Darragh Mason Field

Mira's light

2012-02-12T12:24:00.000Z

Helsinki underground

2012-02-05T14:07:00.001Z

Hope and Poverty Exhibition

2012-01-13T14:19:00.002Z

In February my work will be in the 'Hope and Poverty'' exhibition.

Sti Krishna speaking to Arjuna

2011-11-02T12:17:00.000Z

“I am all that you think, all that you say, everything hangs on me, like pearls on a thread. I am the earth set, and the fires heat. I am appearance, and disappearance. I am the tricksters hoax. I am the radiance of all that shines, i am time grown old. All beings fall into the night, and all beings are brought back in to daylight. I have already defeated all these warriors. He who thinks he can kill, and he who thinks he can be killed, are both mistaken. No weapon can pierce the life that informs you. No fire can burn it, no water can drown it, no wind can dry it. Have no fear, and rise up, because I love you…..”

— Sti Krishna speaking to Arjuna

Portrait of Kat Hahn

2011-09-27T14:33:00.000+01:00

St Paul's Carnival 2011

2011-07-03T17:24:00.000+01:00

St Paul's Carnival 2011 - Images by Darragh Mason Field

Barcelona Virgin

2011-06-03T10:15:00.000+01:00

Never New

2011-05-26T13:41:00.007+01:00

I've decided to buy nothing new for 6 months. With the exception of food (until I Skip dive) and services.

Essentially I have found myself moaning to all and sundry about how our social structure is inherently inhumane and big business and government support this inhumanity. Yes I've ruined quite a few parties with this line but the most consistent response I get is 'What's the alternative?'. Its a pretty big question to answer, we've tried a lot of 'isms' that have all had their flaws and if measured by how 'humane' it is, its hard to find a single large social structure in the western world that isn't a failure.

So if modern society is run by proxy by corporate interest and by extension the measure of success is the size of the figure in the bottom right hand column of quarterly finance reports, it sure isn't the welfare of its members. This model doesn't care about people, it doesn't see the humanity in others, it has no empathy and encourages us only to oil its machine by being consumers, good little cash cows. Its important to realise that ALL systems support this model; economic, health, media, education, law and most of all finance. To these systems we are all just more meat for the machine. In short, they're psychos...

They are a lot of people and groups who have come to this conclusion and consequently there are as many approaches to dealing with and pushing for change. I don't in anyway support violent approaches change. It only creates more brutality and brings all involved down to the lower aspect of ourselves.

The answer is this, create your own economy. What I call the 'Never New principle' or FMCG (yes that is an ironic marketing joke)

Find the others.
Make, recycle, repair.
Consume less.
Get on with it.

Find the others.
Just like Timoty Leary said "Find the others". In your town or neighbourhood there are groups of people with similar ideas and similar desires to see positive change. Justfortheloveofit.org for example is a geo targeted free economy community. People exchange skills, and share tools and equipment without any fee whatsoever.

Make, recycle, repair.
Not only is it good fun, it means your house/flat doesn't look like a crappy Ikea showroom. Its not that hard and there are loads of sites with tutorials to help you make and do.

Consume less
There are two aspects to this. The first is to consume less mass media. All it is bullshit to distract you from the reality of what's going on with circus sideshows like X-Factor, BGT, America's next top model, TOWIE, Peter Andres, Kerry Katona, the list goes on and on and is incrementally depressing. Don't watch it, watch the countless places online where you can choose what you want to watch. All this crap does is support the type of consumerism that splits the individual from self awareness, in that it promotes the external location of happiness. This media and the countless celeb gossip magazines do the same thing the re-enforce the same message

"You are a little person, You have no value because you are not famous. You are not attractive enough. Wealth and consumption is true happiness."

People buy this shit and why not? they are bombarded with sophisticated re-enforcements of this message again and again daily. Don't bother with it, choose your media.

http://fakefuckery.tumblr.com/page/4

Get on with it
Its all there. The benefits are you can become less useless and actually have an idea which is the business end of a hammer, pride in what you've created, the enjoyment of creating it and save money in the process without supporting big business and its barbaric systems. So pull your finger out and get on with it. You don't have to move into a squat and train yourself to like punk music to do this. Its a choice, not an easy one but nothing of value ever comes easy.

Resources:
http://www.freecycle.org/
http://www.swapstyle.com/
http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/
http://www.craftynest.com
http://www.curbly.com
http://www.instructables.com
http://www.diynetwork.com/
http://www.howtodothings.com
http://www.emoware.org/dumpster-diving/

Joe Rogan tells it like it is

2011-05-20T11:40:00.001+01:00

Marcin Jakubowski on Open source Ecology

2011-05-01T17:33:00.000+01:00

This remarkable man exhibits exactly the kind of thinking that could transform life on this planet.

For more information check out the site here http://openfarmtech.org/weblog/

Lucy in the Market of la Boqueria in Barcelona

2011-03-13T13:23:00.000Z

Leech Boy

2011-03-13T13:09:00.000Z

Karma as a method of living

2011-03-02T08:00:00.003Z

I'm not writing this article to convince anyone that Karma exists, its not really relevant to me what anyone else believes but what I am putting forward is that irrespective of your religious background, be it atheist or gnostic; adhering to a belief in Karma is of benefit to you and those around you.

The Law of Karma has a large part to play in our understanding of our place in the world and our relationship with every human being. All our actions, what we say, what we do, how we react have effects on the people in our sphere of influence. It is these effects on people that create our own Karma. Through being thoughtless, selfish or kind and loving we dictate what happens to us and how others will treat us in the future. Think of it as an investment bank of life, you put in crap and when your investment matures, you get your crap back with interest.

There is a counter argument for particularly tragic events in peoples lives when something extremely violent and unwarranted happens. Within eastern thought, this loosely falls under the influence of the actions of previous incarnations, which to the western mind believing this life is a one short deal is nonsense and in light of tragic events; its offensive. That's understandable but it has to be taken into account that both stances are just ways of thinking, and if one is more helpful in gaining healing and closure than the other. But again I'm not arguing Karma exist (for the record I think it does) I am arguing a adherence or awareness of its affects can led to a better life.

