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Why I Love my Job by photographer Darren Ryan, owner of Pigtown Media

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Darren Ryan at the Milk Market with a pig from the Limerick Pigtown Festival.

Why I Love my Job by photographer Darren Ryan, owner of Pigtown Media

Darren Ryan

One of Darren’s shots from his upcoming book.

Darren Ryan is a photographer from Limerick. He studied at Limerick School of Art and Design where he graduated with a degree in Visual Communications (Graphic Design) and a degree in Photography, Film and Video. He is the founder of Pigtown Media which offers a variety of different services from wedding photography to fine art end event documentation.


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What makes you a proud Limerick man?

Oh, I love the bones of Limerick. It really annoys me to see people who have never been or visited here denigrate the place. In fact, it was one of the reasons I established Limerick Street Photography on Facebook so people could see the beauty of our county and the amount of creative talent that live within.

 

When did you start getting interested in photography? 

I first studied Photography in college in the early 90s briefly but started to really get into it while spending summers in Kilkee years later. One thing led to another and I began to get more passionate about the medium until I eventually returned to LSAD to do a BA in Photography Film and Video in 2015. It’s been a long road but very fulfilling.

 

Is there any specific style of photography that you prefer to do? 

I’m lucky in this sense because I get to do all sorts of photography genres through Pigtown Media (from product photography to weddings to fine art documentation) but I have a soft spot for street photography. I always carry a camera and can regularly be seen in the Market on a Saturday capturing the day-to-day life in Limerick. There may be even a book of it in the near future. Stay tuned!

 

Why did you decide to set up Pigtown Media? 

I set up Pigtown Media initially to put myself through college in 2015 and it just snowballed from there (with more to come in 2022).

 

Do you have any inspirations in your work life?

I would love to be a stills or documentary photographer on a movie. Troy Studios… I’m looking at you!

 

What has been your biggest work achievement so far?

I recently had some of my fine art documentary photography added to the Art History section of the Leaving Cert and the National Collection which is kind of mind-blowing.

 

What have been some struggles in your work life? 

I became rather ill last March and that totally re-evaluated both my work ethic in Pigtown Media, my art practice and my personal life. It’s amazing how a near-death experience can get you back on track!

 

Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to break into the photography scene? 

Learn the rules of photography first, then you can break them. Knowledge is power.

 

Are you working on any projects at the moment?

I’ve several new projects on the go at the moment including a new book of street photography (based on ten years of personal work), a large exhibition for the Limerick Street Photography group in September, and an expansion of Pigtown Media. Notions, I tell ya.

 

What is your favourite thing about Limerick?

I absolutely and totally adore going to Thomond Park for a Munster game. To me, it’s the living heart of Limerick. It has a pulse and you can always sense the bond and pride in the Red Army. It’s truly an amazing place. It’s much, much more than bricks and mortar. Here, I better stop before I start singing The Fields…

 

For more on Pigtown Media go HERE 

For more Why I Love my Job stories go HERE 

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.