irishblogs

Currabinny Pier

Down in Currabinny, about 10 minutes from my front door, there’s a wonderful pier that stretches out in the direction of Crosshaven across the water. Crosshaven may sound familiar to some as the host town for the Ford Yacht Club event. Currabinny may sound familiar as the place across the water from it. There’s a nice stony beach and a wonderful storehouse down there too. Never fails to offer some kind of photographic opportunities.

Sheeps Head

Just over the mountain at Sheeps Head on Goats Path. The light was outstanding as we crossed the top of the mountain and mid-way through a phone call I saw the way the sun was hitting the hills. Well, I think we both saw it at the same time. It was like a simultaneous moment of \”Bloody hell, look at that!\” By both I mean Darren, who got some great shots too.

Space Ships

May 7, 2008 Canon 24-70, Canon 5D, Cork

Two co-op silos next to the abandoned train station at Mogeely, east Cork. This was the start of the long weekend photo fest. The train station, for such a simple location, always seems to provide some sort of photographic opportunities.

Like Rick, But a Year Older…

For the past… ohh, years I’ve been promising Rick O’Shea a portrait session. Ever since the first blog awards really when he expressed an interest in a photo I took of him. So vast amounts of time passed and nothing was organised until April 1st (I didn’t think he’d believe that I wanted to do it that day) when I went into the 2fm studios to take a whole load of photos. On scanning through them just now for theRead More

Sheeps Head Lighthouse

For the longest time (after years of visiting Sheeps Head) I never knew the funkiest little lighthouse on the planet was sitting right on the end of the headland, holding onto the cliff edge. That’s thanks in no small part to John, who posted a fantastic image of the building that today inspired me to get off my lazy ass, leave the car park and walk to the end of the world. It also helped that is visiting for theRead More

The Well Earned Break

Crew of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship “Independence of the Seas” take a well earned break as the mammoth ship, over one thousand feet long, is docked in Cobh. Apparently the only port in Ireland big enough to dock the vessel. People hung around on their private balconies while others dined in large glass fronted restaurants looking down from a height on the peasants below with their feeble camera phones.

Fresh Cobbles

There were a few of what I can only call ‘craftsmen’ working in Edinburgh Castle when we visited. Some of them were renewing the pathways and public areas in the grounds of the castle. In this case, fresh cobbles were being laid. It was a pleasure to watch the skilled workers laying the stone in uniform patterns, filling in the cracks with cement and polishing the finished areas. It was almost enough to induce a trance. Really could have stayedRead More

Footprints

April 29, 2008 Canon 50, Canon 5D, Cork

Footprints in the sand at Rocky Bay in Cork. Either very soft sand or very heavy shoe wearer. Perhaps the former.

That’s using your Loaf!

April 28, 2008 Canon 24-70, Canon 5D, Cork, Strobist

Oh dear! Those extra items of gear I was pondering on in a previous post were not only ordered, they arrived today. I bought a Canon Speedlite 430EX and a Canon ST-E2 wireless flash commander thing. Once I get a battery for the ST-E2, I can take both my 580EX and the new 430EX completely off camera. Woo! This was a quick bit of farting around with the two flashes. Something tells me I’m going to have to re-watch thatRead More

The Writing’s on the Wall

Helpful words written on the edge of a blackboard in a local Cork primary school. The busy season is starting again in the next week or two, it’ll be a few weddings a month from more or less now until September or October. All that and I’m trying to get my head around what I’m doing where work is concerned. Do I go for a new job or stay where I am? All this and more still to come. StayRead More

Little Chairs

April 26, 2008 Canon 24-70, Canon 5D, Cork, Event

Little chairs for little people. The contents of a classroom in a local primary school tidied and stacked away into a corner to cater for the room’s conversion into a photo studio for the days communion portraits. Busy day today. First to get the running order of portrait work, then off to a wedding in west Cork. And now, I’m pooped. Pooped but happy, in a kind of overworked way 🙂

Chicken Legs

April 24, 2008 Canon 5D, Cork, Macro, Sigma 150 Macro

Poor ol’ Trilo. She’s been christened ‘chicken legs’ due to her tendency to paddle into the water only far enough to get her legs wet. When she comes out, her body is fluffy but her legs are skinny… Guess you have to be there. Tough to keep her still for a few seconds to get the shot you’re after, but I suppose that adds to the challenge.

Drop in Motion

April 23, 2008 Canon 5D, Cork, Macro, Sigma 150 Macro

After some light rain, a constant drip falls out of an old green drainpipe on an old green storage shed next to the shoreline. The building, although small and quite nondescript, has provided me with many photo opportunities in the past and will no doubt continue to in the future. For such a small area, the shoreline and pier at Currabinny is a goldmine for landscape and macro photography. At least that’s the way it seems to me…

Rendezvous

Two speedboats heading out into the harbour from Crosshaven, as if they were heading toward an oil tanker docked in the Whitegate refinery. The tide was unnaturally high this evening, almost lapping over the walkway on the pier as the boats passed. This of course didn’t leave much beach left for what I had in mind when driving down; macro! Got a few none the less. The long evenings are really coming back now, there’s a wonderful brightness in theRead More

St. Carthage’s

April 20, 2008 Canon 50, Canon 5D, Waterford

Walking into St. Carthage’s in Lismore, Waterford. The cathedral, which dates back to the 17th century, is under a lot of restoration and renovation work inside but that in no way detracts from the splendidly cavernous experience you get once you walk in. It sits on well kept grounds in a very peaceful area of Lismore town. Well worth a visit.

Kev & Eithne

Dropped down to Clonakilty to see Kevin & Eithne a couple of weeks ago. Hadn’t seen either of them for an age. We took a most enjoyable walk out by Ownahincha beach and across the hills to a bay who’s name I can’t really recall. I do remember there was the unmistakable sound of a tanoy in the distance, calling out the state of play in an event. Kev is going to be the second of my friends to tieRead More

Grave Rambling

April 16, 2008 Canon 50, Canon 5D, Cork

Another of my frequent trips to rural graveyards. This one, just outside Midleton on the road to Castlemartyr in east Cork is tucked away at the side of the road next to an infamous biker pub. It’s a small graveyard with a mix of old and new plots. Photogenic old stones leaning over and loads of decorative iron crosses dotted about the stone wall lined cemetery. Is my ever growing tendency to photograph graves a bit too much on theRead More

Square One

April 15, 2008 Canon 5D, Cork, Macro, Sigma 150 Macro

Back to square one I guess. Version two of Glassey Alley. Another new beginning and a little bit of a re-birth. Here goes nothing…