So how does belief in Karma and its effects enhance your life and those around you.
1. Recognising your Karmic debt.
First off shit happened for a reason, nothing is unwarranted. All circumstance is a result of choices and actions, perhaps made years ago. So think back, what did I do to warrant this? Did I do something similar to someone else? Be honest with yourself, its important because this is the first step to recognising it and paying Karmic debt. So you've been hurt and in being hurt you've just paid your Karmic debt, which; although it might not seem like it at the time... is a good thing.

2. Action and Non-Action
Its what happens next that is important, how you handle the hurt. Do you lash out and attack back or indeed run and hide and think 'poor me'. I propose neither of these things are correct. To lash out, is to start the wheel of Karma spinning again against you. To run and hide is not recognising your responsibility in the events that have taken place nor is it reconciling it with yourself.

By not escalating things and paying back your attacker (eye for eye) you stop your Karmic involvement in events. Your attacker will still have his/her debt for attacking or wronging you. Take the action of reconciling with yourself what happened and forgiving. Its important to explain how that persons actions hurt you and in that context set a boundary with them and what behaviour will not be tolerated. In short do not take revenge but do not running away either, voice yourself, do not carry any festering issues but leave direct action to Karma.

If; in being faced with negativity you can maintain nobility and integrity, when your instincts might be telling you otherwise you are making the world a better place and you become an inspiration to those around you. Even if it takes years for some people to realise. Which segways nicely to my next point.

3. Be a light in the darkness.
Through recognising our impact on others through our behavior and the consequent return we get. It makes sense to be good to people. Ultimately for selfish reasons but if your going to be selfish this is probably the best way you can be so. Because of what falls out of it. Make certain rules for yourself. Take time to be polite to people who have hard public facing jobs. Say 'Thank you'. Just as some person being an asshole can put you into a bad mood. Being decent and polite to another can put them into a good mood. Its viral. And when shadows get exposed to light (your light) they get dissolved.

You can set an example, you can stop the Karmic wheel turning against you by your own actions and in doing so make life better for yourself and those around you. Its not easy, nothing of worth ever is.

The Hare Mask

2011-01-17T21:59:00.003Z

New prints up in Nails gallery in Bristol

2010-10-14T19:18:00.000+01:00

I am very very proud of these. A huge thanks to Steve at Nails gallery for giving me this opportunity. You're a top man Steve!

Temple Naga in Battambang, Cambodia

2010-09-09T11:57:00.002+01:00

I never cease to find it amazing that a Religion such as Theravada Buddhism has the five headed serpent King of the Naga's Mucha lucha as one of its central figures. In seems that as the Buddhist philosophy migrated through eastern India and into South East Asia it picked up elements of Hinduism. One would assume that if said migration took place over land say over many generations it would of passed through Nagaland. However some linguistic and cultural evidence seems to suggest a connection with the central Pacific cultures. Perhaps the ideas went the opposite direction

Afternoon light in Guirys

2010-08-16T14:43:00.000+01:00

My first film project 'Billy the Kid'

2010-07-02T09:29:00.001+01:00

Billy the Kid from Darragh Mason Field on Vimeo.

Billy McGowan contracted Polio from the Polio vaccine he received as a two year old. The consequences of this 'accident' have dominated the events his life since.

He spent the majority of the 1970's in various institutions across the UK and Ireland suffering from Bipolar disorder and recovering from many operations on his affected leg. Despite the great pain he has endured one thing has consistently been by his side; Music. In his own words 'Music is a healer'. His encyclopaedic knowledge of music and his fondness for DJing have earned him the nickname 'Billy the Kid'.

Doolough, just west of Louisberg

2010-07-01T08:11:00.000+01:00

Doolough valley near Louisberg, site of the Famine walk. The famine walk retraces 'a journey of horror' which local people made through the Doolough Valley on the night and morning of 30-31 March 1849. The immediate cause of the death march was the arrival of two 'commissioners', who were to inspect the people and certify them as paupers, so entitling them to a ration of three pounds of meal each. For some reason the inspection was not made and the hundreds of people were told they must appear at Delphi Lodge (ten miles away) at 7am the following morning. They set out on foot along the mountain road and pathway in cold, wintry conditions, including snowfall. When they arrived at Delphi Lodge, they were refused either food or tickets of admission to the workhouse and so they began their weary return journey. It was on this journey that maybe hundreds of people died.

Slideluck Potshow London II

2010-06-20T09:24:00.000+01:00

Delighted to say some of my work was shown at last nights Slideluck Potshow London in Shoreditch last night. There were some great artists screening their work so I'm very proud to have made it along side them. Linkage = .slideluckpotshow.com

Bloomsday, Dublin 2010 Slideshow

2010-06-16T20:55:00.004+01:00

Bloomsday 2010 - Images by Darragh Mason Field

Bloomsday 2010 anti bank protesters, Joyce, Ulysses, right wing Catholics and Reporters waiting on news from the feuding Fine Gael camps. Bar four or so all of these shots are outside Dáil Éireann!!

Watching over the factory floor

2010-06-12T12:52:00.000+01:00

Virgin in the warehouse of the Foxford woollen mills. I got a chance to shoot the inside of the Mills recently (Thanks Joe)and got to document the interesting visual legacy of industry born of religion. In this case the catholic Nuns who were funded by northern Irish Freemasons. A strange mix, even stranger when you consider it was founded in 1892.

Sharks head as fishmongers sign in Marrakesh

2010-06-09T16:38:00.000+01:00

No idea what kind of Shark this was. But its an attention grabbing sign.

