Beata 003

When the arrangements for her photo shoot were made, Beata - an experienced freelance model from Co. Clare - suggested Bunratty Castle as the location for her photo shoot. Being a lady of class and taste, Beata would bring along a few hats from her collection. The combination of glasses, hats and a castle sounded good to me, so why not? As Bunratty Castle is a favourite location for tourists from the USA and further afield - hardly an ideal place for the selection of the glasses - Beata and I agreed to meet in the restaurant of the Strand Hotel in Limerick. Their staff was very helpful when I went to see the place on the day before the shoot. A big table was reserved for us and the next day, some five dozen glasses were patiently waiting on the table when Beata arrived. It was great to see her trying on pair after pair and I felt tempted to take pictures of the selection process. But alas, I decided to behave and besides, taking pictures in the restaurant would have reduced our time at Bunratty Castle. After the selection, Beata drove us to Bunratty and we walked towards the castle. As it turned out, the place was crowded and we decided to search for a bit of quiet in the gardens around the castle. Finally, we found a nice location but there were no seats which meant that I could not use my tripod. As a result, all the photos were free hand shots - something I usually try to avoid because my hands are not always stable. Anyway, one can always hope for the best.
The Essel glasses shown here by Beata are below her own prescription which - after hearing her reactions on what she saw through the glasses during the shoot - I estimate to be around -1.25 for both eyes. The Rx of the Essel glasses is +0.25 but the difference did not bother Beata at all. Good!