other children besides me and is one of the kindest, coolest people you could ever hope to meet!

ERC / Heineken Cup

2011-02-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

Here's another printed piece from the stuff I shot for the ERC... Pretty amazing to have these famous trophies in my little studio!!

Heineken Cup

2011-02-18T09:10:00.000-08:00

Been shooting some stuff lately relating to the Heineken Cup for the ERC. I've shot a few bits and pieces including the actual Heineken Cup along with the Amlin Challenge Cup and a whole range of different balls... Here's a very simple shot that was used for a Newstalk FM billboard.... I'll throw more pics up when I get my hands on them!!

Appassionata

2011-02-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

A few images from a new series I shot last month for Appassionata Flowers, these pictures are a follow on to the original shoot I did for them back in '04 through Atelier Design. See more here...
http://www.appassionata.ie/

Off The Rails

2010-12-07T04:21:00.000-08:00

Shot some stills a couple of weeks back for 'Off The Rails' ( a fashion program that goes out on our national TV station RTE ) The piece featured TV Chefs Rachel Allen and Catherine Fulvio as you've never seen them before! The shoot took place in the kitchens of Chapter 1, a fantastic Michelin Star Restaurant in Parnell Square D1. See more here...

http://www.rte.ie/fashion/2010/1201/allenfulvio.html

ICAD Award

2010-11-18T05:16:00.000-08:00

The fine men of Atelier Design have done it again! This Annual Report for the DAA has just been awarded a Bronze Medal in the Corporate / Annual Reports Category in the 2010 ICAD ( The Institute of Creative Advertising & Design ) Awards. The wonderful Photography is the work of my own hand!! http://www.icad.ie/

Guggi

2010-11-18T04:33:00.000-08:00

This is a portrait that I shot of Irish Artist Guggi. It was used in the catalogue for an exhibition that he had at the Kerlin Gallery here in Dublin in 2009. I just came across it the other day and thought that it was kinda nice....

Santa Rita

2010-09-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

Shot these as part of a series of ads for Santa Rita Wines last month.... It was an interesting job that involved quite a lot of sourcing of both props and locations....Thanks to all involved for their help on this one!

U2 in Paris

2010-09-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Just back from shooting the U2 360 show in Paris!!! What a great gig! Really enjoyed shooting this one...Looking forward to shooting them again in Rome in a few weeks time!!

Ulster Bank

2010-09-09T03:22:00.000-07:00

The results of the first 'People' shoot in my new studio in Liberty Lane...... These are part of a larger series of ads that I shot featuring real Ulster Bank customers for a new national ad campaign...

DAA 2

2010-09-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

Just thought these alternative shots of the new terminal at Dublin Airpot were kinda nice...They were used inside the DAA's annual report, I actually prefer them to the cover shot myself!

DAA

2010-07-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Shot this cover for the DAA Annual Report at the start of the year.... Just got my hands on a copy of it now! It features the new Terminal @ Dublin Airport... A pretty amazing looking structure indeed!! Thanks to Willie at the DAA for all his help on the shoot.

MOTO GP

2010-06-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

Shot some new pics at the 2010 Moto Gp in Silverstone in the UK about ten days ago...
It was an amazing event to cover, the scale of the whole thing is just unbelieveable.
I was covering the event for Irish Bike Magazine, some of the images are also going to be published in Irish Bike Buyers guide.... See more here..
http://pete74.zenfolio.com/p322279717

Bikes!!

2010-05-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge bike fan...Had my first go on a bike, a Malaguti 50cc kids MX bike, at the age of five or six and have been hooked on the rush that you get from riding bikes ever since!! Out of the seven boys in my family, six of us have ridden bikes on the road and four of us have raced on short circuits...My Dad was a big bike fan and my Grandad before him so I think it's fair to say that the love I have for bikes is in my blood!

Last year I started combining the two things I love most in life...Bikes and Photography! So far I've shot some Irish Short Circuits, some Irish Road Races and I've even shot at a WSBK round in Portimao, Portugal. This year I intend to shoot lots more..I'm hoping to continue shooting Road Racing here, I want to shoot a couple of rounds of BSB (British Superbike Series ), poss a WSBK ( World Superbike Series ) round and with a bit of luck I might even get to shoot a round of the Moto GP series ( kinda like the F1 of bikes but far far more interesting!! )...