The Neon Virgin of Saigon

2010-05-27T18:53:00.003+01:00

The beautiful Virgin from Notre Dame cathedral in Ho Chi minh city. One thing I'm very proud of is I got this shot without a tripod. I used my wallet and a packet of smokes. Thankfully there was a marble column for me to place the makeshift heap on otherwise the angle of the shot would be been rubbish.

Fighters with trophies

2010-05-22T21:27:00.000+01:00

Blue Vinyl

2010-05-20T00:40:00.002+01:00

Billy's crutches and laundry basket.

2010-05-17T20:51:00.003+01:00

It's with great delight that I can report this project is back on track. saying that I have a serious amount of work to do editing interview audio files and a few more shots with the man himself.

Just back from Marrakesh and I have to say while I will return to Morocco I doubt I'll spend much time in Marrakesh again. Nice spot but does have the feel of an ancient Temple bar about it combined with similar prices...

Stones to the Sun

2010-05-07T23:05:00.003+01:00

Lough Conn with Nephin at Sunset, because I don't have enough photos of Lough Conn or Nephin at all... Joking aside I'm delighted with this. Its part of the series I'm working on of times of transition being a doorway to other worlds. In the Irish (and most European countries to be far) tradition Lakes were often seen as doorways or entrances into the fairy kingdoms. Think of la Morte d'Arthur and the lady of the lake. The Goddess inhabiting the world beneath the surface is not uncommon and I wanted to capture a feeling of magical otherworldliness that captured this idea.

Stairway to heaven and Céad mile fáilte

2010-05-06T00:27:00.001+01:00

The Cross and clock

2010-05-04T01:09:00.002+01:00

Underpass

2010-04-26T23:00:00.001+01:00

Jaisalmer; The Golden City

2010-04-11T15:16:00.001+01:00

Western People Article

2010-04-06T12:10:00.009+01:00

Delighted to be in the Western People and thanks to the article I've made some connections regarding the work I want to do with Strawboys

Click the image to embiggen it.

Inverted Kingdom #1

2010-03-15T11:53:00.004Z

Part of series I'm working on of 'negative' or 'empty' places. This is Lough Conn at Dawn.

This work is an exploration of two themes. The first being the relationship of the observer and the hidden revealing itself and the second the idea of mythological landscape.

Weights

2010-03-12T20:23:00.006Z

All my shots from three weeks in India

2010-02-12T16:45:00.004Z

Three weeks in India from Darragh Mason Field on Vimeo.

The music is 'Wolf like me' by Tv on the Radio.

Slievemore grave decorations

2010-02-08T15:38:00.002Z

More Achill island

2010-02-08T15:04:00.006Z

I visited Slievemore cemetery on Achill island looking for more subjects for my graveside decoration project. The area of Slievemore is famous for (rather morbidly) for a deserted village.

The shells of over fifty homes dot the mountainside. The area itself has seen human occupation for 5000 years an several megalithic sites are found just beyond the village. The story of the areas depopulation surrounds a terminal decline that began in great famine in the 1840's and ended when poverty and emigration combined with severity of life on an Island in the north west Atlantic finished the job.

Old Blind man in Vashishtha

2010-02-04T16:13:00.002Z

Being twisted

2010-01-14T16:19:00.006Z

Guru Charan Singh putting one of his wrestlers through the wringer in training at his Akhara. I was expecting some of the same treatment turning up to take photos for a few days but thankfully they only made me lift weights. You can find the full set here

Haveli inside Jaisalmer fort

2010-01-14T15:44:00.004Z

Tibetan slum girl #1

2009-12-27T12:03:00.004Z

Reflection of young wrestlers.

2009-12-23T12:35:00.002Z

Three Kings

2009-12-18T20:02:00.004Z

It was worth traveling to Jaisalmer to get these Safari suits made. It was also worth taking the wireless remote for me D700

Jaisalmer beauty

2009-12-18T17:57:00.003Z

Holy man with spike through his cheek

2009-12-18T14:37:00.002Z

I met this man on the beach in Goa, when I asked him why he had a pushed the spike through his face he replied "It was good for the tourists". India is never what you expect

Traditional singer from Jodphur

2009-12-17T10:25:00.002Z

Tibetan slum girl #2

2009-12-15T14:29:00.001Z

A girl I met near the Tibet slums in Manali

Waiting

2009-12-01T13:05:00.002Z

Jodphur fort, Rajasthan

Bullock attempting to put me into a hypnotic trance

2009-11-22T12:48:00.001Z

Never hold a cows eye for too long, they can look into your soul.

Knockmore boxing

2009-11-19T19:51:00.002Z

Youth Boxing - Images by Darragh Mason Field

Almost finished another project

2009-11-14T17:04:00.005Z

After six weeks of hanging out with elderly bachelors ever week, this coming Friday is my last day shooting with them in Guirys. I'm quite nostalgic about it already as they are some of the loveliest and most gentle people I have ever met. What is certain they are part of an Ireland that is fast disappearing. Next Friday I hope to get two more final shots and then the essay is complete. I a bit torn as to whether to have the set all black and white or mix with colour. But I think I'll have to go with the former

This is where we meet

2009-11-07T21:24:00.006Z

My project on Bachelor pensioners will be featured at the 'Here is Where We Meet' show on the 8/11/09 in Studio304, Brooklyn NY as part of the Beta Spaces Festival in Bushwick. www.artinbushwick.org

The show will be broadcasting live from studio304 to a gallery in Madrid, Spain La Boca del Lobo. The slideshow includes photography and video by more than 20 different artist from around the world. There will also be a burlesque performance by Ruth Frost. Please see attached flyer below for more details. Many thanks to Mara Catalan for organising this.

Pike head trophy

2009-11-07T14:49:00.001Z

Checking the races

2009-11-06T13:27:00.005Z

A shot from my series on pensioner bachelors. I'll put these rest of them up once I have a decent flash gallery tool. The current set is live here and are being screened at Studio304 in Brunswick, New York this Saturday.

