In the Field - Loughcrew

Loughcrew Cairns - Co Meath

There are some locations I associate with sunrise more than sunset, and this evenings location, The Cairns at Loughcrew, or Sliabh na Cailli (Hills of the Witch) in Gaelic, in Co Meath is definitely one of them. 

On top of Loughcrew, the wind is warm but strong enough to cause camera shake, especially with a 70-200mm lens in place. To overcome those concerns, the shutter speed is increased by bumping up the ISO, and as ever the camera is tripod mounted.

Below, evening light rakes the landscape, and as I peer through the viewfinder the challenge is a composition that excludes the foreground clutter and the dwelling of to the right. 

Waiting to trip the shutter, part of me is torn. Shouldn't I really be photographing the 3500yr old passage tomb that aligns with the Spring and Autumnal equinox that this location is famous for? 

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County Meath, Ireland

With the sun sinking, and the shadows creeping across the landscape, the shutter is tripped. A quick check of the histogram and everything looks good. No blocked shadows, no blown highlights, and no foreground clutter.

Now back to the Cairn, to see if I can get a picture of what I really came here for!!.

In the Field - County Mayo

As ever, I’m standing by a tripod watching the first light of day creep down the steep sides of Mweeelrea. Through the viewfinder four rocks peek out from the frigid waters of Doo Lough mirroring the distant hills. 

Tripping the shutter I can't help think of a well-known photographer who recently proclaimed that Doo Lough in County Mayo is not a morning location. As the drama unfolds I can't help but disagree. The location and light are simply stunning. Controlling the exposure is a pain in the butt. To ensure, I have no blown highlights or blocked up shadows, I am bracketing my exposures. A quick glance at the histogram tells me I’m fine, and before the clock strikes 7.30am, I’m back home, dreaming of an Irish fry. 

Later that evening, I am running late, chasing the light, a situation not helped by the posse of sheep being shepherded down the country road I am travelling on. Still, I’d trade this any day for the traffic chaos of Dublin. 

A little later I'm peering down a Canon 70-200mm lens at backlit waves breaking on against a backdrop of a silhouetted Inishturk and Cahir Island. The location? Carrowninsky strand, a beautiful beach in County Mayo. 

The shot I am chasing is one which sees waves breaking in the centre of the frame, with the Islands forming a distant backdrop. With waves breaking everywhere but centre that was easier said than done. Many frames and a soaking later, one wave finally hangs in the centre of the frame. Getting low to juxtapose the wave and the Islands and  with an exposure of F8 @ 100th of a second set the shutter is tripped, and I get get my shot. The deep blue tone of the wave contrasts nicely with the pink hues of the sky. The light just clipping the spray at the top of the wave is then the icing on the cake. 

Carrowniskey Strand Co.Mayo

Later that evening, and perhaps somewhat unbelievably I meet an elderly local out to watch the sunset. After a bout of small talk, and as the Irish often do, a game of “Do you know this person” breaks out. Minutes later I am talking on a strangers phone to a man 200miles away and who I last met 20 years ago. A nice ending to a memorable evening. 

In the Field - Lough Greenan, Donegal

Lough Greenan - Donegal

It is 10 mins before 4am, and for the second morning in a row I am slipping out of a cottage, into the mist. A short while later, high above Lough Greenan I’m walking back and forth up across the mountain bog, chasing compositions that so far remain unseen.

A little after 4.30am, as the Donegal landscape wakens below, the first frames are exposed. In my heart of hearts I know the image doesn't work. My initial reaction is to shoot a panoramic, but grand vistas can be difficult to pull off, in this instance there is too much going on, as is so often the case in landscape photography, less is more. So instead of chasing pictures I compose and wait. 

Shortly before 5a.m, a ghostly mist, eerily floats in beneath a distant Crockmore, weaving its fingers across the landscape. Eight seconds @ F11 later, and with the midges tasting breakfast, an abstract moment of reality appears on the LCD. I'm happy; it is great to exposing pixels at this time of the morning again!!

Donegal, a photographer’s paradise! - Keep an eye out for details of my 2014 Donegal workshop which will appear online soon. Or sign up for my mailing list to receive details direct to your inbox.

In The Field, Iveragh Peninsula, Kerry, Ireland

Iveragh Peninsula - Kerry

Many a trail, beach and hilltop has been explored, yet despite the beauty of the Iveragh peninsula in south-west Ireland I am yet to make an exposure. If the truth be told, panic is starting to set in.

Midge bitten and stubborn as ever, I am standing by a tripod as the last light of day creeps across the Peninsula. Above, the moon shines, and as the camera timer counts down 30 seconds, that mild panic slowly fades away, I finally have an image in the bag!.

Last Light, Iveragh Peninsula, Co Kerry Ireland

The following morning, a little after 4a.m the boisterous sound of the dawn chorus stirs me. A short time later I am slipping off some rocks and prancing along the shoreline at Derrynane beach near Caherdaniel.

