Ciara O’Donnell Photographer

Creative & Diverse – Professional Photographer

I am Ciara O’Donnell -Photographer and Designer in Kerry.

Event and Wedding Photographer Kerry

I work as an Event  Portrait and Wedding Photographer in Kerry. I am based in Ballyheigue but my work takes me anywhere. Originally from The Curragh Camp, Co. Kildare I moved to Kerry 4 years ago with my family where I have been working with local businesses, individuals, preschools and fashion retail outlets on a frequent basis. I photograph people, primarily. That is what interests me.

Have a look at this video of my recent interview with Irish TV

A Professional & Creative Irish Photographer.

I have always been creative for as long as I can remember and was making things with my hands from a very young age. I always studied art outside of school hours learning life drawing from a very young age all the way through college. After a brief interest in Architecture I realised I needed more than that could offer me. I trained as a designer in Hertfordshire for 3 years before moving on to study Production Design for Film in the Institute of Art Design & Technology Dun Laoghaire and graduating with the first class of Production Designers ever to come out of Ireland. I went straight into RTE to work as a Production Designer where I remained for 5 years.

I was trained in all new technologies while there including AutoCAD while learning from the very start how to work as part of a team and how the world of television production works.

Freelance Art Director

In 2000 I took the decision to become freelance This opened me up to the world of Film Production. I worked as a freelance Art Director for over 12 years.  During this time Photography always played a major role in my life. I always kept up with technology and had a good camera as well as the many old ones I collected along the way! My daily work required me to have and be able to use a camera well as part of every job I did. PhotoShop Illustrator and other editing software were part and parcel of my everyday work. So I was always up to speed on software too. I went as far as to work as a graphic designer on some of the films I worked on. I decided to re-train as a photographer in 2008 after realising I wanted to try to pursue it as a career. I was already using my photographs for my work so why not crank it up a gear. In 2008 I graduated with a Higher Diploma (Distinction) in Photographic Media from Griffith College Dublin at night while still working.

Freelance Photography.

So I became a freelance photographer and now almost exclusively work in that field. Thankfully my new qualification accelerated me into the photographic work as I already had so many production contacts in Film and TV.

Now I work as an Events Photographer & Wedding Photographer in Kerry covering local events and occasions. I really enjoy heading out to work not knowing what’s going to present itself to me! As my business in Kerry and beyond grows being published in local press and social magazines has become a regular thing which gives me a great tickle! My blog on my website was shortlisted for the National Blog Awards 2013 and 2014 in the Photographics section. I was thrilled to be nominated and shortlisted. It has really encouraged me to keep blogging and helps me record my work in a fun and interesting way.

I am delighted how my business is growing and look forward to future where I hope to shoot more and more Kerry weddings alongside my weekly event work. Watch this space for new additions to my portfolio and follow my photography blog for updates. Thank you for your visit and please come again! Ciara