Ha'penny bridge at night

2009-10-29T18:38:00.003Z

I've been doing stock shots of late. It's a good way to practice technique and learn the vast amount of settings on the D700. I don't normally post stock photos but I quite like this one.

Achill Island shots, Ireland

2009-10-26T19:26:00.007Z

Some HDR shots of Achill island, Co. Mayo on the west coast of Ireland. It was damn cold and windy out on the island but worth is for these shots.

Gabriel having morning tea

2009-10-17T12:25:00.003+01:00

Lorcan dreaming

2009-10-15T18:57:00.002+01:00

Makha Bucha - slideshow

2009-10-10T18:25:00.004+01:00

Makha Bucha - Images by Darragh Mason Field

Old man in the Garden of Remembrance

2009-10-06T22:34:00.001+01:00

The Garden is dedicated to the memory of all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom.

Claire

2009-10-05T23:34:00.002+01:00

Croagh Patrick slideshow

2009-09-23T16:05:00.006+01:00

Croagh Patrick - Images by Darragh Mason Field

Lucky shots

2009-09-16T10:17:00.004+01:00

It was my good friend Sull's stag the other day and I brought along my camera with the hope of getting a few nice shots of Westport on route but ended up getting a few lucky shots of my mates in the dying light of what must have been one of the most beautiful days of the year. Shooting at a high speed (1/400) and at 200 ISO gave the shots a nice 'film quality' and captured the subtleties of the light.

Lightstalkers flash gallery of my favourite shots

2009-09-07T17:59:00.004+01:00

Helsinki shots

2009-09-03T12:48:00.005+01:00

People asked me to put all my shots of Helsinki in one post so here you go. Its a tremendous city which I cannot recommend highly enough.

Offerings #1

2009-08-24T05:46:00.002+01:00

Grave side offerings to remember the dead.

Wasp inside a strip light

2009-08-20T01:45:00.002+01:00

Kneel & Pray

2009-08-19T21:04:00.003+01:00

Although the sentiment is a bit over the top, I really like the composition.

Strung Meanchy essay on the BBC

2009-08-19T13:30:00.018+01:00

Delighted that the essay has done this well. It was selected for the your portfolio feature in the 'In Pictures' section of the BBC website.

You can find it here

Beautiful girl and her mother

2009-08-17T17:32:00.001+01:00

I met them outside a Khmer Temple in Siem Reap. The mother sold water and soda to thirsty tourists.

American weapons and petals

2009-08-17T13:51:00.002+01:00

Lanna Muay Thai essay on socialdocumentary.net

2009-08-16T20:09:00.002+01:00

You can find the essay here

Dead #1

2009-08-16T17:20:00.001+01:00

Standing against the Atlantic at dusk

2009-08-16T17:17:00.004+01:00

One of the benefits of living in Ireland is you have miles upon miles of majestic and rugged Atlantic coastline. Here in Mayo, we are blessed with places Downpatrick Head (Pictured). I like how you can see the curvature of the Earth.

Croagh Patrick

2009-08-04T14:37:00.009+01:00

Unexpectedly I ending up climbing Croagh Patrick on the weekend. Located near Westport in Mayo this is the holy mountain were St Patrick cast the Snakes out of Ireland. Its actually a pagan site of Sun Worship, as twice a year the Sun appears to roll down the northern face.

Virgin and the Mórrígan

2009-08-01T11:11:00.007+01:00

This statue is located in Foxford, County Mayo. I noticed that Crows liked to perch on the Virgin's shoulder and halo, which reminded me of the story of the death of Cú Chulainn the Irish Hercules/Achilles. Wherein the enemy forces of the Queen Maeve of Connacht only knew Cú Chulainn was dead when a crow settled on his shoulder. The Crow was the Goddess Mórrígan. She is associated with sovereignty, prophecy, war, and death on the battlefield. She sometimes appears in the form of a crow, flying above the warriors.

The Morrígan is often considered a triple goddess. Sometimes she appears as one of three sisters, the daughters of Ernmas: the Morrígan, the Badb and Macha.

Anyway, I liked the juxtaposition of Goddesses in this image and that the Virgin statue is quite distressed, it adds to Celtic concept of the hidden or unseen world existing in tandem with the seen

Red Christ

2009-07-31T16:22:00.001+01:00

Dingle and the Great Blasket

2009-07-30T11:35:00.009+01:00

Towards the end of the second day one of the bearings in my rear tyre went. I was left wheeling my hobbled bike in the torrential rain as night was closing in, a solid 13 miles from our hotel. I kept my spirits up by moaning constantly. Thankfully Nifty called me a taxi from the town ahead and I got a ride back to the hotel after walking a couple of miles.

The boys got in about half an hour after me and like the night before, soaked to the skin and mentally and physically exhausted. We ended up spending two days in Dingle and went to the Great Blasket, the most westerly island in Europe. And visited of my favorite buildings in Ireland the Gallarus Oratory.

I was delighted to make it out the great Blasket. Blasket is amazing and really worth getting out too. If abandoned villages draped in sad tales of lost children and families broken by the Atlantic isn't your thing you can always play with the Seals*

*Playing with Seals may result in being horrifically wounded by Seals

Kerry, cycling through Mordor

2009-07-29T15:28:00.019+01:00

I'm just back from cycling around Kerry, which for those you not aware is home to Carrantuohill, the biggest mountain in Ireland. Totally unprepared and completely unaware of the distances I was to cycle, I set off as joyful and energetic as a spring lamb and arrived a broken, sodden, hollow shell of a man. As did my two intrepid companions Glen and Nifty

It was hardcore, I felt like part of secret mission to destroy a ring of power.

The achievement was worth it, as were the vistas of the great Kerry Landscape. We did 100 miles in two days, climbing steep mountain passes and hurtling down mossy lanes. At one stage it was so hard I actually got sick. I leaned over my handle bars and physically chundered. To those on foot and on bikes that followed our route through the Gap of Dunloe, I apologize if my 'accident' ruined the rustic pleasure of it all. To those in the dry, warm cars who occasionally passed, I hate you as much now as I did on that very day.

