Limerick Camera Club

Through Her Lens

Member Spotlight: Deirdre Carroll Deirdre Eileen Carroll

I'd like to introduce you to Deirdre, who has been a member of Limerick Camera Club for the past four years. In her own words, she shares the story behind her beautiful image of the River Shannon and how photography has helped her develop new skills, build confidence, and form lasting friendships through the club.

Deirdre Carroll:
The reason I chose this image of the River Shannon is because I love the river, the many different animals that live along its banks, and the fish that live in its waters. I captured this image early one morning after walking further into Arthur’s Quay Park to find the perfect viewpoint.

What I love about the picture is that it looks like a postcard that you would send abroad to someone. I love photography it gets me out of the house and gets me thinking of all the different ways of taking photos. Limerick camera club has helped me in a good way with all the skills I have learned over my 4 years with the club; I have learned how to do a light trail that I never heard of before and it gets me out of the house in the wintertime. It also helped me come out of my shell a lot because I am a shy person, so it has helped me to build more confidence. I didn’t know all the settings on my camera and the members in the club have helped me with the different settings for different styles of photography. I like listening to the other members talk about the different images they have captured and the techniques they used to take the particular image. The people in the Limerick camera club are so friendly and welcoming they will help you a lot. I have made so many friends in the club and they have helped me.

Last Saturday, a group of our members enjoyed a wonderful outing to the beautiful Mount Congreve Gardens in County Waterford, organised by Seán Reidy.

They were lucky to have fantastic weather on their side, which made the day even more special. The gardens themselves provided endless inspiration, with stunning scenes around every corner – a real haven for photographers.

From vibrant blooms to peaceful woodland paths, there was no shortage of photo opportunities, and everyone came home with some truly amazing shots.

A big thank you to Seán for organising such a great day out!

Here is a selection of images from some of the members from the day.

Off-Camera Flash Workshop at Curraghchase Forest Park with Matteo Mazza.

We may be off for the summer, but thanks to people like Matteo (.mazza.notes), we still find reasons to meet up and learn together. Matteo arrived with baby Morgan in tow and treated us to an inspiring session on using off-camera flash to create motion blur effects.

Armed with 70–200mm lenses, speedlights, and radio flash triggers mounted on tripods, we tackled a steep learning curve with plenty of variables to contend with—especially the ever-changing natural light.

By the end of the session, everyone came away with a unique image and a real sense of achievement, making all the hard work worthwhile.

Thank you Matteo