Side Street
by Paul Murray
The photographs in this collection invite you into a realm where the familiar becomes strange, and the undefined holds a quiet power.
Why Side Street? As a street photographer, my focus isn’t always on the big events or the grand statements. Instead, I’m drawn to the unnoticed moments, the fleeting pauses, and the quiet transitions that unfold in plain sight. In my first photobook, Side Street, I explore these subtle, often overlooked spaces that exist all around us.
These are the in-between places: the blurred reflections in a shop window, overlooked textures bathed in a particular light, the brief instants between dawn and the full rush of the city, or just a solitary figure caught in a moment of quiet thought. They’re the spots where definitions loosen, and the usual hustle of life seems to fade, if only for a second.
The photographs in this collection aren’t about destinations or narratives with clear beginnings and ends. They’re about capturing the act of being suspended — those short, unplanned moments where time seems to slow down. Each image invites you to look closer at the familiar, to find the quiet drama in a passing shadow, a brief glance, or an unscripted interaction. You’ll see how the everyday can suddenly reveal a hidden depth.
I had the great honour to have Gustavo Minas edit this book. Having selected a long list of hundreds of photographs from my archive of thousands of photographs, Gustavo selected a collection of 63 images for the book, carefully sequencing them and ensuring the flow and pace of the book was perfect. Gustavo has also written the Foreword for the book.
“This book doesn’t just feature photographs of Dublin, but no one could say that with precision because, whether he’s photographing in his own city, in Porto, or in Brussels, what Paul portrays is his way of being and perceiving the world. With its scarce light and cloudy days, Dublin is not an easy city to photograph, but I get the impression that Paul almost always photographs it with the light he wished it had. Even on cloudy days, the search for the electrifying energy of colours lends an ethereal glow to his images. It’s his imaginary city, but one that doesn’t reject the concrete city either.”
GUSTAVO MINAS
Why Side Street? As a street photographer, my focus isn’t always on the big events or the grand statements. Instead, I’m drawn to the unnoticed moments, the fleeting pauses, and the quiet transitions that unfold in plain sight. In my first photobook, Side Street, I explore these subtle, often overlooked spaces that exist all around us.
These are the in-between places: the blurred reflections in a shop window, overlooked textures bathed in a particular light, the brief instants between dawn and the full rush of the city, or just a solitary figure caught in a moment of quiet thought. They’re the spots where definitions loosen, and the usual hustle of life seems to fade, if only for a second.
The photographs in this collection aren’t about destinations or narratives with clear beginnings and ends. They’re about capturing the act of being suspended — those short, unplanned moments where time seems to slow down. Each image invites you to look closer at the familiar, to find the quiet drama in a passing shadow, a brief glance, or an unscripted interaction. You’ll see how the everyday can suddenly reveal a hidden depth.
I had the great honour to have Gustavo Minas edit this book. Having selected a long list of hundreds of photographs from my archive of thousands of photographs, Gustavo selected a collection of 63 images for the book, carefully sequencing them and ensuring the flow and pace of the book was perfect. Gustavo has also written the Foreword for the book.
“This book doesn’t just feature photographs of Dublin, but no one could say that with precision because, whether he’s photographing in his own city, in Porto, or in Brussels, what Paul portrays is his way of being and perceiving the world. With its scarce light and cloudy days, Dublin is not an easy city to photograph, but I get the impression that Paul almost always photographs it with the light he wished it had. Even on cloudy days, the search for the electrifying energy of colours lends an ethereal glow to his images. It’s his imaginary city, but one that doesn’t reject the concrete city either.”
GUSTAVO MINAS
Book Information
ISBN:
978-1-0369-3240-4
Publisher:
Self Published