May I also add, never ever get a touring bike with suspension. Don't do it. Don't even think about it. The taunting squeak of that fork suspension as it lampooned me, while I scaled the heights of Dunloe will stay with me for years.

But what beautiful landscape in Ireland would be complete without a Catholic shrine. This one even bleeds for us

Some Ireland shots

2009-07-28T18:23:00.012+01:00

I've been quite lucky to be home in Ireland for the summer. Its the first time in about nine years that I've been here. I had forgotten what a beautiful place it is and majesty and mood of the landscape. Saying that I have been lucky it been a reasonable summer in place and not bucketed down constantly. Anyway here are some my picks.

If you like these photographs and would like a print, please visit my store

Virgin Mary

2009-07-27T12:05:00.009+01:00

I'm obsessed with Catholic imagery and iconography, growing up in Ireland I didn't have a lot of choice. The most potent of these for me is the Virgin Mary. She tends to turn up in my work in some form or another. I put this down to childhood gift from my amazing Grandmother (a talented musician, artist, a notorious card cheat and a religious fanatic). A 'glow in the dark' bedside Virgin Mary complete with a ring of Stars as a Halo. This was the first thing I saw in the morning and the last thing I saw at night for many years.

Currently I'm working on a book of my favorite shots of Virgins. Here are some of the finals.

Finished

2009-07-25T17:57:00.007+01:00

Finally finished all my final photos. I ended with Luang Prabang, one of my favourite places in South East Asia. Here are some of my favourite shots.

Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum

2009-07-23T16:57:00.008+01:00

This shot is now in permanent exhibition in the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum, the ethnological museum Cologne, Germany.

Ni bheidh ár leithéidí ann arís

2009-07-16T18:20:00.001+01:00

It means 'There'll never be my like again'

The Guardian

2009-07-12T15:16:00.004+01:00

This made it into the Guardians 'Your Photos' section
www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2009/jul/07/your-...

BBC

2009-07-12T15:05:00.006+01:00

Got picked for the BBC photo blog on the subject damaged. The image is from the Cope centre in Vietianne, Laos.

A pox on thee, blasted eye of the heavens!

2009-05-26T16:45:00.013+01:00

As I arrived in Koh Tao, I felt horrific. I felt weak and sickly. I hadn't felt well for a week or so. The constant sweating and humidity was taking its toll on me. I wanted nothing more in life than to get an Air Con room. I found one and slept for fourteen hours. I expected to be back on my feet after this Rip Van Winkle like slumber but no! The worst was yet to come. I was covered in heat rashes, I was more confused than usual and I couldn't even look at beer.

Joking aside that night I had a bad fever and suffered convulsions. It was a new low. I spoke to the medical staff at one of the island clinics and they thought I was suffering from severe Heat exhaustion and the next symptom up the convulsions I could expect was a coma.

Not being particularly happy about this and feeling quite trapped on the Island I bolted immediatly. I cancelled my diving trip and booked the first Ferry out. I got to Phuket by 10 that night and booked a flight to KL.

I was still pretty out of it on the plane and when I got to KL they were very conscious of illness due to the Swine Flu cases. No surprise that I got carted off and checked out by quarantine then!

When I finally got to KL I loved it. Feeling pretty sorry for myself I splashed out on a new lens for my Camera, a 70-300mm Sigma with a Macro feature (And some dope knock off Nike and Adidas gear). I took the lens out on the street and papped some portraits and visited the Towers and then deleted everything because I'm a spacker.

Still feeling very ill and still out of it I went to the hospital in KL. I was told to stay out of the sun completely and hearing on my travel plans the doctor told me to give India a miss as its within spitting distance of the surface of the Sun. So with little options open to me I booked my flight home.

It was disappointing, but has turned out to be the best thing I could of done. I've never been so happy to see the stone grey sky of Ireland. I got swifted over by the hospital here, tested for all manner of nasties and then the doc concuring with the clinic in Koa Toa that I had serious Heat Exhaustion and should of been on a drip.

The South Islands

2009-05-20T12:40:00.016+01:00

Having departed Cambodia and gotten to Chiang Mai for Songkran with Jo to see Richie C I headed south to the south Islands to meet my friend Juliet.

The bus ride from Cambodia was the only bad experience I had in Cambodia. The bus was decrepit and the driver and total douche bag. There weren't enough seats for people and he didn't give a toss. Some idiot of a girl arguing with him tried to grab the bus keys and responded by punching her in the arm. It was a good solid dig too. It took 16 hours to get to Bangkok and our bags got soaked in the torrential rain. I reckon it could of been cut down by three hours had they not decided to stop every 40 yards at some cafe to get money out of us.

The following day I did some Koh san road shopping an picked myself up some fake ID's which, being a child, I was delighted with.

Well Songkran was alot of fun but I was knackered all the time as throwing water at people and getting soaked with Ice cold water for four days is surprisingly exhausting. Of course this had nothing to do with getting wasted every night with Richie. Jo showed a particular nasty streak and doused anything that moved with water. She was ruthless! It was quite impressive.

Post this I bolted to Phuket and then to Kho Phi Phi which was just incredible. I had arranged to meet Juliet and once there we decided to head down the coast to Long Beach and we found the most awesome spot, the Viking Beach resort. If the Flintstones lived on a tropical island this would of been their home.

Needless to say it was beautiful, staggeringly so. It was also staggeringly warm and the fan in my room did nothing to relieve the humidity. The barrier of the mossie net seemed impenetrable to the cool air. But as the Mossies where basically the size pigeons and I already had thirty or so, unbearably itchy bites on each ankle. I decided to try and deal with heat and stay inside the net.

Juliet and I spent a few days there and had trip to Maya bay where the Beach was filmed and around the Islands surrounding Phi Phi. Its simply beautiful, risings towers of Karst limestone jutting from the aquamarine sea.

