What with it being the first of the year and all, I usually get the urge to do something productive, if only in an attempt to prove to myself that I can and in the hope that I’ll continue to try to outdo myself as the week/month/year progresses. Productivity started early(ish) this January 1st with a trip to the gym. Yes, I’m one of those people now.

After all that unpleasantness was over, I wanted to get out somewhere local to catch the last of the sunshine. With the sun rapidly disappearing below the hills, that local somewhere was the beach at Ringaskiddy.

For the first time in what feels like years (actually, it probably is years) I went out with only the 150mm macro lens, with the intention of getting some moderately decent shots of the random crap that washes up on the beach, one of my favorite things to photograph. I could and should probably link to a post showing the last time I used this lens, but it’d take too long to find. Another job for the list I guess, sorting out this blog theme to be properly searchable.

It was great to get out just in time to catch the lovely evening long shadows, even if it meant I couldn’t feel my face, hands or ears by the time I got back to the car. Winter has been particularly mild in Cork this time around. We got a cold week or so in November, then a balmy 10 or so degrees the rest of the time. January may be about to remind us that it’s still winter with temperatures dropping back to a more seasonal 3 to 5 degrees. It’s worth it for that low winter sun though.

If nothing else, this taught (reminded) me that the macro lens isn’t particularly forgiving. Photos that looked sharp and appeared somewhat in focus on the back of the camera, thanks to the focus peaking feature in the magic lantern firmware, were quite disappointing once I got them into lightroom. I guess I’ve been spoiling myself with the 24-70L on the 60D too much. All my other lenses look soft in comparison.

Not to worry, I’ll most certainly have the 24-70L on the camera tomorrow when I head down to the Ring of Kerry for some landscape goodness. Hell at this rate, we might be looking at a photowalk before spring.