The First Click (2011)
I was that awkward kid behind the screen: typing, deleting, re-typing a message, sweating over every word. At thirteen, I finally hit send to a girl two grades up, proud owner of 2011’s must-have: a chunky mirror camera.
Me: “Hi! May I book a shoot?”
Her: “Of course you may.”
Cue grand-dad’s suspenders, a borrowed fedora, and a frozen forest at -15 °C because “normal clothes” never felt like enough.
One shutter click, lungs on pause, and…bang! Life tilted. Fifteen years later, those shaky frames still slap me awake: that’s me, just braver.
That spark is the heartbeat of AMELPOMENEM PHOTO. I shoot so you can meet your braver self, too.
Fast-Forward to Wexford
Up the stairs, past the harbour roofs, a window staring straight at the sea. Inside:
- A rack that refuses to behave: fur coat, leather trench, neon dresses, shiny men’s shirt (don’t ask), fluffy jumpers in questionable colours.
- A crate of gloves and sunglasses for any possible mood swing.
- Backdrops rolled, lights ready, nothing too precious to move.
- Turntable spinning whatever the session needs: The Smiths, The Doors, Morphine, Nirvana, Sex Pistols, Lana, Radiohead (for when you crave beautiful pain).
We put the needle on the record, take a breath, and play. I don’t want forced smiles. I give you space to make mistakes, laugh, and discover. Then you can leave with photos you’ll look at years later, when you’ve forgotten all the photos you took with your phone.
When your date is locked in, do yourself a favour: over-pack. Throw in the silver boots you adore but only wear in your kitchen. Add two outfits that feel loud for daylight, plus the random accessories you keep meaning to style, mismatched earrings, a silk scarf, that belt with too many studs. We’re here to play, not to match.
“Tea, coffee, water, music?” I ask while you hang your stuff. You queue a track, the record cracks on, shoulders drop two centimetres. That’s the moment I know we’re good to go.
People keep calling it “an experience.” I used to cringe at that word, but they’re right. You come in carrying clothes and small hopes; you leave with proof that the louder version of you is real.
“Photography freezes the bravest version of you. Let’s meet that person.”
Ready?
Bring your craziest jacket or walk in empty-handed, I have props and questionable dance moves to fill any silence.
Your Moodboard Can Be a Song, a Sweater, or a Screenshot
I Make Adults Play Dress-Up and They Thank Me for It — Here’s Why