The shot I've posted here is of Northern Irish Rider, Micheal Pearson. It was taken at the jump ( a rise on the track where riders are hitting roughly 100 MPH, it also happens to be on a bend!! ) in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone just a few weeks back....

Road racers are a special breed. They race WSBK spec Superbikes that are capable of 200+ MPH on closed public roads ( usually small country roads! ) throughout Ireland skimming off trees, kerbs, lamposts and hedges as they go!! ( just two days ago a new speed record of 204 MPH was recorded at the Northwest 200, an annual Road Race held in Coleraine, Northern Ireland )

If you ever get the chance, even if you have no interest in bikes, go watch a Road Race in Ireland...It's like noting else you have ever seen..

For race dates see... http://www.realroadracing.com

See more of my bike pics on http://pete74.zenfolio.com/

Guggi

2010-04-30T03:36:00.000-07:00

Irish artist Guggi opens his exibition of 20 new works in NYC today..These are some shots I took for the catalogue.

Yoshii Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of 20 works, including paintings, drawings and sculptures, by Dublin-based artist Guggi. This will be Guggi’s first solo exhibition with Yoshii Gallery. In his new work, Guggi has been inspired by the visual form of Russian language and most particularly, by Russian numbers.

Address
980 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10075
Telephone
212-744-5550
Email
yoshii@yoshiillc.com

Circus

2010-04-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

I shot these portraits the other day at a circus that came to town. These people have a really interesting life...They're on the road for ten months every year, year in year out travelling to towns all over Ireland with at least six performances at every stop! This particular circus was founded in 1888 by the ringmasters ( the fabulous lady in the top-hat ) great grandfather! The show itself was great...I'd recommend it anyone! www.fossettscircus.com

David Mc Dermott, Artist.

2010-03-23T02:39:00.000-07:00

I met David Mc Dermott about twelve years ago...I stopped him as he cycled down Rathgar Road to ask him if I could photograph him. He instantly agreed. This was to be the first of many shots I would take of David. I must have photographed on at least twenty other occasions since... This shot was taken in 2008 for 'The Dubliner' magazine and I really like it. I was awarded a Gold Medal in '09 from the New York based Graphis Photographic Annual ( www.graphis.com ) for this image...It was also chosen as a top six finisher in the UK based MPA ( Master Photographers Association ) Kodak Portrait Awards 2009.

Appassionata Flowers

2010-03-23T02:23:00.000-07:00

These are a few samples from a series of shots I took for Atelier Design Company back in '04. They were used to create a visual identity for a new Dublin based florist called Appassionata. They won an IDI ( Institute of Designers in Ireland ) award for their efforts! I've always liked what we achieved here...Simple Photography combined with good Design is hard to beat...

Tom

2010-03-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Five posts in one day! I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon!! I found this picture I took of Tom Ryan ( my next door neighbour from childhood ) and I really like it... Tom is a really nice guy and a fantastic painter, I shot it in his studio last summer and keep meaning to put it on my website...

Road to Warrenpoint

2010-03-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is the last one for today! Just took this pic a few weeks back during the very cold spell we had. It was taken on the road to Warrenpoint in Co. Down... Just though there was something nice about it!! Enjoy! P.

I'm on a roll!

2010-03-19T04:45:00.000-07:00

While I'm here I just thought that I might post a few pics from the U2 show I covered in Croke Park, Dublin last summer....
It was an epic event, a really great show..they really are an amazing live act. I had gone to sit in the stands two nights earlier but it's amazing how different it all looks when you're standing at the side of the stage. Wow! Bono literally sang his heart out!!
I'm hoping to shoot a few more of their gigs this summer in Europe...Can't wait! P.

GRAND CANAL THEATRE

2010-03-19T04:16:00.000-07:00

Was passing the new Grand Canal Theatre the other day and happened to have a camera in my car... It also happened to be an amazing bright, crispy morning.... What a cool looking building, it's great to see interesting modern architecture in Dublin, well worth a look if you happen to be in the area...

http://www.grandcanaltheatre.ie

It's on!!

2010-03-19T04:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new Blog! Been wanting to set one up for ages but never seemed to find the time ( until now that is!!!)

About me...I am a 37 year old Commercial Photographer originally from Dublin, Ireland but now living in County Meath ( about 20km from the city ) I shoot lots of stuff from Advertising, Marketing, Sports... I even shoot the odd Wedding! I love what I do and my aim with this Blog is to keep people up to date on what's going on in my worklife...Let's hope it makes for interesting viewing!! Pete.