Charlesfort
Back in April, just as we got a stint of good weather. Evening’s getting a bit longer so both the bike and the drone came out to play. Always nice to have scenery like this so close to home.
Gougane Barra
I’m limiting myself to one photo in this post, mostly because it’s all the only photo from this set that I’ve put any thought into. As usual, I’m posting it here because it feels I need to do it more justice than a simple Instagram post that’ll be viewed at the size of a stamp. So, just the usual rant. It was taken with the new Fuji X-H2 which despite offering quite a different usage experience than the X-T3 itRead More
The Cure for Nostalgia
I love shooting film (especially 120). I love that it forces me to be more decisive about each frame, because there are a very limited number available at any one time. It’s not like I carry around pockets full of film with me, not at recent prices anyway. The process forces a much slower and more focused (yes I know, I’m sorry) type of photography, which at the time is a wonderful thing but can be a world of painRead More
The First and Last
It wasn’t until we were back at the car after our first time out of the house in 2023 that my phone helpfully pinged and told me what we were doing at this very time in 2022. No surprises, it was the very same thing we’d just done. I suppose that makes it an unofficial tradition to walk around Fota Gardens in the new year. Not exactly as colourful as usual and with a couple of areas closed, but aRead More
Film and frolics in Oysterhaven
A little while ago, I came down with a very serious case of nostalgia. I think it started right around the time I was watching some film photography videos on YouTube. The nostalgia built over the course of a few days, at which time I could take it no longer and dug around in the cupboard of piled mystery and quickly found my Bronica 645 medium format camera. More impressive still was that after sitting idle since we moved to CorkRead More
All Good Things
The marina area in Cork has long been a favourite destination of mine for photographing general grime and grunge that everything down there is covered in thick layers of. So I was a little disappointed but not entirely surprised today to read that a developer is looking to spend upward of €350m to restore/rebuild/rejuvenate the Odlums building into a now pretty standard mix of offices, apartments, shops, and so on. Part of this would also be to tear down theRead More
FD around Crosshaven
Although the first set of photos I took with my new Fuji-X to FD mount adaptor haven’t made it here yet, here is the second set, taken with the FD 50 f1.8 during a short walk around Crosshaven. Because I got a sudden attack of nostalgia for black & white (and because I haven’t shot anything in B&W for B&W in a long, long time) these were taken in the Acros profile baked into the Fuji X-T3 with the electronicRead More
Circling the Drain
A little bit of a spur of the moment walk by the sea with the camera in early August. This location blends together two of my favourite things; The sea and industrial grime. It also works out quite well for my general sense of laziness, not being that far from home. This feels a little bit like the last post, somewhat of a stream of consciousness except in photos instead of words this time around. As I’m posting again soRead More
Droning On
The latest in the long list of things that was “bound to happen eventually” is buying a drone. I went a bit too far down the drone landscape photography rabbit hole on youtube and instagram, then before I know it I’d hopped on the bike and was making my way to the nearest shop that sells lovely things for Ryan. Above and below are from the first flight and it’s only fitting that it’s the Old Head of Kinsale, aRead More
The Lee Valley
It’s been a while since I was at Inniscarra with a camera. It’s been a while since I was at Inniscarra at all. Shameful to admit, but I didn’t actually realise there was much more to this place than just taking the 2 minute walk to see the dam, stalk some herons, and then hopping back in the car. I tried my best to capture something interesting, then tried to reproduce what I wanted to capture in Lightroom a weekRead More
Never been one for Bluebells
The Bluebells may have been out, but as usual I was taking pictures of everything else. Taken mostly in Ballinspittle woods with a small amount of Old Head of Kinsale thrown in for good measure. I’ve been thinking that a telephoto is missing from my landscape lens line up. Might have to rectify that problem.
Mental yoga for the deluded amateur photographer
Photos may be unrelated to text, as I’m sick and tired of hearing, thinking and writing about how much of a pain in the ass it is jumping from one covid-19 lockdown to another. With that out of the way, here are some photos of a pre-Christmas (2020) jaunt to Currabinny to engage in one of my favourite types of photography, beach and forest stuff. In case you were wondering, there is no hierarchy of ‘stuff’. The list generally includesRead More
Life Inland
When my mind drifts, it’s usually to the same old recurring thought. “Wouldn’t it be grand to live on the doorstep of the Alps”. Even my wandering subconscious is ruled entirely by thoughts of being on the bike. To be able to ride into the tallest mountains on perfect roads at the drop of a hat or at the slightest passing fancy. But more recently, albeit mostly when I’m looking out at some fantastic scene such as the above, IRead More
Low Tide Meander
Fountainstown beach, Monday night. A walk on the beach to kick some stones and poke whatever washed up on the shore with a stick. Also an excuse to stroll around a bit with the X-T3. No, I’m not sure if that crab was dead or alive. I didn’t poke it with a stick.
Filth, Glorious Filth.
You wouldn’t think it to look at me, but I’m a very big fan of filthy things. Dirty, grimy, covered in beastly mud and oomska. Oh yes. If I’m going to be particular about it, old filth is far superior to new filth. The older the better. Rust is a close second to filth. But if you give me rust and general decay in the same place as filth, I’m a happy man. Industrial filth wins over all other types.Read More
Fort Failure
Saturday morning and with a brand new camera in hand, I worked my way through the list of locations I keep in my head for a place to go and test it out. Somehow, I settled on Charlesfort just outside Kinsale. Possibly because I’ve walked around the grounds every time I’ve visited there but never actually been inside. It was a strange day weather wise, with the previous nights storm still hanging around while the sun was doing its bestRead More
Shiny Side Up
It’s been quite a number of years since I last went to a vintage car or bike show, but I quickly found that on visiting the show at the Cork airport hotel a couple of weeks ago, my unrealistic dream to own a late 1960’s Mustang Fastback is alive and well. The turnout at the show was impressive, both from the exhibitors and visitors. Although while strolling around, I did hear someone moaning about “low turnout”. Can’t please everyone. Anyway,Read More
Inch deep / Mile wide
I decided I needed some photos to illustrate a post, this being a supposed photo blog and all. So I grabbed the X100, a camera I have somewhat mixed feelings about and did something I haven’t done in quite a while. Many years ago (I’m not that old), I used to park in the city center and just pick a direction and walk. With or without a camera in hand. Then when it started to get dark, I’d turn 180Read More
Gougane Barra Forest
Back at the end of November, we took a long overdue drive to the forest at Gougane Barra. Long overdue in comparison to how frequently I usually visited in winter during, lets call it, the height of my photographic journey. Visit frequency dropped off quite rapidly for a few reasons. The introduction of the barriers with the eye-watering entry fee (or at least what I’d consider eye-watering for a forest) added to my imaginary woes. My other standard rant wasRead More
The Post-Christmas Walk
Normally applied as a digestive aid after consuming a significant amount of dinner on Christmas Day. This time (owing mostly to laziness) it had to wait until St. Stephen’s Day. Usually to some beach or forest, in this case Garrettstown. An unexpectedly energetic affair, taking the rocky route between the two beaches thanks to the low tide. Except not really, quit a little over half way due to increasingly slippy conditions and not wanting to face plant onto a rock.Read More