Love is in the air and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I love this time of year, as I am a typical passionate Catalan and Valentine's Day is a great excuse to indulge my love of all things romantic. (whether my husband likes it or not!)

Growing up in Barcelona, we celebrate our own version of Valentine's Day, in our own special style. We call it Sant Jordi Day or “La Diada de Sant Jordi”and it takes place on April 23rd each year. Sant. Jordi Day is like Valentine's Day on steroids!

Saint Jordi is the patron saint of Catalonia (and of Chivalry) and every year we celebrate his life on the anniversary of his death. It's a celebration that has a lot in common with Valentine's Day but for us, it's bigger and better. Just like us Catalans, the celebrations are chaotic and loud and passionate and usually spill out onto the streets of the city. The Catalan tradition is to give your female partner roses and give your male partner a book. The booksellers of Barcelona move their stores onto the footpaths for the day and we have a real carnival atmosphere. It is the Catalan tradition of giving books on Sant Jordi Day that is the origin of the World Book Day celebrations that take place wordwide every year. (1st March in Ireland & UK and 23rd April in the rest of the World).

Even though Sant. Jordi Day has nothing in common with the English, St. Georges Day, it does have something to do with Dragons and Princesses and Knights in Shining Armour. I've never been a girly girl and I've always preferred to receive a book instead of roses on St. Jordis Day but for some reason, at this time of year, as Valentine's approaches, my inner princess comes out. And do you know what? I let her.

For the rest of the year, I am a hard working mother, wife and business woman. For just one day, (St Jordis Day when I am in Barcelona and on Valentine's Day now that I live in Kildare), ok maybe two days, I want to be a princess and swept off my feet and romanced. To my darling husband, if you're reading this, indulge me and sweep me off my feet on February 14th. I don't expect you to slay a Dragon for me, but a single rose a good book, and your company would be perfect.  xxx



One of the joys of being a photographer is photographing amazing couples, isn't it amazing how love shines through?

Darragh is four months old, a lovely, happy baby with a very cheeky smile. This little fellow came to the studio with his Mum and Dad, Colette and Brian. This wonderful family were so relaxed and so easy to photograph that I kept screaming with joy at every second picture! There were so many that is been difficult just to pick a few ones for this blog!

See for yourselves!

Thanks so much to the Murphy family for such a fun and special session.

Little Calvin was born just four weeks ago down in Portloise and his parents and big brother could not be happier. Calvin is beautiful, quiet , a good sleeper and all in all a very, very cute baby.
I'm delighted to have been able to photograph him and if you look down you will understand why!

Thanks to Catherine, Damien and Barry for letting me share little Calvin with the rest of the world.

I'm delighted to announce that in 2012 we are offering free business headshort portraits for Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter or other networking purposes to those who are unemployed or new to the jobs market. 

Getting back to work if you have been made redundant or laid off can be a daunting prospect at the moment, with the market flooded with qualified candidates. As a local business we hope to make the task a bit easier by offering free business portraits to the unemployed to help members of the local community develop their online appearance and improve their job prospects. 

'With the current job market so competitive, many employers are now looking at social media networks as an extension to job applicant's CVs, and the problem is most people don't have a professionally composed portrait. Searching for a job today often involves social media sites like Linkedin and Facebook for networking with potential employers. In order to make a good impression you really need to use a decent professional headshot for your profile photo. Nuria will photograph clients at her studio near Kildare Village who can then download their portraits for free. Their headshots can be used on CVs, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.  
“A good picture can have an impact on people searching for work. People get so many first impressions from what they see online. We're a local business and we want to give back to our local community. I think that everyone should have an equal opportunity to compete for an open position, If a simple headshot is going to do that then everyone should have the chance to get one done.” 

We will be taking appointments for shoots on the following dates in our studio and we hope to add more dates during the year.

Friday 27th January
Friday 10th February

Places are limited to 50 initially so contact us soon to confirm an appointment.  Places are on a first come first served basis but once each date is booked up we will keep you informed of future dates as they are confirmed.  Click here to register your interest.

2011 has been a very challenging year; a wonderful and busy one! My baby daughter was born in March (only for that I can say that it was fantastic).
I met new friends and great new clients and I'm really looking foward to 2012.

Ona-my beautiful baby girl

Thank you so much to all my clients of 2011 and a warm welcome to all the new ones!

With Christmas just around the corner, last Sunday I was in Newbridge (Co. Kildare) with three fantastic local photographers for a great project.  For once, us photographers weren't working with wedding dresses, cute newborns or engagement pictures, nope,  there were just cookies. Lots and lots of Christmas cookies.!

Last year, fellow photographer and friend Lisa O'Dwyer from Lisa O'Dwyer Photography, invited myself and Christina Brosnan from Brosnan Photographic to go to her house in Newbridge to help to make Christmas coookies. She has wonderful recipes that have been passed down from her Grandmother! Both of the girls are Americans and they both used to do this every Christmas with their own mothers, and, now they're living in Ireland they wanted to continue the tradition. So last Sunday we were joined by Elisha Clarke from Elisha Clarke Photography, another talanted photographer based in Dublin. 

So while we were rolling, baking, icing, decorating, chatting and laughing, I took my camera and photographed a little of what was going on. I love this new tradition that we have now! Not only did I get to learn about peanut butter cookies ( by the way too yummy!) but it is great to spend time with beautiful, talented photographers!

Thank you so much girls for a lovely evening and a massive thank you to Lisa for bring all of us together and letting us invade your kitchen!
Can't wait to see who might join us next year!

Ellie Boo Jewellery Designs  are handmade jewellery made by Bernadette Maher.
Bernadette Maher McGinley started making jewellery about 8 years ago in order to design and make her own wedding jewellery.  The hobby slowly turned to an addiction and then on to teaching opportunities.  Bernadette is currently an adult education tutor for Jewellery making in Scoil Mhuire in Clane and runs her own workshops from time to time.  All the jewellery is handmade using a variety of materials - Swarovski crystal & Pearl, Wire, polymer clay, Precious Metal Clay to name but a few.

_If you'd like to see some of the jewellery first hand, Ellie Boo Jewellery Designs will be displaying and selling at the Birr Craft Fair next Sunday 11th December in the County Arms Hotel, BIrr, Co. Offaly.

Little Emily was born four weeks before her due date, but she is the most perfect little baby girl you have ever seen. She could almost fit on the palm of your hand so it was such a joy to be able to photograph her now before she becomes a six foot tall lady like her daddy!

Thank you so much to James, Melanie, Abbie and Charley for letting me photograph Emily the new addition to your fantastic family.