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11 Sept 2025
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11 Sept 2025
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For Lissette Carcamo the magic of Christmas comes from the people of Granard
Christmas is said to be the most magical time of year, and for Lissette Carcamo, the magic comes from the people of Granard.
Originally from Chile in South America, Lissette moved to Longford almost six years ago in 2018 and since then she has captured the hearts of her adopted home in Granard.
As a mother to three small children and working three jobs, Lissette wanted to start something she was passionate about, which just happened to be photography.
Once she had enough money to purchase her first camera, Lissette started to take photographs of her favourite spots in the town and they took off.
Lissette said: “I started my journey in photography last March, when I bought my first camera. I always loved to take pictures and I always liked photography but I never had the opportunity to buy a camera.
"I started little by little and last November I participated in a local Christmas market and the pictures took off. When I started to take pictures everyone started to get to know me and my work so I had built up more funds than last year and decided to make an investment.”
That investment turned out to be Christmas cards which showcase Granard, but to Lissette, there was always a deeper meaning behind her wanting to make them.
She said; “I know how it feels to be homesick. Chile is a 17-hour flight from Ireland and as much as I love my life in Granard, I always miss home.
"It costs so much money to send things to my family back home in Chile, so I thought a Christmas card wouldn't be too much to send.
"That way they can see my photography and the town where my home is now and they can have that bit of me even when I am miles away.
"I thought to myself there are more people like me and I had a lot of Americans request the cards and I decided maybe it would be a nice idea for people who do not have their family close this Christmas.”
The cards took off and Lissette showcased them across her social media and the support for her work from the people of Granard has been amazing.
Lissette said: “The cards got over 1,000 likes on my Facebook page. People really liked them and were really supportive of my work on my photography page. A priest from Mullahoran parish saw my cards on Facebook and ordered 300 of them. I made them in two days from the pictures I had already taken and liked, but I also wanted to add the surrounding areas of Granard also.”
Asked if she would ever consider photography as a full-time career she said: "I am almost fully booked for next year already but I do not think I am the type of person who will open a studio as I do not want it. My style is more natural and I like to do it in a relaxed environment. Maybe one day when I have my own home I would consider it but for now it is not possible.”
Christmas looks different for Lissette and her family every year but the traditional Irish dinner seems to be creeping into their traditions.
Lissette explained: “My husband is Croatian and last year he prepared a Croatian dinner for Christmas and before that I prepared food from Chile. This year maybe we will have turkey and lots of different types of potatoes for the Irish. We will spend Christmas at home this year and soak up quality family time. I am a busy working mother and I want to enjoy the time being at home to create memories and cuddle my babies.”
Comparing Christmas in Chile to Granard, Lissette laughed: “In Chile it would be 32 degrees and here sometimes it might snow, it is so different. My mother would love me to come back to Chile but I am happy in Granard. We will make sure to video call her and she will probably cry as she always does. I understand it is hard but I am glad they get a piece of me with my cards this Christmas.”
To purchase a Christmas card or check out any of Lissette’s photography work visit https://www.facebook.com/ lacmzzz or call Lissette on 083 065 5412 for bookings.
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