There’s a good chance you’ve already stumbled across Elizabeth Keaney’s work across social media platforms. We’d also bet that once there, there’s been at least one time where you’ve been inspired by what you’ve seen. Being a photographer and Instagram travel enthusiast aren’t mutually exclusive, in Elizabeth’s case they do pair rather well, with her work inspiring ‘curious adventurers’ & ‘landscape lovers’ the country over….and as you browse through her Instafeed, you can’t help but feel like you’re being transported to a lesser-known part of Ireland.

*Elizabeth was the winner of the (Macro Category) 2019 Huawei Creatives Competition.

Please tell us a bit about yourself ?

Dia dhaoibh! Is mise Elizabeth Keaney I was born and raised in Dublin but with a Mother from Mayo and a Father from Galway a huge amount of my time was spent in the West growing up. In 2017 I was struck down with a number of debilitating chronic illnesses and photography came back into my life in a major way. It was an escape from everything and gave me the gift of connecting with this ancient and magical land on levels deeper than I could ever have imagined. You’ll find me traipsing down tiny bohereens, forever taking the road less traveled and loving getting lost as I go!

What would you say is unique about your style ?

I try to capture the soul of the scene before me. I like people to see and feel things from my work the way I experienced them at the very moment the shutter clicked open and shut. I’m a dreamer and I see the world in technicolor. I hope when people look at my work it evokes something within them, a sense of magic, wonderment or awe, a connection to the land and the ancient heritage attached to it. My captions are a key element to my work, my wish is that they further bring you into the story I have seen. I want people to fall in love with Ireland with every shot I share.

Where are your favourite spots in Ireland for getting those picture perfect shots ?

Ireland is such a special country. A tiny geographical dot with so much packed inside. There’s nowhere I’ve been that I haven’t found something to fall madly deeply in love with but Connemara is where my soul comes alive. The land speaks a language all of its own, the landscape is wild and rugged yet you feel safe and protected, somehow it feels like home. From pristine beaches, to majestic mountains, forests, bogland, rivers and lakes just take out a map of Connemara, close your eyes and point, wherever you land I guarantee you you’ll find gold.

Please can you share the TOP 3 photographs (in your opinion) that you’ve taken and write one sentence about each ?

1. The Curious Cow Of Connemara:

I love nothing more than wooing the animals I meet on my travels and this beauty was just full of love and curiosity. It tickles me how he appears to be a floating head with no body. Much like the people of Ireland, it’s animals are so wonderfully full of character.

2. Dun Briste:

Have you ever been somewhere that literally takes your breath away? Somewhere that overwhelms with its beauty to the point you suddenly realise you have forgotten to do the most natural thing in the world… Breathe? For me this is Downpatrick Head and on this evening after the sun had set the light was like nothing I had ever experienced. The tones are 100% natural as they occurred on the night.

3. Waiting For Summer :

I love this shot for many reasons. It was one I had had in mind for months. I was in the middle of a particularly bad flare up but the conditions were right and I was determined. It reminds me that even debilitated, weak and in severe pain I can still achieve. It’s one of my favourite self portraits, to me it symbolises strength.

Are there any destinations in Ireland that are high on your list to visit ?

While I know Malin Head like the back of my hand and to a lesser degree the Inishowen Peninsula the rest of Donegal is a mystery to me I can’t wait to explore it in its entirety. From the top of the country all the way down to the bottom Beara in West Cork is keenly in my sights for the near future!

Three people (living or dead) you’d invite to dinner ?

Nikolai Tesla – Inventor
Maeve O’Malley – Pirate Queen of Ireland
John O’Donohue – Author

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