Surrounded by the Farraniaragh & Cahernageeha mountains, it is amongst the most photogenic beaches in Ireland.

After much prancing, I am peering through the viewfinder watching the cool Atlantic weave along the rippled shoreline. Tripping the shutter, I succumb to temptation, and add a Lee big stopper to the front of the lens. It is a filter I have a love hate relationship with. I find it fiddly, why oh why camera manufacturers never build neutral density capabilities into the cameras firmware I will never know. One frame later, the big stopper is off and replaced by a soft 0.3 Lee GND. The two resulting images are below! I'm not sure which one I prefer.

Derrynane beach

Further and higher along the shoreline, and against the magnificent backdrop of Derrynane Bay, I've got a tripod spread eagled on the rocks. Instead of concentrating on hyperfocal distance and composition, I'm shooting video on an iPhone. Like Windows 95, I don't do multitasking very well, so it is goodbye iPhone and hello live view.

The light is wonderful, my biggest question, which composition works best? Vertical to emphasize the Sea thrift or horizontally to show the beauty of the bay. Pixels are cheap, and as the sun paints the flowers I shoot a vertical composition. Something doesn't quite feel right. 

Switching back to the horizontal composition, the shutter is tripped again. Yep! the horizontal composition works better. The cracks in the rock mirror the patterns in the sand, while the head of sea thrift stands out against the tide, while the water coming in from the left of the scene is just enough to emphasis the sweeping shoreline.

Derrynane Bay, County Kerry, Ireland

That mild panic is well and truly gone!.

Controlling time

In the Field - Lee Big Stopper

Via torch light, I am descending the cliff face at Howth, Ireland. The descent down is made up of the occasional bum slide and a set of breeze blocks that stick out of the mud. Behind me, my good friend and accomplice is turning back, beaten back by vertigo.

A few minutes later and I am on a small pebble beach, waiting for sunrise. 

Standing, waiting, I can't help but think, that this is a location for a wild stormy day. However, on this calm morning, with sunrise 20 minutes away I am attempting to manipulate time. Not in an astro physicist way, but in the photographers way.

In an age of ever increasing high ISOs, a big bug bear of mine is how manufacturers like Canon and Nikon bump up the low light capabilities of modern cameras, while ignoring the needs of photographers like me who want to slow things down. 

Why can't I drop ISO's below 50 (L)? Even better, why can't I dial in a desired neutral density level thereby lengthening exposures at will? I guess these kind of ideas don't fly with the respective marketing depts. So instead I am playing with a Lee Big stopper, a filter I have a love hate relationship with. 

The Big stopper allows you to reduce the amount of light entering your camera by 10 stops. It takes a little getting use to, when using it, it is essential to compose, pre focus and turn off auto focus before seating the filter. Once it is in position, everything goes black, and you are essentially shooting blind. Its effect on exposure are dramatic!! 

In the images below, a 0.3 sec exposure is increased to just over two minutes.

​Exp 0.3 seconds @ F11  0.9 Graduated ND

​Exp, 2mins @ F8. Lee Big Stopper + 0.9 Graduated ND filter

You either love or hate the effect. In this instance, I think the Big Stopper has improved the image. What do you think?

Be warned - Due to a number of issues, The Lee Big Stopper can be difficult to get hold of. Many photographic retailers find it difficult to replace stock. If you are in Ireland, Mahers cameras in Drogheda, for what ever reason seem to be able to get stock easily. They are expensive, so expect to pay around €120 for one.

Blue Hour

Forty minutes before sunrise, and I am standing on a cold deserted beach near Mulranny County Mayo, at a time landscape photographers call "Blue Hour".

Blue hour, that time before sunrise and after sunset, when darkness has not quite departed or descended. A time for daylight white balance, tripods and lengthy exposures. Automatic white balance has a tendency to destroy the cool tones that are to be found at this time of day.

​Blue Hour - Co Mayo, Ireland

Peering through the viewfinder, the sound of unseen waves fill the air as the moon sits low over a distant Croagh Patrick. 

During moments like this, it is easy to forget that landscape photography is more than F-stops and shutter speeds. In reality it's about the experience. The experience of watching, feeling, seeing the world at a time that most people don't see.

10 Days three Counties

Last year I made the journey North to the Antrim coast and back through Donegal to County Mayo. A collection of the images from that trip can be viewed on Vimeo.com at the following url 10 Days 3 Counties

Photo Masterclass

A quick post - bringing you a couple of links to the Photo masterclass series I did with Ireland's Outsider magazine. The series followed my trails around Ireland photographing the beautiful Irish landscape and coastline.

Links too these articles can be viewed at the following urls -

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/85b8da79#/85b8da79/72

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/d477c8f9#/d477c8f9/72

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/4d2f2963#/4d2f2963/70