#grannyfashion by Lorcan Finnegan in Dublin, Ireland

Photographing the streets of Dublin, Ireland, Lorcan Finnegan creates bizarre and gritty portraits of people living life in the city. An innate knack for composition, well thought out cropping, and impressive subject matter make his Instagram feed one of the best you will find.  Be sure to follow @lorcanfinnegan and his Dublin hashtags, #grannyfashion #grandadfashion #dublinstreets #dublinfaces and #backoftheheadportrait

Name:Lorcan Finnegan

Place you live: Dublin, Ireland.

Place your instagrams was taken: Around Dublin City

If someone was visiting, what must they do? Dublin is a very old and pretty small city. Have a wander about, you can walk everywhere. Go drinking in old pubs like Grogan’s, Brogan’s, The Long Hall, Kehoe’s or The Stag’s Head. Most tourists go to Temple Bar, which is like a Leprechaun Disney Land, maybe take a quick peek, but it’s basically a tourist trap and not where actual Dubliners hang out. Instead make your way up to Camden street via South William Street and George’ Street.

If you want to see old Dublin in action take a walk up Meath street, especially on a Saturday. It’s like a time capsule up there. The botanical Gardens in Glasnevin are pretty amazing and free, it’s also very close to Glasnevin Cemetery which is worth a walk around. It’s very big and very old with some amazing tombs and headstones. There’s a city bicycle scheme in place so you could cycle (or take the Dart) out to Howth peninsula (where I grew up) and go for a walk along the cliffs followed by a pint in the Summit Pub at the top of the Hill.

If it’s summer I’d advise a dip in the sea at Jameson’s or Red Rock Beach. If you like jumping off cliffs into the sea there’s a spot on the way there called The Lions Head, or known locally at ‘The Jumps’. The 40ft in Sandycove (on the Dart line also) is also a nice place for a swim and people watching. It’s is unaffected by the tides, so you can jump in at any time of day. It’s a bit of an institution amongst the people who live out there, many of them go for an icy dip on Christmas morning. Having said all of that I’d also suggest getting out of Dublin, Ireland a relatively small Island but each county has it’s own accent and charms. Personally I love the West and South Coast of Ireland (Galway, Mayo, Cork Kerry) that’s where the real magic is.

Best meal in your city? Camden Kitchen, 3 Camden Market, Grantham Street

How long have you been using Instagram? Since 2010

What phone camera do you use to shoot? iphone4s at the moment

What is your editing process? I just use snapseed.

Do you create images outside of Instagram? I’ve been directing music videos, TV commercials and short films for a few years and I’m currently in development with The Irish Film Board on my first feature length film.

Has Instagram/phoneography affected how you shoot? I use Instagram as a kind of photographic sketchbook, it helps inform my lighting, compositions, production design and color palate as well as color grading. I usually work with a colorist who is operating a Nucoda, which actually works quite similarly to Snapseed in terms of color keying etc. So it’s handy to be able to grade a still myself and reference it when in the suite.

Does your feed differ from your work outside of Instagram? Because of the nature of street photography it is very different to filming. When I’m on a shoot everything has been set up and planned, whereas my Instagram feed is all natural light and candid shots of people. I really like the separation, they are very different, so in same ways Instagram is a break from work at the same time as feeding into my creative process.

Who are your three favorite Instagrammers? That’s a tough one, I could probably give you about 50 names and I’m always finding new people to follow. Lets say for consistency and range  __miki__ (2xunderscores each side), javier_torok and my good friend pablo_hughes.

lorcanfinnegan.com

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