Post that we headed to Koh Lanta just making the ferry by the skin of our teeth. Koh lanta was cool, alot less developed and less expensive than Phi Phi which was a welcome relief on the pocket.

We spent a few wonderful days there chilling out before Juliet sadly headed off to Hong Kong.

Post this I headed to Ton Sai in Krabi with Stuart, an English gent Juliet and I befriended in Koh Lanta. Ton Sai was fantastic and the sheltered beach proved a welcome respite from the relentless whipping wind of Koh Lanta. That is, apart from the constant posturing of rock climbers and bumbling Thai Rastas. I enjoyed Ton Sai immensely and had a great time getting drunk with Stuart and hanging with some nutbag Americans we met from San Fransico.

From here I traveled to Koh Tao, a horrific overnight trip on what can only be described as a converted slave ship. When I arrived I found my bags had been rifled. Thankfully I had all my valuables fastened to my person and had boobitraped my rucksack with my dirty undercrackers and socks. I hope I mentally scarred the would be thief.

Dancers at the Bayon temple

2009-05-18T20:22:00.001+01:00

Water for blessings

2009-05-17T15:04:00.000+01:00

Wat Jet Yod, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Hand prints at the Pepsi factory

2009-04-29T11:30:00.000+01:00

Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

2009-04-19T10:13:00.016+01:00

I got to Siem Reap and finally to the Angkor Wat complex. We got there at dawn to see the sunrise but unfortunately its wazzed down big style. It was still amazing though. I won't write much about it as everyone is aware of the vast amount there is to see in Siem Reap so just check out the pics
Siem Reap - Images by Darragh Mason Field

Cambodia Part 3 - The People of Dump City

2009-04-14T07:54:00.024+01:00

There's a project in Phnom Penh that helps feed the many families with young children in the city dump. Basically when all else fails for you this is where you and your family can end up. Amongst the rats picking through the detris and shit of the city to find anything of possible recyclable value.

About ten of us got together and donated money to the project who then took us to buy the food at the market and finally to the dump to distribute the food.

Its hard to describe the landscape of the dump but if you've ever read "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, you'll have an idea. Its full of toxic waste and what looks like solid ground isn't. There are lethal quicksand pits of filth pocketed throughout the dump. The air is heavy with the stench of rotting material and the acrid smoke of burning rubbish.

It was a pretty special thing to be part of and I'm really glad I did it. If you ever make it to Phnom Penh I really recommend you go and help. These people have nothing and this is the only project that takes direct action in helping. They can be contacted at the Boogie and Bacall bar near the riverside.

One thing that really struck me was how lovely the kids were despite having absolutly nothing. Then you compare that to kids back home who bitch and moan if they get an Xbox360 instead of a PS3.

The gallery is here But here are my favourite pics, including the infamous motocab drivers cap and its new home.

Cambodia - Part 2 "S21, the Khmer Killing machine"

2009-04-14T06:07:00.014+01:00

After the Killing fields I went to S21. I really didn't know what to expect and I wasn't prepared for what I saw there.

"The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a museum in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The site is a former high school which was used as the notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979." Wikipedia.

Its hard to describe this place as it is essentially just three old dilapidated buildings. Its the feeling you get there that really reveals its past to you. When you enter the rooms some of the previous government officials were held, tortured and murdered in there is an atmosphere of complete despair, dread and horror. The rooms still have the taint of what happened in them.

S21 and The killing fields - Images by Darragh Mason Field

The rooms are just the same as when they held prisoners. A striped down bed with a leg shackle. On the wall is a single photo, a picture taken by the Ho Van Tay, a Vietnamese combat photographer of the human remains found there.

Some of the images beyond horrific. One poor man had literally had his entire face cut off. All done to extract confessions to non existent crimes against the state.

"Most prisoners at S-21 were held there for two to three months. However, several high-ranking Khmer Rouge cadres were held longer. Within two or three days after they were brought to S-21, all prisoners were taken for interrogation[1]. The torture system at Tuol Sleng was designed to make prisoners confess to whatever crimes they were charged with by their captors. Prisoners were routinely beaten and tortured with electric shocks, searing hot metal instruments and hanging, as well as through the use of various other devices. Some prisoners were cut with knives or suffocated with plastic bags. Other methods for generating confessions included pulling out fingernails while pouring alcohol on the wounds, holding prisoners’ heads under water, and the use of the waterboarding technique."

The second buildings ground floor is made up of galleries of the mug shots taken of prisoners as they arrived. The age span was from about seven years of age to the elderly. As people were tortured they we're encouraged to name their families as conspirators which many did under extreme duress. Even confessing to the most outlandish stories.

"Typical confessions ran into thousands of words in which the prisoner would interweave true events in their lives with imaginary accounts of their espionage activities for the CIA, the KGB, or Vietnam. The confession of Hu Nim ended with the words "I am not a human being, I'm an animal". A young Englishman named John Dawson Dewhirst who was arrested in August 1978 claimed to have joined the CIA at age 12 upon his father receiving a substantial bribe from a work colleague, also an agent. Physical torture was combined with sleep deprivation and deliberate neglect of the prisoners. The torture implements are on display in the museum. The vast majority of prisoners were innocent of the charges against them and their confessions produced by torture."

The photos themselves show a spectrum of reactions to the individuals arrival at S21. Some are terrified, some in shock and some totally stunned.

The prisoners where held in make shift cells crudely built into old class rooms. The front of this building was covered in a grid of barbed wire to prevent prisoners from committing suicide.

"In 1979 Ho Van Tay, a Vietnamese combat photographer, was the first media person to document Tuol Sleng to the world. Van Tay and his colleagues followed the stench of rotting corpses to the gates of Tuol Sleng. The photos of Van Tay documenting what he saw when he entered the site are exhibited in Tuol Sleng today.

