GREGG REID

25 year old creative from Belfast, Ireland

[greggreid]

Glass

I’ve got some really cool things coming soon with Glass. 

I also updated my portfolio to include the recent changes to the Glass brand. 

[greggreid]

Paris, France. November 2017.

So as a little surprise I decided to take Kalie away for a weekend. Turned out to be the same time I decided to propose, what a coincidence...

Aside from being the most cliche I could, I also figured it would be an excellent opportunity to do what we both love to do so much, and thats take some pictures. These were all taken as an experiment with the Fuji X100T, as I’m really giving some thought to selling my Sony A6000 (tell me why I should/shouldn’t!).

Notre Dame, La Marais, Sacre Coeur etc. All beautiful - everytime I return to Paris I’m overwhelmed by how much I love it yet how much I hate the con artists. Every cloud...

[greggreid]

Belfast Design Week, Street Photography Walk. Belfast, 2017.

So with Kalie working in Indigo Coffee + Gelato (my favourite spot in Belfast), I often get little insights as to what’s going to be going on within the four walls of the establishment. One of these little treats was yesterday’s Street Photography walk - organised by Ryan Richards who is the owner of Indigo. We took a brief walk around Stranmillis and down to Botanic Gardens, and took some shots.

This also happened to be my first foray into any photography with a Fujifilm X100T that my good friend James had lent me - I’m constantly striving to buy more for my setup so a fixed-lens option could be a great avenue to explore for me, and I think these turned out great. Might have to go get an X100T for myself now...

[greggreid]

Portland, USA. August 2017.

You all know I love Portland. I love it almost as much as I love Belfast, and I love Belfast beyond belief. PDX is a bit like that kind of weird bond you have with your best friend, they aren’t your family but they’re pretty much the same thing - I’m not from Portland but it feels like home.

These were taken just shortly after the Eagle Creek fire broke out, where the Columbia River Gorge had been blazing for days, with the ash scattering across the city and leaving this weird haze throughout the air - it turned out pretty cool if I say so myself.

Anyways, love you so much PDX. 

[greggreid]

Maui, Hawaii. August 2017.

Maui is like heaven. There, I said it. It is absolutely beautiful - the sea is the clearest I have ever seen and the weather is absolutely bonkers. Despite being considered pretty close to the US, it took us over 5 hours to fly from the West Coast - Hawaii really is nestled right in the heart of the Pacific.

From the best fish tacos to incredible rum cocktails, Maui had it all. I got horribly sunburnt and managed to douse myself in several bottles of Aloe Vera, but otherwise an unforgettable trip.

[greggreid]

Portland, Oregon. August 2017.

I can see something that is becoming quite a tradition, but I won’t ever object to getting the opportunity to visit Portland. My favourite (non-home) city on the planet, and a place I try to really grab a hold of every time I’m afforded the opportunity to go. 

Having a Portland-bred girlfriend is a very useful thing in itself, especially when she can take you to some of the most incredible places on earth (IMO, honestly).

In the more densely-green photographs, you’ll see a pre-Eagle Creek fire Oregon straddling the Columbia River. I’m so, so thankful we made the trip to Oregon’s forests before the fire, because the majority of that greenery is no longer there. 

Special mention to my elderly friends who have to be the coolest couple I’ve ever seen at a viewpoint. Big ups!

[greggreid]

Mourne Mountains, Co Down. June 2017.

As a little farewell treat, Kalie and I decided to go for a light hike in the Mournes. Rarely are either of us free during the day, or even at the same time midweek, so it was nice to get a little trip down to lesser spotted Ulster as some call it. We decided to make the trip before Kalie returned to Portland for a few weeks to be pampered and mothered, which is fair considering she’s so far from home.

The trip was great, and the rain stayed off (until the last half hour, when we got so drenched we considered stripping down for the drive home). The views are, as you can see, incredible. There’s so much untainted, natural beauty down there, and it’s really a shame I never get down as much. We had a great walk, took some photos as we went and even had a little picnic and Aeropress. First time I’ve got to use my Porlex “camping” coffee grinder in the outdoors. Can tick that off the list now I suppose.

[greggreid]

Portfolio Website, 2017.

I’ve just added my external portfolio website to this site on the menu above, but feel free to have a look on http://greggreid.myportfolio.com/

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Guilt Trip Coffee + Donuts, Belfast. Opened May 2017.

After many months of preparation and a lot of social media masterplanning, Guilt Trip Coffee + Donuts opened at the beginning of this month to a wave of social media frenzy. After being profiled for many years as a coffee snob, and as a self-diagnosed addict, I decided to pop in for a visit in the shop’s opening week. Of course, my first visit was without my camera and my second visit (in a week, no doubt) was without donuts. Have a look on their Instagram and I’m sure you’ll get the idea...

