Enda Burke – An inspiration in photography

“Photography is very accessible to people. Everyone has a camera on their phone. It’s the relationship to reality and capturing a small slice of reality and time in a small box that I’m interested in,” says Enda Burke, a photographer based in Ireland. 

Enda, along with his friend Donal Kelly, who is also a photographer recently had a successful event in Galway City on 14 March. 

They held a lively debate on their journey into photography and the evolution of their work.

“It was a full house with a lot of questions, statements, and observations from the audience which was great to see,” says the Galway-based photographer. 

Enda started his photo journey doing a film production PLC course in Galway. “But photography was always my main crush; I did my BA in Scotland and have been in love with photography ever since,” says Enda. 

He specializes in a variety of lens-based mediums including analogue and digital. “It all depends on whether you’re a commercial photographer or “art” photographer.

“There is a lot of money and opportunities to be made if you’re doing commercial. As for Art Photography, it’s a bit of a grind,” he says.

When Covid-19 hit, the entire world went into lockdown. However, Enda decided to create something unique while at home with his parents. 

He turned his home into a studio and convinced his parents to model for him. It took him days to set up a scene from the 1990s, but it was all worth it in the end.

What he created was full of vibrant colours, with a few comic effects to it and a few that show some objects showcasing the reality of life, while a few showcasing religious symbols. 

“I get inspiration from multiple places; scenes I see on the streets, items from charity shops, different decades of other art forms, American photographers from the 1960/70s, the list is endless,” he says. 

Both, Enda Burke, and Donal Kelly will soon be giving a workshop on photography which will be related to the photo talks.

It will consist of the practical and technical skills needed to compose, capture, and process an image beginning with a short introduction to the history of photography and moving on to a more hands-on introduction to photography. 

Participants will also be given the opportunity to join a “Photo-Walk” where they take photos with their own camera and visit the studio of Enda Burke to learn about studio design and prop making.

The workshop will take place on Tuesday, 21 March between 11:00 a.m – 17:30 p.m in Outset Gallery, The Cornstore, St Augustine Street Galway.

This is a great opportunity for aspiring photographers or people who have an interest in photography to gain in-depth knowledge from artists who can offer a wealth of information. 

“There is a healthy and very interested photography scene in Ireland,” says Enda.