Kyral Portrait

Portrait Photography

Polarizing: The Queen

I confess, I tried to shoot the queen. I was thwarted by her Range Rover and its curiously polarizing windows. They may successfully deflect bullets and death rays, but they also make it impossible to get that killer shot - Queen slurping strawberry milkshake en-route to Croke Park.

Still, it was awfully nice of the Duke to give me a wave.

 

Frustropost - Phill Jupitus shoot canned

AARGH.

Had to cancel a shoot with the rather funny Phill Jupitus due to wedding bells ringing in far flung places. This is the 2nd time it hasn't worked out - but he will be back in the summer for the Carlsberg Comedy Carnival so hopefully 3rd time lucky.

Phill is starring in Monty Python's Spamalot at the Grand Canal theatre, Dublin. He will also be DJ'ing tomorrow Friday 13th May.

 

 

There is nothing like an injury-time winner

Gabby-cropped2

I treated my father-in-law to a trip to London to see Aston Villa vs West Ham at the Boyeln Ground in Upton Park. It turned out to be a great match, with Villa dominating and after drawing some great saves from Rob Green in the West Ham goal, Gabby Agbonlahor finished off West Ham with an injury-time header from Ashley Young's cross (see picture). 

Robbie Keane got the opener just a minute after kick off with an instinctual poacher's effort, as he was played onside by Ashley Young. I was confident Villa would score so did not mind too much seeing the Republic of Ireland's record goal scorer break the deadlock. I'd never seen Robbie score at club level; he looked very sharp and won the man of the match. I'm hoping that form carries through to June 4th, when Ireland travel to Macedonia in search of 3 points and another step up the ladder to Euro 2012.

Villa looked a little nervous but despite the early set back, they soon found their rhythm. With Carlton Cole almost getting a penalty after a push from a Richard Dunne, Villa rode out the pressure and got back into the game with a header from Villa's record signing Darren Bent. Emile Heskey did well to dispossess Noble in his own box, and Luke Young crossed for the unmarked Bent. Bent's positioning was excellent throughout and was unlucky to have another legitimate goal ruled out for what the ref saw as a foul.

We spent the second half willing a goal from the many chances Villa were creating. Young and Downing went close a number of times and Darren Bent fluffed a great chance created by the lively Kyle Walker. The winner, when it came, was well deserved. The substitutIon I'd been hoping for since the teamsheet was announced, brought Agbonlahor on for the tired Heskey. 

Apparently, the game statistics stated that Heskey had won more tackles than other Villa player. It was not obvious from the stand - and Heskey looked absolutely awful. His first touch was horrendous; so bad in fact, that my father-in-law wondered if he was getting confused and passing to the claret-and-blue clad West Ham players - thinking they were teammates. His work rate was strange in that he sprinted when the goalkeeper was clearing the ball (and his tackle resulted in our first goal) but then trotted around when we had the ball, and refused to find space or an attacking position.

  • Photo details:      80mm          f7.1         1/250          ISO 400           

My eyes were on the game, but I held the camera in the general direction of the action - and managed to catch Gabby's goal bound header.....

Anyway, that goal sent us into 9th place in the table. It was the highlight of a brilliant day..............