Will Knott

Today is National Daffodil Day.

Daffodils are a sign of hope, after all they usually mean that spring is here, but they can be nasty. As a cut flower they release a chemical which causes other flowers to die off really quickly.

Daffodil Day is organised and run by the Irish Cancer Society. It is the most popular charity event in Ireland and is a chance for everyone in Ireland to make the biggest difference to the lives of everyone affected by cancer.

This year you can also plant a daffodil in their virtual “Spring Garden of Hope. Visit www.PlantaDaff.ie and write a message to accompany your daffodil in the Garden.

Or buy a pin, a daffodil or a bunch of daffodils from the sellers around the country. Just don’t mix the cut flowers with others.

Take care,
Will Knott

Dear Grannymar,

I don’t want you getting lonely, so would you like a toyboy to keep you company. One you can actually play with?

Meet Tommy. He’s a bit flash and a little slow… oh sorry that should be “he’s a bit of Flash“, and he’ll take more poking than a facebook account. He also seems to be allergic to shirts. Tommy is the “breast awareness guy“; the focus of a special website and starring in a tongue-in-cheek video which is also on YouTube (and embedded below).

The point of the video and the site is to teach you how to examine yourself for breast cancer (which also effects men, so its not quite as silly as it seem), and if you donate via his site he (OK, a server in Cancer Research UK) will send you an exclusive digital desktop calender featuring photos of Tommy. Shirtless naturally.

I wonder if the Irish Cancer Society would do something similar?

OK, its a little less pink than usual, but it almost fits the bill for Pink for October in Ireland.

take care,
and don’t play too hard,
Will Knott

I had been looking forward to placing a call for photographers on the blog now and directing people to the PinkForOctoberIreland.org site to register as models and photographers.

But that is not to be. Instead, I’m afraid to say that there will not be a Pink portraits day on September 20th in Daunt Square, Cork.

If I was to do go back in time to prepare the Pink idea again, I’d have to go back to June. Then I would…

• Start the call for photographers.
• Get then to register.
• Explain that they need to register full contact details so that Gardai and City Council required
  • health and safety
  • traffic management plans
  • pedestrian management plans
  • first aid appointees
  • public liability insurance etc are in place.

  Also the Garda contact mentioned that mobile numbers (or at least contact numbers) of all the “staff” are required

• Also the HSA have legal requirements for event with more than 3 staff

So that seems to be that.
I would like to have a photo-walk in its place. A meeting of photographers and photo-bloggers to wander around Cork City with their lenses out on a busy Saturday. How does 11am in Daunt Square sound as a meeting point? If you want to contact me, my details are in the about page.

Sorry to disappoint those who registerd on the (admittedly half built) PinkForOctoberIreland.org site, but if you’re interested in doing something; I’m planning on turning the pinkforoctoberireland site in to a blog aggregater for this year (should be up soon), and make plans for the photography next year.

If you want to blog, comment etc as part of Pink For October, register with the international PinkForOctober.org site. And when I have the aggregater up, register and tag your posts with “p4oi”.

If you want to do more, bring pink objects to donate to the ICS shop just off Daunt Square when you are coming on the photowalk. Should make us easy to spot.

And as for next year. I’ll take all the help I can get

Care to join me?
Will Knott

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Yesterday I blogged about the obstacles with doing the pink portraits event as a way to raise funds as an Irish twist on the internet’s Pink for October.

Image via Wikipedia

However the words of the worlds most unlikely guru, Pat Phelan of MaxRoam came to me.

When asked about doing a business idea he said “Just [effin] do it”. (I’m censoring)

The application has been dropped in. I’m waiting for PinkForOctoberIreland.org to resolve. I might end up meeting the four horseman of the internet, but I’m going to do it.

It may end up being a small quite pairing off of photographers and models rather than an officially sanctioned flash mob of people getting wonderful portraits taken, then those prints get donated to the Irish Cancer Society shop for display and sale. But something is going to happen.

Want to help?

Want to join in?

If this is unofficial, I want photographers and willing models. If you want to be part of this, then comment below, and I’ll contact you when the site is ready to accept people. While I’m looking at making this a sanctioned and not illegal event on September 20 2008 (I’m trying to get the use of Daunt Square as it is almost beside the Irish Cancer Society shop on Castle Street, the collection would make a great photosynth), there is nothing to stop a blind date between a photographer and a model. The web site will allow that.

You don’t have to be in Cork. If you are willing to create an event (and ask your town/city/conty council for permission. Do it. This is a charity event (where no money changes hands at the event) so it possible that the authorities will permit it. If you are willing to briefly pair up, (I can see more photographers agreeing than models) then something a little less official is always possible (blind date style). However a local organiser or administrator or coordinator is needed.

Even if approval is not given, its an excuse for a photowalk.

Don’t get mad: Volunteer.

If you’re willing to help out with a Joomla based site: Comment below and volunteer.

If you’re willing to pose for a photoblogger and then buy a print of that session from an Irish Cancer Society shop: Comment below and volunteer.

If you’re willing to take portraits of the above volunteers, modify the shots, create prints and donate them to an Irish Cancer Society shop: Comment below and volunteer.

If you’re willing to organise a meeting of photographers and models: Comment below and volunteer.

If you’ve been touched by cancer and are willing to be interviewed by a blogger : Comment below and volunteer (or blog about it yourself).

If you want to see a difference, you need to make  difference.

Let’s see if we can change the world,
Will Knott

update September 3 2008. The 2008 Pink for October Ireland portraits won’t be happening. Details in this post.

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