The donuts are somewhat of a legacy item (with a finite supply each day) and unless you’re quick, you won’t be afforded the chance to try one. From peanut butter + blueberry to rhubarb + custard, there’s an intricacy in the experimentation at play with these treats. Pair one with a coffee, from exceptional batch brew in the amazing diner mugs or grab a flat white or “manual” style coffee. The term manual is a great term, especially as it avoids the awkward “V60? Nope, okay Aeropress?” conversation, which always ends in being told your hipster coffee shop of choice is using a rare ancient brew method that could definitely be taken for a bunsen burner and/or mythological ritual.

That being said, the baristas are excellent and the coffee is weaker. With retail bags from Roasted Brown, Caravan Roastery and many other guest roasters, there’s a heap of great stuff on offer. The interior is minimal, but when you fill it with pilgrims on a quest for the holy grail of sugary treats, you get a really cosy vibe inside. Even the local charm of the East really seems apparent through the service and the excellent hand painted vintage motorcycle helmets adoring the walls. 

If my rambling has got you scrambling for your keys, get a move on. They could be running low...

[greggreid]

London, UK. April 2017.

Considering I made a trip to London just shy of a year ago for Kalie’s birthday, given we had only really known each other a matter of weeks, we figured it would be a nice touch to head back. Having done the tourist stuff all too many times, we decided to make a trip based on stuff we loved doing; knocking about in Shoreditch, eating ridiculously good food, drinking amazing coffee + cocktails, visiting the Tate and just generally taking a break.  We did have an awful experience in our AirBnb, but we received what we now know to be the standard response from AirBnb with an incredible testament to good customer service, offering us a full refund, and ended up getting a room at the Ace Hotel. When I say the Ace Hotel is the coolest place I’ve probably ever been, I’m not exaggerating. We had a room with an internet radio that looked like Dieter Rams had met his design match, a pair of Wings + Horns bathrobes, an APC for Ace Hotel quilt and a Martin acoustic guitar on the wall. Ridiculously cool, and I mean that. Our stay was short, but exceptional, and even included a cocktail with my personal favourite (Nikka from the Barrel) on the drinks menu.  If you're heading to London, and you want to treat yourself (or your loved ones), book to stay in Shoreditch’s Ace Hotel and grab a slice from Voodoo Rays in Boxpark (I was far too busy trying to force as much of the pizza as possible into my mouth to take pictures, I apologise!) and kick back. Avoid Big Ben and the London Eye, you’ll get a better perspective of London if you go eat at spots like Taro in Soho or grab a coffee at Ozone in Hoxton. You won’t regret it.

[greggreid]

Ramore Head, Portrush. Spring, 2017.

Living up the coast has it’s benefits, that’s for sure. Here’s a few pictures showing exactly what even a grey day in March has to offer the humble student on this incredible spot of the planet.

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Root & Branch Coffee, Ormeau Road, Belfast. Spring, 2017.

I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself as a coffee snob per se, but usually other people get to decide that for me. Having a bit of snobbery with something like coffee is good (in my opinion), because it’s a bit like being a wine buff but without the need for massively expensive corkage fees or any worry of a hangover. Or something like that...

With this in mind, on a rare day with no class and a morning off work, Kalie and I decided to visit Root & Branch for a quick flat white and what was to be a fantastic first impression. I have a close friend who raves about R&B. His infatuation, in my humble opinion, was probably unnecessary and due to some part the fact Root & Branch are the only small batch roasters in NI. I was very, very wrong. The store is very far removed from the standard of NI coffee houses, with what I’d called distinctly Scandinavian feel to the shop front, with a little conservatory roof and DIY benches and tables made from old tree stumps. The immaculately curved and hand-lettered “Coffee Roasters” on the outer wall is accompanied on one side by a barbed wire railing. Keeping things local, which makes it feel right at home, strangely.

The coffee was stupendous, and is made by someone who knows exactly what they’re talking about. Treats from Co Couture are available to grab alongside a flat white or an espresso, and with excellent options on pour over filters, this place is a place to visit again and again. Right across from Brewbot too, which is a magic spot in itself. Maybe more on that later?

[greggreid]

Portstewart, NI. Spring 2017.

Going to university approximately an hour’s drive from your home town is a bit of a strange phenomenon for many reasons. You get the feeling of independence without the fear of being left away from your family, you get treated like a king or queen upon your weekly return to home and if you’re as silver tongued as I am, you can even convince your mum to keep helping out with your washing.

