A cheery new Instagram feed is featuring portraits of happy Cork people
We love to see it.
A new Instagram feed is dishing up a slice of everyday life in Cork by posting portraits of local people, snapped on the fly as they go about their business in the city.
The @corkonianpeople feed is run by Tiago and João, two Portuguese friends in their late twenties. João moved to Cork almost four years ago, while Tiago arrived before Christmas. The roommates share a flat in St. Patrick’s Quay.
The pair, who work as content creators for Cork-based company Hype Media and Marketing, came up with the idea when they challenged each other to try something new
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“Each one had to take a portrait of a random person within five minutes. As soon as we saw each other’s results, we thought that the portraits were worth sharing as we both agreed that such charisma really portrayed Cork’s vibe. After a quick brainstorm, we decided to create the Corkonian People page on Instagram.” said Tiago.
The lads have found that Cork folk are generally happy to have their picture taken.
“We just ask if we can take a portrait of them to post on our page and usually they accept it! We have had some nos, mostly because people are in a rush, but the vast majority of people love the idea of having a page compiling Corkonians’ faces and don’t mind at all that theirs’ is one of them.
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“Often, the picture leads to a chat where we get to know a bit more about our model and share a bit about ourselves too. People have been lovely with us.”
‘The lifestyle here makes people glow’
Rather than planning a shoot at a specific location, Tiago and João head out for a photo walk and wing it from there.
“Sometimes we start from our front door, other times we might start from a random place in town right after finishing our work shoots. Cork is a beautiful city, that makes it easier to find the perfect spot.
“Our objective is to show diversity so we avoid shooting in the same places, but if you want a place that will provide you with a perfect picture, we recommend Bell’s Field and Nano Nagle Bridge for a great sunset view or Horgan’s Quay for some city portrait vibes.”
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So, with all those smiling faces, are Cork people really happier than those languishing elsewhere in the country?
“Without a doubt!” says João.
“Cork’s size and overall spirit make people more approachable and proud of being Corkonian. In a metropolis like Dublin, we wouldn’t be able to capture the vibe that we want for our page. The lifestyle here makes people glow a bit more and this is what we love to showcase.”
Check out @corkonianpeople on Instagram.
