A photographer's journey

Through his first solo photography exhibition, Corey Davenport hopes to show viewers the beauty of local ancient sites while also highlighting that they must be protected.

As part of his ‘Stone & Silence’ exhibit, Corey produces a stunning landscape shot of the northern lights shining down on the Aughnacliffe dolmen, which dates to around 4,000BC. The portal tomb is perfectly framed beneath where the red and green lights clash on the left of the photo, while the remainder leaves space for an empty field with black trees in the background.

On the day of shooting, the 24-year-old travelled from his home in Bailieborough to Aughnacliffe, still during daylight, with an idea in mind. He knew there was no artificial lighting around the tomb, therefore it would be in darkness when night fell. If the northern lights were visible from the Longford village, which had been predicted that night, it would make the perfect setting. If not, he would be out the fuel to get there and a few hours from his evening. He took the risk, which saw him sitting on a camp chair in a field for hours, watching as the sky gradually turned black, and waiting.

“I was scrolling on my phone and next minute I looked up and the whole sky was just green,” Corey recalls.

He jumped from the chair, and spent two hours moving around the tomb with his camera, trying to find the best angle.

The result is now his favourite shot of the exhibit, however he wasn’t to realise this until he saw it on his screen a few hours later.

“I was really excited when I got it. I didn’t know what I was taking, I was just taking loads.

“The colour that’s in the photo is what I saw on the night as well, it was that vivid and clear,” he beams.

Corey started photography when he was in school. After experiencing “constant” bullying, his talent for taking photos built his confidence.

“It was really hard for me; it was happening everyday. I didn’t have an escape at that point,” he recalls.

Taking photos became his way of “getting out of the house” and taking himself away from “the idea of being bullied”.

“I always felt when I had a camera in my hand I was someone else, I wasn’t that person that was being put down. I felt that I was stronger, it was an emotional and physical escape for me.

“I think that’s what helped me build my confidence back up, being able to go out. I was meeting other people who were also interested in photography,” he says.

To anybody who resonates with his story he advises “go for it”.

“If you have a dream follow it, because at the end of the day you’ll never know if you don’t try it.

“Figure out what you want to do and just go out and do it.”

Using his van, which serves as a mini campervan in the back, Corey travels the country photographing ancient sites and landscapes. He has achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Photography in TUD, set up his own photography business in January, and is now standing in the Ramor Arts Theatre, where he will open his first exhibit this Saturday as part of Heritage Week.

“I’m really excited about it. It’s something I’ve always thought about since I was in college, that I’d love to have an exhibition of my own.

“I hope when people walk in, they get that feeling of amazement that I get when visiting these sites.”

“I love Ireland and I love the history we have here.”

Corey also wants to highlight how Ireland’s ancient sites need to be preserved, and presents his long exposure shot of Tullygobban Wedge Tomb located in Cavan Burren Park, where the cap stone has broken. He believes it fits in with this year’s Heritage Week theme; ‘Heritage at Risk’.

“It highlights that a lot of these sites need to be looked after, not just by government but also by the people visiting them.”

“I hope it [the exhibit] draws attention to the sites and the protection that’s needed.”

“These are ancient monuments, it’s not somewhere to jump around.”

The ‘Stone & Silence’ exhibit will open this Saturday (August 15) at 2.30pm, and will be on display until Saturday, September 5.