City of Blackbirds

Letting Go Of Winter ~ Snowdrops & Sunlight

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Eadaoin

Snowdrops | City of Blackbirds Photography

As I lean down to capture these snowdrops with the lens of my camera, I’m sharply aware of the cold air numbing my fingers, the scent of damp, decaying leaves drifting up from the ground and the pale look of the sunlight that kisses their white petals. But despite these reminders of winter, all I can think about is how spring is finally here, under the soil, coiled and ready to unfurl out into the world again.

The earth is letting go of winter, shaking out her jewels into the pleasures of a new season, beginning with the gentlest of gestures: the elegant snowdrop.

The first flowers peeking their petals out into the soft spring sunlight will always fill me with hope. Even more than the clock ticking past midnight on New Year’s Eve, they remind me of the flow of time and the endless possibility that comes with each new beginning.

♥

Posted in Photography | 11 Comments

Finding Balance ~

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Eadaoin

Golden Grasses | City of Blackbirds Photography

Just checking in quickly to say hello! Not much has been happening around City of Blackbirds lately, I’m still having some issues with my balance so haven’t been out much with the camera and have generally just been resting up. I did manage to get a couple of snaps of snowdrops in Dad’s garden earlier this week, so I should have them up here soon. It’s so lovely to see spring returning once more.

Ever so slowly my balance is resolving, so I hope that as it gets better it wont be so weird working with computers again and things will return to normal here on the blog too. I’m looking forward to getting back out into the world with my camera!

♥

Posted in Photography | 6 Comments

Free February Desktop Calendar ~ Plus Some Link Love!

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Eadaoin

February has announced her arrival with gales and wintry showers here in Dublin. The wind has been battling against our windows for the last week, and at times it’s been so strong I worried they’d blow in! I’m still hoping for snow, but although it’s very cold outside there’s still not much sign of it. For a couple of days the Dublin mountains were tantalisingly covered in it, I could see it from the balcony, so close and yet impossible for me to reach! But winter still has quite a bit of bite in her yet, so you never know what the next month will bring.

This shot for the February desktop calendar was taken on a frost and mist laden morning in Tipperary a couple of years ago. I hope you like it!

Download your calendar here:

1920 x 1200 - 1680 x 1050 - 1280 x 800

♥

I also have a couple of links to share with you today, some interesting things I’ve come across online lately.

- My friend Aisling Nelson has begun teaching blogging workshops to creative business owners through her new venture Three Thought Bubbles. If you’re interested in learning to blog for your business then I really recommend the workshop. I attended one last weekend and it was an excellent day spent learning and discussing all things blog related.

- Belle, who writes over at Limmster, has had the handy idea of creating a Pinterest board dedicated to Irish bloggers. If you’re interested then check out this post to learn how to pin your work to the shared board. I think it will be a fun way to check in with what everyone is writing about, as well as sharing your own work with others!

- If you’ve always wanted to write a book then this new initiative from Writing.ie might be helpful! They’ve put together a National Emerging Writer Programme which provides all kinds of resources for writing your first novel.

- This recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge from The Sophisticated Gourmet caught my eye recently. I haven’t tried it yet but when I do I’ll be sure to report back! I love the photos on their whole site, so beautifully styled and shot.

- The Dogmatic Photo Blog is a site I stumbled across a couple of weeks ago. I love the layout, it emphasises the simple nature of the photography, and the photos themselves are wonderful.

Have you come across any interesting links lately?

♥

Posted in Downloads, links | 14 Comments

Afternoon Tea in Dublin ~ The Westin Hotel

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Eadaoin

Afternoon Tea in Dublin - The Westin Hotel | City of Blackbirds Photography

Whenever I get the chance, one of my favourite things to indulge in is afternoon tea. Munching through delicious miniature treats and sipping tea from delicate cups is a delightful way to spend a couple of hours, and there are so many lovely places in Dublin that serve their own unique version.

A couple of months ago I decided to start a new blog series, visiting different establishments around the city and photographing their afternoon tea. So here is the first offering, and I hope to have many more posts to come in the future!

I decided to start in The Westin Hotel, right in the heart of Dublin’s city centre on Westmoreland Street. One gloomy Sunday near the end of November the city was bustling with Christmas shoppers, but The Westin’s Atrium Lounge provided a welcome tranquil space, away from the crowds, comfortable and warmed by a blazing fire. Dublin photographer Elisha Clarke joined me in a quiet corner and we tried The Westin’s unusual take on this traditional treat, A Most Peculiar Afternoon Tea.

This option comes with the classic three tired stand filled with delicious morsels, but what makes it peculiar is that the customary pot of tea is replaced with a cocktail made from Hendrick’s Gin served in a tea pot and drunk from tea cups. It felt unusual but charming to savour a mojito from a tea cup!

The food was delectable, my favourite being the middle tier of banana and walnut bread that came with a little pot of cinnamon and honey butter to slather deliciously all over it. Of the desserts the popcorn panna cotta and popping marshmallows left me wanting more, they were fun to eat as well as being just the right sweet taste to finish off our meal. Have a look at the menu to check out all the options for yourself, as well their traditional afternoon tea which looks just as enticing.

I must say thank you to The Westin for being kind enough to allow me to take some photos. And to Elisha for being such wonderful company and showing me how to use her incredible 5D Mark III camera (the first shot in this post must be credited to her!).

I wish that I had taken more photos, but it is to The Westin’s credit that I was too absorbed in the food and atmosphere of The Atrium that I didn’t take as many as I should have! If you decide to visit The Atrium, or if you have any favourite spots around the city for afternoon tea please do let me know so that I can check them out for future posts in this series!

♥

Afternoon Tea in Dublin - The Westin Hotel | City of Blackbirds Photography