The Khmer Rouge required that the prison staff made a detailed dossier for each prisoner. Included in the documentation was a photograph. Since the original negatives and photographs were separated from the dossiers in the 1979-1980 period, most of the photographs remain anonymous today."

Cambodia, I love thee - part one

2009-04-13T05:41:00.011+01:00

Hi Guys its me Darragh, I know its been a while since we spoke and I hope you can forgive me. Cambodia, where do I start. I was feeling quite sorry for myself after Frank split, its always harder on the people that are left behind so I decided I'd had enough of Vietnam and got myself a bus ticket to Phnom Penh. Once on the bus a gentleman sat down beside me and gave me a massive smile and a friendly wave.

"You're not from Vietnam then?"
"No" said the smiler "I'm from Cambodia"

And that was the rub of it friends. The Cambodians are amazing people, great criac and always laughing. As an aside, the Cambodian ladies also always wear pajamas everywhere.

I rocked into Phnom Penh on the day of Ireland's grand slam match versus Wales. Having missed every match bar the French one I was determined to get to this and got the heads up on the Lonely planet forum as to where to watch the epic clash and Ireland's inevitable glorious victory. Anyway I had booked a Tuk Tuk to take me shooting, then to the killing Fields and then to 'S21' the genocide museum.

Well Ireland won and I got home at 6 am. I met a guy from Limerick (Alright Aidan!) I'd met previously in Chiang Mai and he gave me the heads up on the Happy guest house by the lakeside. A place that will forever be dear to my heart and became a fantastic home from home for two weeks. Well Ireland won... just. The place went mental and the subsequent celebrations made Paddy's day in Vietnam look like a Parent - teachers meeting

I got lost making my way home and jumped on a moto cab for two dollars to get me back to my hotel. The bloke hadn't a clue and after about twenty minutes I got back. I gave him a five and he didn't have the right change. After being fed this crap constantly for the time I was in Vietnam I wasn't having it and demanded my money. However it seems he genuinely didn't have it so I asked for his baseball cap in lieu of funds.

The next morning I woke up feeling rough and frankly a little bad for demanding that dudes cap. I knew I had a Karmic debt to repay. It would come in time. My Tuk Tuk turned up to take me to the various grim sites. I being barely able to stand informed him of a change of plan and got myself to the Happy guest house. Ah sweet sweet Happy's, that lush loving den of inequity nestled by the lake. I won't go into the details as my Mum will be reading but vast amounts of Beer Lao were consumed.

The following day I made my way to the shooting range accompanied by the lovely Juliet. I shot an N60 twas bad to the bone. Peep for yourselves my dear drooges.

After that we went to the Killing fields which was totally incongruous with what I had just done. Had I gone to the killing Fields or indeed S21 first I doubt I could of gone to a shooting range. I won't go into the details of it as its well known buts it beggars believe the amount of human suffering and degradation that took place in those few acres. Soldiers used pickaxes and hammers to kill people to save on bullets. My gallery is here

Anyway I've a lot more photos to upload before I can continue as without the photographs there is little or no context for S21 or the Children I visited who live in the city dump. I should have more up in a few days.

Observations on Vietnam

2009-04-06T12:46:00.003+01:00

Seeing as I've been in Cambodia for three weeks or so. I think its about time I published my thoughts on Vietnam.

1) Do not fuck with Vietnam.
They will kick your ass, end of story. They have a successful track record of kicking anyones ass that came to start trouble. For example the French, The Chinese and Americans. Nha Trang at 3am is not fun.

2) Check you change.
They will short change you, oh yes they will! But in fairness mainly in the touristy spots.

3) They drive like total mentalists.
Its utterly terrifying. The rules mean nothing to no one. My bus driver joked on the way to the Chu Chi tunnels that he'd never ever had a crash. He hit two people off mopeds on the way back. Plus after he hit them he opened the door and bollocked them out of it.

4) They enjoy giving you a couple of slaps
This is in principle a playful thing. If they find you attractive they give you a punch in the arm or a slap across the head or indeed a poke in the ribs. Its real playground stuff and once you get into it its quite funny.

5) "You so Handsome"
The local ladies generally say this to most white dudes. Obviously I have no issue with this and find it a wonderfully charming aspect of Vietnamese culture. They are really blunt and will just say personal things to you in the most random way. For example I had just shaved and came back down to the guest house foyer to use the net and was promptly told by the girl at reception that I look much better now and how she didn't like my stubble. She then stuck her finger in the dimple in my chin and called her friends over to have a look. Same thing while trying to change after a massage. I asked the lady to leave while I changed and she just said no and stood there watching.

6) You can't do anything with out a tour.
Forget it, you'll need a tour to get anywhere.

7) One of the family.
When they like you, they really look after you. The place we stayed at in Nha Trang was great and after we had checked out they let us hang around in there own living area and use their shower. I even chatted to their daughter living in Germany for about twenty minutes over the interweb. While Vietnam can be a bit of a drag I have to really rate this aspect of my trip.

Notre Dame Saigon Photos and the Chu Chi tunnels

2009-03-21T13:00:00.018Z

Well Frank's split and I've left Vietnam for Cambodia. Before I left I visited the Chu Chi tunnels which were amazing. This was the tunnels were the VC's hid from the Americans during the war. It was kind of like an amusement park whose central theme is "Do not fuck with Vietnam". The booby traps they employed were the stuff of nightmare. Clever spikes traps that stuck in the knees or the armpits, all designed to cause maximum damage.

I also shot an AK 47 which was awesome, obviously! I scored 8/10 too.

Besides that I got some pics inside the wonderful Notre Dame cathedral there which I'm delighted with. Regardé...

Right now I'm in Phnom Phem in Cambodia and think I'm going to hang around for two weeks here and train. There's a decent kick boxing gym here and I'll be interested to see if its much different from the Thai version. The Cambodians are fantastic and everyone I've met has been really lovely and has a great sense of humor. Even the drug dealers and pimps are a good laugh. When I explain I can't go to a lady for "Boom Boom" because I have a wife and she'll kill me (An imaginary wife is a great asset when traveling) or I can't smoke weed because I play for Man united they roar with laughter.