On top of all that, some of us get to enjoy views such as this. Absolutely stunning view of Portstewart Strand taken from the dunes across from the golf club. Best place on earth, bar none.

[greggreid]

Edinburgh, Scotland. February 2017.

First and foremost, I’d like to take this moment to say that although I do think 22, A Million was by far the best album of last year, I was beyond devastated that Bon Iver decided to pull out and cancel their European tour. Inconsolable. Even moreso as Kalie and I had booked flights, a place to crash and had cleared our calendar’s for 3 days in what was to be a cold, windy Edinburgh. Not to be deterred, and never the type to miss an opportunity to travel, we packed our bags and headed off on the short flight across the sea. We met old friends, drank great beer, ate incredible Indian food (seriously, it was insane) and managed to fit in a few spots of sightseeing too. Edinburgh is a city full of old stories, old buildings, old traditions, but yet also a city growing with new ideas, new people and new culture. They call it Bonnie Scotland for a reason...

[greggreid]

Rome, Italy. January 2017.

Deciding against Christmas presents was probably one of our better ideas as a couple, with Kalie’s obsessive interest in filling her passport helping act as a catalyst to the decision to travel to Rome a few weeks ago. We booked an apartment with Air Bnb, flights with RyanAir from Dublin and away we went. Armed with my new Sony 20mm f2.8 lens (The Sigma 19mm f2.8 was just too large a profile) and a great new camera strap from the folks over at YarnHide, we set off.  Our days were long, involved lots of walking and as many excuses as to grab a glass of wine and some cuts from the salumeria or grab a quick espresso. We quickly learned that our coffee expectations were very different from the end product - if you’re big into speciality coffee I’m sad to inform you we found just one good cup of pourover in the whole city (barely in the city, it was beside The Vatican) and the majority of the espresso shots I tried weren’t anything to write home about. However, if like myself you’re an avid fanatic of all things cured, the choice cuts of meat from establishments littering every street is to be revelled in. Prosciutto is the meat of choice in my own personal vocabulary and let’s just say I was never left in need of translation... I’ve been on many trips to central Europe and although I’ve heard the horror stories of pickpockets, I’ve never experienced one. Maybe it’s the fact I either look desperately skint or I just wear jeans too tight to risk stealing from but I’ve been lucky to avoid any drama thus far. That was, until Kalie had her purse stolen from inside her bag on the metro. We lost her selection of cards, including her DRP, which is basically equivalent to a free travel Visa. It proves she has a right to live in the UK, and if we hadn’t been travelling in and out of Dublin airport I am left to believe we’d have been flown back to Italy to await a three week delivery of a replacement visa. Big ups to the lovely lady at Dublin passport security, saved me the most stressful events of my life all kicking off at once. Thankfully, we had a great time otherwise and we didn't actually lose any cash, and the silver lining is that Kalie FINALLY got a contactless card, with which she is over the moon. Despite the picketpocketing nightmare we suffered I’d encourage those who are seeking a little history in a trip to visit Rome at some point during the winter. We didn’t quite see snow on the brickwork, but wrapping up warm before a long day of drinking great wine and eating as much cured meat and pasta as you can manage is a great way to spend a colder trip away.

Shot with a Sony A6000 + Sony 20mm f2.8 lens. Edited with Adobe Lightroom + VSCO Film 05.

[greggreid]

Portland, OR. August 2016.

As you’ve already probably read, the ceremonial meeting of the girlfriend’s parents involved a small obstacle of a 13,618 mile round trip. I didn’t mind at first, but it seems that American flights are a bit bumpier than our cushy European ones. Anyways, I had an absolutely incredible time in the Pacific Northwest, and an amazing time meeting some amazing people. Above are some photos covering my trip, including visits to Powell’s Books (1,000,000+ books in a store the size of a city block), Salt & Straw (a religious experience devoted to ice cream), Hug Point & Arch Cape beaches. If you get the chance to visit Portland, do it. It’s amazing.

Shot with a Sony A6000 + Sigma 19mm f2.8 lens. Edited with Adobe Lightroom + VSCO Film 05.

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New York City, NY. August 2016.

On my way home from my “Meet the Parents” based trip to Portland, Oregon I managed to inadvertently book my flights home through New York, a city I’ve always wanted to visit. Sadly, my two hours rest on the 737 and the resulting aftermath of a non-rev flyer who had missed almost all of her flights to this point had not been ample preparation for the city that never sleeps. My six hours in NYC were brief, but here’s a few photos for you to try get the same vibe I got when I stepped off the subway at Penn Station.

Shot with a Sony A6000 + Sigma 19mm f2.8 lens. Edited with Adobe Lightroom + VSCO Film 05.