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IT Services Staff Spotlight: Tomas Tyner, University Photographer
Tomas joined UCC in 1990 and in that time has transitioned from traditional photography, with film, chemicals/darkroom to a hybrid model of photography when film was scanned, to now a fully digital era using cameras and phones. The one thing that’s a constant in Tomas’s work, is the aim to produce quality imagery that reflects UCC, it’s students and staff. Everything Tomas produces documents UCC for posterity.
Tomas, what is standard day for a University Photographer?
“A standard day can be anything from a visit to the President’s Office to record a visitor, photos at a break in a seminar and forever chasing captions. Also planning logistics for or shooting images for a department website, or setting up for some headshots, they are great fun, well for me at least & hopefully for those in front of the camera too. I could spend time talking to OCLA about a contract to provide more services to the HSE or photographing at a clinic in the CUH, I am a qualified Medical Photographer after all. Or maybe trying to learn something new or responding to a call for advice, there always has to be time for that expertise has to be shared”.
What has been your career highlight to date?
“There has been many, some of which include organising and bringing in over €100k of free imagery which resides in uPic, capturing over 1800 headshots, documenting the campus and it’s life, buildings, people, events and of course it’s magnificent grounds… all these and more have been constantly on my mind and in front of my lens through the years. During my early days in UCC I was involved in The Courier and The Graduate but those and higher profile gigs have gone elsewhere”.
The pandemic has been a challenging time, can you share your experience during this time?
“Things changed once Covid hit society. Some of my time was spent organising two picture related quizzes, with prizes. One was based around the doors on the Quad, the other based on UCC Trees. Prizes were even awarded. There were basic photo tips/techniques talks to International Students over Teams, accessing my UCC based image archive from home and distributing imagery and updating paper records so that all photo job details are on an Excel spreadsheet. From one day a week on campus to record life, a gradual return to campus beckoned. Quickly then, two days a week to almost full time again as the assignments dictated.”
Dream job, family, and walking football….
“I always wanted to be a photographer, so I have my dream job, so I’m thankful for that. Even more thankful for my family life, based around my ever so patient wife and daughters and our stressed-out Border Collie. My job is my hobby so that’s a challenge but lately I’ve been involved in walking football – yes it’s a thing and great fun & nothing at all like an episode of Father Ted!”
Tomas was listed as one of the top University photographers to follow on social media by Photoshelter earlier this year. You can check out a selection of Tomas’s images by visiting here https://ttyner.photoshelter.com