Biography

Born in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 in 1964 but grew up in Dublin, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. His father, John Ryan

John Ryan (Dublin artist)

John Ryan Dublin, Ireland was an Artist, broadcaster, publisher, critic, editor, patron and publican.John Ryan was many things but primarily a key figure in Bohemian Dublin for many years. He knew nearly every artist of note that lived in, or passed through, Dublin from the 1940s onwards...

, was an influential figure in bohemian Dublin; aunt, Kathleen Ryan

Kathleen Ryan

Kathleen Ryan was an Irish actress.She was born in Dublin, Ireland of Tipperary parentage and was a spirited and heart warming Irish actress who appeared in British and Hollywood movies between 1947 and 1957.-Family:...

, an actress; aunt, Oonagh, married the painter Patrick Swift

Patrick Swift

Patrick Swift was an artist born in Dublin, Ireland. Patrick Swift was a painter and key cultural figure in Dublin and London before moving to the Algarve in southern Portugal, where he is buried in the town of Porches...

; brother to the Irish publisher John Ryan

John Ryan (publisher)

John Ryan is an Irish former publishing tycoon-turned comic actor/writer. He is best known for his publishing empire which included the magazine New York Dog and the website blogorrah.com, he did achieve success with magazines such as VIP with former business partner, Michael O'Doherty...

.

At college he studied Environmental Management but soon realised that photography was to be his passion. He came to London in 1984 to assist advertising still life photographer Alasdair Ogilvie. In 1988 Ryan established his own studio.

Seamus Ryan is known internationally for his distinctive portrait work. His work has received many industry awards and is part of the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery in London. He has photographed many celebrities including Helena Christensen

Helena Christensen

Helena Christensen is a Danish fashion model, Victoria's Secret Angel, beauty queen, and photographer. She has also served as creative director for Nylon magazine, designed clothing, and supported funding for breast cancer organizations and other charities.-Early life:Christensen was born in...

, Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel

Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...

, Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona

Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...

, Martin Johnson, Tom Stoppard

Tom Stoppard

Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...

, Jools Holland

Jools Holland

Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...

, Shane Warne

Shane Warne

Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...

, David Tennant

David Tennant

David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...

, Jonathon Ross

Jonathon Ross

Jonathon Ross is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He played with the Adelaide Crows.A well-built, strong key position player, Jonathon Ross had the potential to go far...

, Michael Palin

Michael Palin

Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....

. He has also worked on many national and international advertising campaigns for clients such as BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

, Guinness

Guinness

Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...

, Nike, British Airways, RNIB, Bloomberg

Bloomberg L.P.

Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...

, and Oxfam

Oxfam

Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...

.

He has been awarded by the Association of Photographers

Association of Photographers

The Association of Photographers , often referred to colloquially as the AOP, is a trade association for British photographers.-History:...

 and D&AD

D&AD

Design and Art Direction is a British educational charity which exists to promote excellence in design and advertising...

 for his work and has had work shown in the National Portrait Gallery in London as part of the John Kobal

John Kobal

John Kobal was an Austrian-born British based film historian responsible for The Kobal Collection, a commercial photograph library related to the film industry....

 and Schweppes Portrait Awards on three occasions. His portrait of Tom Stoppard has recently been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Sunday Shoots

Seamus Ryan embarked on a unique series of portraits involving the general public in 2006. These projects, collectively known as Sunday Shoots, take place each Sunday in his studio (based in Columbia Road Flower Market

Columbia Road market

Columbia Road Flower Market is one of many markets in Central London; a street flower market, it is located in East London. Columbia Road is a road of Victorian shops off the Hackney Road in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets...

, in London’s East End

East End of London

The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...

).

These portrait projects attempt to reveal different aspects of personality, identity and spirit while at the same time exploring the myriad possibilities of portrait photography. The Sunday Shoots are free to participate in and everyone (and their dog) is welcome. Tom Stoppard happened to stop by one Sunday and the resulting picture now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, London. The images are posted to his website.

In 2007 Ryan set up Boothnation.

External links & Further Info

• National Portrait Gallery (portrait of Sir Tom Stoppard http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person.php?LinkID=mp88676&role=art
• Sunday Shoots http://www.sundayshoots.com/about.htm
• Seamus Ryan's website http://www.seamus.co.uk/
• Booth Nation http://www.boothnation.com/hire.htm
• Photo Answers http://www.photoanswers.co.uk/News/Search-Results/Event-News/Seamus-Ryans-Sunday-Shoots/
• London Town http://www.londontown.com/LondonEvents/SeamusRyanSundayShoots/05938
• Londoners http://www.london-ers.com/2008/03/seamus-ryan/
• Columbia Road http://columbiaroad.info/shops_1.html
• Seamus Ryan Blog http://seamusphoto.blogspot.com/