Captures by Chani

02/06/2026

A Personal Confession here:

Sunday wasn’t my finest day.

Without getting into it, let’s just say I got up on the wrong side of the bed before heading off to cover the marathon — never exactly a low-stress assignment. Things didn’t quite go to plan. I missed the start, missed the end, missed the winner, missed essentially everything I wanted to get, and by the end of the day I was convinced I’d let myself, and maybe a few other people, down.

A few lovely colleagues noticed I wasn’t quite myself, and a special thank you the wonderful, kind , who even rang me that evening to make sure I was okay.

Yesterday , seeing Darragh’s beautiful and emotional pictures on the front pages certainly helped cheer me up. But so did finally sitting down and looking through my own images.

I might not have got ‘The Shot’. But I got the hugs, the tears, the homemade signs, the cheering crowds, the kids on shoulders, the colour, the joy and the madness.

Maybe I was a bit too hard on myself.

Maybe these pictures matter just as much.

30/05/2026

FRONT PAGE PHOTOGRAPH: Ultan Galvin, who plays Scuttle the seagull in Cloughroe NS's version of 'The Little Mermaid', at dress rehearsals outside the school in the sunshine.

📸: Chani Anderson

30/05/2026

One of these images from my shoot with Evanna Lynch made the cover of today’s Weekend supplement in the Irish Examiner, but I’d love to know—which one would you have chosen?

Photographing Evanna in an empty underground swimming pool in was pretty much a dream shoot for any photographer. We didn’t get much time to chat, but I found her warm, friendly and a dream to photograph ❤️

Meeting her, I immediately felt like I was meeting Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter and, somewhat embarrassingly, I may even have mentioned how much my children and I loved the character.

Reading Deirdre McArdle’s column today however was eye-opening. It’s a fascinating look at how a role that totalled 17 minutes of screen time and brought so much to so many people, can also become something a person spends their life trying to move beyond.

It’s well worth a read.

Having met Evanna and then read the interview, I’ve no doubt that her talent, persistence and willingness to take risks will shine through and I’m really looking forward to seeing her in No Pool, No Water at the Cork Midsummer Festival.

28/05/2026

SOUND ON!

Thanks to Ronan Kelly on for the lovely mention today.

26/05/2026

Sent to the marina for match-day socials… got completely distracted by kids playing in the fountain instead 💦📸

Yes, I got soaked. No, I have no regrets 😅

25/05/2026

Eyes on the prize at today’s Sciath na Scol games!

09/05/2026

Most people build the career first and the family afterwards. I sort of did it the other way around.

“Mine is not a tidy family of similarly aged children in matching hats.”

With an 18-year gap between my eldest and youngest, the family chapter stretched a little longer than I’d imagined, and before throwing myself fully into work again, I took the whole gang on one slightly chaotic, very special trip through Thailand.

At the time I journaled a lot of it, never imagining those thoughts would become a published piece.

“There is a particular kind of grief that comes with raising children well. If you’ve done your job properly, they leave.”

Delighted to see the article published in the Irish Examiner today. Would love if you had a read.

A family journey through Thailand and the struggle to release what you can’t hold forever

04/05/2026

May Sunday in Glenbower Woods — and not a ray of sunshine in sight ☔️

But proof you don’t need good weather to have a good day… Ice creams in wellies, sheltering in willow dens, crafting in tents , dancing in the rain, but the highlight for a few kids was racing to catch the rainwater pouring off the tarpaulin in big orange buckets.

Sometimes it’s the simplest things.

Delighted this gorgeous festival in Killeagh made multiple front pages ❤️

01/05/2026

Magazine cover shoots feel very different to the day-to-day press work I do.

You’re being trusted with how someone is presented to the world — and getting that right really matters to me. It’s probably the only part of my job that genuinely stroll keeps me awake the night beforehand, thinking through how best to tell their story, not mine.

It’s always a huge privilege to be asked.

Seeing my image on the cover of the Irish Examiner Magazine (Magazine of the Year) for the third week in a row feels like a quiet nod that those sleepless nights are worth it — not just for me, but for the stories these incredible people have to tell.

Thanks to the team for their trust in me and to Adi Roche, Lesley Bond and Lewis Barker for their patience and smiles.