This article is from page 9 of the 2011-05-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 9 JPG
AN Ennis photographer has followed in her father’s footsteps in more ways than one with her latest award-winning images.
Louise Brooks was among the winners at the Irish Professional Photographers Awards, claiming two gold and three silver medal prizes.
Louise was honoured in three categories – bridal, wedding reportage, fashion and classical portraiture. And the connection between Louise and the people in her photographs, in some cases, goes back a long way.
Suzanne Clear is the happy bride featured in the winning bridal image taken by Louise. In 1964, Louise’s father, Paschal, was the photographer for the wedding of Suzanne’s parents.
A similar connection links Orla O’Donnell’s family, featured in the prize-winning wedding reportage photo. Paschal took photos of the wedding of Orla’s parents in 1980.
The Brooks’ first studio opened in Ennis in 1961, with Louise taking over from her father in 2001. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the studio opening and Louise is inviting anyone who has featured in Brooks’ photographs over the years to visit the studio’s extensive archive.
She added, “The archive goes back to 1961, so there are a lot of photos there from over the years. People can come in, if they are looking for old photos, and search through.”