Nha trang, Yop and war on the streets.

2009-03-19T02:14:00.015Z

The notorious FTG and I bust out of Hoi An after seeing My Son and hit Nah Trang by night bus.

Amazingly I had quite a good nights sleep. FTG complained endlessly and unfortunately had his headphones pinched, personally I think he lost them.

Anyway Nha Trang is just an average beach resort with no real heart to speak of. Nowhere near as pretty as Hoi An. I was starting to get really pissed off with Vietnam and was looking forward to making an exit. But FTG stumbled upon a rose amongst the thorns, the UB 58 hotel with our lovely and completely mental host Miss Yop. She spent most of her days punching and kicking Frank and I for being cheeky obviously FTG being even more of a mouth than me got the brunt of it. My favourite moment being Yop running down the corridor to kick Frank in the shin and tell him he was dangerous. Frank being no more dangerous than the common garden vole, was delighted.

Anyway on our first night there we decided to try some buckets. The last thing I recall was buying my third. Thankfully FTG was at hand to put me back in the hotel while he went back out in the night. And it wasn't pretty, there were young westerners getting a hammering all over the street. Kids on mopeds pulling up beside them and cracking them with helmets. Frank literally had to run for his life and was pursued. Unfortunately having no idea where he was, he just ran for an age Forest Gump style trying to avoid being robbed and beaten. Thankfully he made it home in one piece but surrounded by about feral twenty locals. The brilliant people at our hotel saved the day rescuing him street low life's pursuing him. But in fairness I'm surprised if Frank doesn't get chased by irate locals wherever he goes.

So the UB58 people where awesome, essentially they adopted us (probably realizing we shouldn't be trusted with scissors never mind traveling by ourselves) While we waited for our night train we just hung with them in their living room watching telly. For some reason I was asked to chat to their daughter in Germany over Skype. I thought I was just going online and there was this Vietnamese lady waving at me.

But what a night train it was! We were first class and had the cabin to ourselves. Finally Grimshaw and Field had gotten a break. A few beers and Ritz crackers later and we woke up in Saigon.

As I write this I'm being poked and prodded and slapped on the arse by the women who work at the hotel. They are unbelievable here. It like a kind of local sport "Slap a Whitey!"

See you in Cambodia

Vietnam, F T Grimshaw and cheating death on racing Mototaxis

2009-03-14T08:46:00.021Z

Well after a week in Vietianne I was more than ready to go. Its a chilled city with none of the ATM issues I experienced elsewhere. Unfortunately there's not a lot to do unless you enjoy the grim, illicit and disease ridden thrills of sleeping with prostitutes and/or lady boys. However there is Buddha Park which is pretty cool.

There is also Pra That Luang. Le Super Super photo pic

That is pretty much it.

Eventually I bust out to Vietnam and met Frank. We stayed at the Backpacker Hostel in Hanoi which is pretty much were all the travellers go. However being a pair of utter fools we decided that it wasn't for us we needed to find another bar area. After a meal at a street cafe that included a whole frog we hit Hanoi and immediately got lost. An hour or so later we found a bar. Possibly the most expensive bar in Hanoi but we hit it hard and the Barmen appreciatively gave us a ton of local firewater. Blind drunk and having no idea where we were we took two kindly scam artists up on their offers of a ridiculously overpriced moped ride back to the hotel. Not content with dealing with the shady underbelly of Hanoi we decided to sweeten the deal, add a bit of spice to the broth, some magic to the night.

"Right! we'll give 10$ extra to whoever gets us back first."

Being gambling men, they took off like the hounds of hell and pelted us through the narrow lanes and traffic strangled streets. I'm serious, it was like something out of Akira.

Elated and wild eyed from adrenaline we purchased two more beers. Both of which remind untouched by our respective bedside when we woke the following day.

The driving here is mental, they joyfully drive full tilt on the wrong side of the road with gay abandon and seemingly unaware of the terminal results of a head on collision.

We checked out the Hanoi Hilton the following day. A pretty grim place overall. As was Hanoi to be honest. We spent most our time trying not to be knocked down crossing the street and being punched in the arm by grumpy old ladies trying to sell you total crap.

I Think these next two photos speak for themselves...

However we made it out to Halong Bay which was very beautiful even under a blanket of mist. We spent the night on the boat and they had trapped drinking their expensive beer and trying to force karaoke on us. We tried to explain there is a basic formula that would work.... More booze = Singing. But they were fine with us not singing and just paying through the nose for beer.

Back to Hanoi and on to the Night bus! The night bus was an 18 hour trip down the coast to Danang then on to Hoi An. We missed the soft sleepers and got the hard sleepers instead. Which was deeply annoying. We found our beds then I got chucked out of mine by some irate Local man. Thinking I had done something taboo I was a good middle class westerner and duly moved. Then I looked at my ticket and found out I was a dumbass westerner too as it was actually my bed. Using the mix of pointing and speaking English as a foreign language I got my bed back as it turned out he was in the wrong cabin.

Wonderfully as he left after the hooha the bottle of vodka we had bought for the trip fell from my bag and broke into a million pieces on the cabin floor. The cabin not being much bigger than a public toilet was covered in glass and Vodka.

Obviously this went down like a cup of cold sick with my fellow cabin mates who stood outside tutting while I mopped up the precious booze.

The Vietnamese have a very different understanding of body space and really are one breath away of sitting in you lap. The older gentleman I share the bottom bunks with thought nothing of coughing in my face as I put my shoes on... Nice. Frank got his bottom smacked several times by the man he bought some beer from and we both keep getting punched in the arm.

However its a great way to travel despite finding out there was a bar carriage we couldn't find the next day. We're currently in Hoi An and are getting the night bus to Nha Trang.

Peace, Love and death metal!