Laois photographer's exhibition is a collection of ‘superbly sharp photographs’

A STUNNING collection of superbly sharp photographs from the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Constantinople (Istanbul) taken by local lensman Liam Healion over several years of holidaying was launched in Mountmellick Library on Tuesday 7 October.

The unblemished presentation of The Shutterbugs Photographic Exhibition by the Mountmellick artiste who is a Licentiateship of the Irish Photographic federation (LIPF) is on display in two rooms of the library’s three-roomed art gallery with the third being used as a reception and will remain on show during opening hours until the end of October.

Talking to the Laois Nationalist about his latest exhibition which has become an annual event in his local library over the last few years, Liam said: “I have been to Istanbul five times, and the most recent time was last year. About six months ago I went into Bryan Fergus in his Fuji shop in Portlaoise and I said to him that I thought that I had enough photographs for this year's exhibition. He looked at me and said: ‘what are you talking about? you have enough photographs for two exhibitions!’ “Bryan does all of my printing and I thought about what he said. I didn’t go on a holiday this year but last year I went to Istanbul. In 2020 the Hagia Sophia was converted back to a mosque having been a museum from 1935 to 2020. Visitors like us could walk out on the floor and wander all around the ground floor and the balconies but now we are confined to the balcony.

“So, I thought right! I have a lot of photographs that I took from the ground floor before then that can’t be taken again. Jokingly I said to somebody that they must be priceless to see the different angles from the ground floor. I also thought that I have something that is a little bit unique here which is why I went down the road of displaying photographs of the Hagia Sophia.

“The building started off in 537AD as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral serving as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for almost a thousand years. The building was constructed by Constantine – a Roman Emperor and seemingly it took close to a decade to complete.” The display also features historic information and dates via a timeline of the Hagia Sophia from over the centuries.

The second room of Mountmellick Library art gallery is taken up with equally stunning photographs of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Liam said that both buildings are as close together as the two ends of Croke Park are.

Speaking about the Sultan Ahmed Mosque photographs Liam Said: “Again the photographs show a timeline. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque was built around 1670.” Pointing out several of his amazing photographs which he took at nighttime Liam said: “What you can’t see in the outdoor photographs is the scaffolding that is behind the trees. For about ten years they put a huge effort into protecting that building because every so often it gets a shaking from earthquakes. Having been built when it was built the foundations weren’t great.” When asked what the secret is to capture such sharp and intriguing photographs like the unmanipulated images in his show, Liam said: “You need to use a tripod and you need a long exposure of maybe six, eight or ten seconds because it was dark. If you have your camera on a tripod everything will be rock-steady and pin-sharp.

“If you were to get a magnifying glass and go up to those photographs all of the detail is there whereas if you are hand holding a camera it’s very difficult even with the best of them. Even the slightest bit of handshake will show when you enlarge the photographs. I do no additional work whatsoever with my photographs like photoshop or anything else. I bring them to Bryan Fergus and if a tiny tweak in contrast or sharpness is required, he looks after that.” Following the event and keeping in with his tradition, Liam invited everyone who attended the launch to Notions Café in the Square in Mountmellick for tea, coffee and delicious coffee cakes and brownies.