About

Hugh McCabe

I am a photographic artist, academic and musician from Dublin, Ireland. This blog contains photographs and writing largely centered around an ongoing photographic project that I am engaged in called Traces Of The Real. The initial concept was to take extended time exposure photographs at gigs. By extended time exposure, I mean exposures of the order of minutes – anything from 3 minutes upwards to 15 or 20. Generally I try and make each exposure the length of a song in order to try and answer these sorts of questions: Is it possible to take a photograph of song? If so, what would it look like? As the work has progressed it has expanded out to encompass other types of events also, such as theatre and performance art. All the images are shot with a large format 4×5 film camera fixed on a tripod. I then scan the negatives for display on the web and/or printing. I am always on the lookout for new places and events at which to shoot these pictures and am willing to travel to do so. All suggestions in this regard are more than welcome.

The blog originally started as a way of publishing short writings on photography theory texts that were done for this course, which I was doing at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in 2009/2010. I also recently completed the MA Art In The Contemporary World course at NCAD. Some of the writing on art and aesthetics that I did as part of that course also appears on the blog, along with ongoing pieces of writing, many of which are attempts to explore aesthetic and philosophical questions raised by the project.

All images, unless otherwise stated, are copyright of Hugh McCabe. Please do not reproduce any of them without permission. Many of the images featured on this blog are available to purchase as limited edition fine art prints. Some day soon I will get around to putting up a page on this site with details about this. In the meantime any enquiries can be directed to hmccabe at gmail.com.

Exhibitions

Generator 2 (Group Exhibition at Hedrons Collider, Dublin) – March 2014
Traces Of The Real (Solo Exhibition at Plugd@Triskel Arts Cente, Cork) – Summer 2012
Close to Closure (Group Exhibition at The Back Loft, Dublin as part of PhotoIreland festival) – July 2012
Traces Of The Real (Solo Exhibition at Fumbally Exchange and Workmans Club, Dublin) – Summer 2011

Talks/Events

A Pact Of Disengagement: Art and Philosophy’s Mutual Abuses Temple Bar Gallery and Studios (organised by Teresa Gillespie and Ben Woodard) May 2014
After Former West Goethe-Institut (with Barry Kehoe, Ciara Hickey and Marysia Wieckiewcz-Carroll) May 2013
Objects and Arthood The Joinery (with Paul Ennis, Adrian Duncan, Isabel Nolan and Barbara Knezevic) March 2013
Music Photography: Talks | Music | Images Centre for Creative Practices July 2011

15 Comments »

15 Responses

on December 21, 2009 at 11:10 pm | Reply printaphilic

checked your flickr. Interesting stuff. check me here Bill http://printaphilic.com/
on June 21, 2010 at 8:50 am | Reply Peter Fitzsimons

Hi Hugh,

I hope the project is going good, the images look great. It’s a super idea.

Peter
on June 21, 2010 at 4:26 pm | Reply Hugh

Thanks Peter ….
on June 28, 2010 at 10:05 pm | Reply Lorcan

Hugh, Great images. I loved the Vicar Street one. I’ll try pop in and see the exhibition at some stage. Fair play to you – a man of many talents!
on April 20, 2011 at 11:15 am | Reply Paul

Hugh, go to mass.
on May 19, 2012 at 10:18 am | Reply Dez

Hi Hugh,
Forgive my ignorance, but do you sell your prints of your photo’s?
Cheers
Dez
- on May 19, 2012 at 12:19 pm | Reply Hugh
  
  Your ignorance is forgiven Dez and indeed I do. Will email you some info now ….
on October 17, 2012 at 3:58 pm | Reply maryeinbinder

Hello!
I wanted to ask you names of famous photographers who studied the theme of “music” in photography: composition, style, intent of photographs… I am writting a paper on music as an inspiration in photography
Check out my photography blog: maryeinbinder.wordpress.com
- on October 18, 2012 at 8:50 pm | Reply Hugh
  
  Hi. I’m not sure I am going to be very helpful here. Obviously there is the whole genre of “music photography” i.e. photographers who specialise in taking pictures at concerts. For example, Glen E Friedman did loads of really good stuff at hip-hop and at punk/hardcore gigs. I’m sure there are loads of others (Bob Gruen) that would be well known within that particular niche. But if what you are getting at is people who have made a wider impact within photography/art by taking music as their subject or at least being in some way inspired by it … well …. in that case, you have me stumped.
  - on November 29, 2012 at 5:17 am maryeinbinder
    
    I am writing mostly on how photographers have been influenced by Music. For instance, Harold Edgerton’s movements in photography or Gjon Mili’s photographs of drummers.
    Thanks for your help and I really like your blog
on June 24, 2014 at 12:40 pm | Reply Supersonic ) Swans pictured at Supersonic by Hugh McCabe

[…] We’d like to thank photographer Hugh McCabe for sending through this seductive and striking image of Swans taken at Supersonic last month. Hugh was specially invited by frontman Michael Gira to photograph the band using his unique double exposure technique, in which the film is exposed to different viewpoints for considerable time. This is a simplified explanation, so if you’re interested in hearing more about Hugh’s methods you can do so by reading his blog here. […]
on May 16, 2020 at 9:59 am | Reply Nick Blackburn

Hi Hugh
Is this site still active and are you still selling print?
Thanks, Nick
- on May 16, 2020 at 10:40 am | Reply Hugh
  
  Hi Nick. Thanks for your interest. The site is “dormant” … would be the best way of putting it. Still selling prints, yes. Drop me an email at hmccabe@gmail.com if you are interested …
  - on May 16, 2020 at 12:05 pm nickblackburn
    
    Hi HughI found your site while looking for an image of the cover of Terry Barrett’s book and came upon your diagram which I will use (and that will save me the effort).I have copied the image to my site here – http://baphot.co.uk/main/blog_cn.php#latest – please let me know whether that’s ok, I’ll remove it if not.Regarding the photographs, it’s a great idea (how do you decide on the exposure?) do you have a page of those available and a price list?
    
    Thanks, Nick
  - on May 16, 2020 at 3:39 pm Hugh
    
    That’s absolutely fine, Nick. Glad someone found it useful. I notice now that the diagram is scrawled on writing paper from Ballinahinch Castle, a hotel in Connemara, Co. Galway. I remember bringing the book with me on a short stay there and drawing the mind map in the hotel bar. Anyway, I’ll email you about the photos ….