When it comes to photography, I have a lot of differing tastes. I don’t just mean photographic genres, bur rather images that appeal to me. I like good composition and storytelling as much as the next person, but I also have an affiliation for colour and texture. And sometimes, Nature provides us with an abundance of both of these.
Read MoreThis time last year, I posted a story on this blog called “Virtual Spring”. We were in the midst of lockdown and I couldn’t get out to get any photos of the changing seasons. While autumn has always been my favourite season to photography, spring is a close second. I love as the bleakness of winter gives way to new life, and it clears out the cupboards of one’s mind, as it were.
Read MoreWe recently decided to head out to the mountains to photography a nice spring day in national park in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, but when we got there a cloud had descended. Long with the still bare moss covered trees, our jaunt in the sun became a trip into a fantasy story in a mysterious forested land…
Read MoreEvery year we like to get up early on New Year’s day and head to the beach to watch the first sunrise of the new year. It’s a little ritual to start the year, but unfortunately, it hasn’t always gone exactly according to plan. Last year, we couldn’t actually get to the beach, because of a strict covid lockdown, as it was outside the permissible distance. This year we did get there, but instead of a glorious sunrise, we were treated to stormy seas and winds. Not exactly what we were hoping for, but it led to some cool photos anyway.
Read MoreI’ve recently been going over some old photographs and trying out some new treatments on them. A few years ago, while on a trip to Germany, we were staying on the outskirts of Darmstadt, and right near where our hotel was located, was a fairly large forest. I had taken lots of photos there at the time but I was never really happy with them.
Read MoreNear to where I live is what is a rather remarkable place to find in a city. Called “Airfield”, it is a 38 acre site which features a 19th century estate, gardens and a fully working farm. Recently, on an overcast and rainy day, my wife and I paid a visit to the estate for a walk around the gardens, to get away from the outside world for a few hours and I ended up taking a ridiculous number of photos.
This weekend we visited a stately home and gardens in Co. Wicklow (in Ireland) that has opened up to the public. Funnily enough, this was near to where I grew up, but I never even knew it was there. The Kilruddery estate, which has a “Tudor revival” style mansion based on a 17th-century foundation, and is also a working farm, and has beautiful grounds and gardens.
Read MoreWhen the restrictions were eased, and we could finally escape, we headed to the sea to get some fresh air and see the outside world. Here is a little collage of photos and poetry to enshrine the moment. Enjoy.
Read MoreAnother virtual exhibit. This time of summer photos, taken over the past ten years, between May and September. Summer is one of my least favourite times to take photos. It’s not that I don’t like taking photos in Summer, it’s just that I prefer Autumn and Spring. But looking back I still have lots of photos of summer, and there’s still lots to enjoy. I love the colours of flowers and the green of the full trees.
Read MoreIt’s been about two months now since the lockdown began here in Ireland. It feels like two years. We’ve slowly gotten used to the new routine, and while frustrating, it’s become par for the course. Everyday, I get up and try and go for a walk to get some exercise, but the government guidelines until recently were to stay within 2km. This has made it seem like the world has collapsed to a much smaller place than it previously was. I guess this is what it was like in olden times when people rarely strayed past their villages.
Read MoreAfter a long winter, the days start to get longer, and the weather begins to warm up. Outside, nature begins to return to life, and there’s nothing more liberating for the soul after months of dark and cold days than enjoying the beauty of nature as Spring takes hold. Unfortunately, with the current situation of a global pandemic forcing half of the world to stay indoors, this isn’t something that we can really do this year. So I decided to go back through my old photographs of Spring and create a little virtual spring exhibition!
Read MoreAutumn is by far my favourite time of year for taking photos, but sometimes I feel like I’ve done it all before. I’m always trying to do something different, to shake things up a bit, and so recently I had an idea. Instead of doing the usual and focus on the autumn colours, I would instead see if I could make some interesting images of autumn textures.
Read MoreThe last time I went to Glendalough to shoot has ended up being the gift that keeps on giving. Every now and then I go back to my collection of images from the day and discover something else, or rediscover a shot that I’d dismissed. In this case, I discovered a series of shots of the tree line that I had previously glossed over.
Read Moreleft to complete all four seasons. I wonder if I will I get a prize? It was really warm for this time of the year, and it felt like summer, but the trees were still budding, and the cherry blossoms were still blooming. After a while, it’s hard not to capture the same thing over and over, especially as it is such a small place, but the picturesque buildings and town just cry out to have their photo taken. I also managed to capture a bit more of the countryside this time, as well as some evening shots of the town square.
Read MoreLast weekend I went to one of my favourite spots in Ireland, the Glendalough National Park, which is home to some spectacular scenery, and is a glacial valley in the wicklow mountains. Along with the spectacular scenery, there was some spectacular light too. The weather was changeable to say the least, and a continuous series of clouds and showers danced across the scenery.
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