Daily Blog

Day 3 of five in the Black and White challenge. I walked down this majestic corridor several times during the day on my recent holiday, several times I thought it would make a great venue for some wedding photos but did not actually take any pictures. But then one evening I was returning back having photographed the sunset and for the first time saw it in the dark! Immediately I stopped , fortunately I had a small tripod with me so I put the fuji on the tripod for a fifteen second exposure. Its am image that looks well in colour, but is much better in black and white as by removing the colours the whole thing becomes even more graphic, depending entirely on light and dark.

Day 2 of the five day Black and white challenge !
For many years I only made images in Black and White, using a medium format camera and a small outside toilet as a darkroom!! Many hours were spent printing pictures by hand, and even at the taking stage special care had to be taken to get the exposures right and of course you would then process each film differently to match the particular conditions you exposed the film in. It was a much slower process and in many ways I suppose it was also more fulfilling. Nowadays with digital the whole system is much easier, and I no longer banish myself for hours out to the cold darkroom. But the skills I learnt by printing my own images the old fashioned way are not wasted even in the "digital darkroom" its just easier to apply "dodging and burning " to make your finished image look the way you want it too,encouraging the viewers eye to travel where you want them to in the image. And of course you don't waste lots of paper and chemicals doing so !

Some of you will be aware there is a bit of a challenge going on in the photographic community on Facebook. Photographers are "challenging" each other to post a black and white picture, every day, for five days. A bit like the ice bucket challenge I was hoping it would pass me by but I received a challenge from Conrad Harley so for the next five days the photo will be in Black and White.

This picture from Lough Carra was taken yesterday morning.

Finally I got out to take a new photograph! Its raining again, but the forecasters said we "might have showers , some of them heavy, in the morning, with rain spreading from the West in the afternoon" Now if you live in Ireland you would know that at least with showers the rain might stop occasionally. So I decided to go to Moore Hall and try and get the last of the Autumn colours. It was indeed a lovely morning and with dark skies and occasion spots of rain, but when the sun did break through it was really lovely. There were not a lot leaves left on the trees, but there were the occasional splashes of colour, and shooting into the sun this was the best spot. I shot this angle several times, because it took a few attempts to get the exposure right and I had to get the sun just behind a tree so as not to have it overwhelm the photo.

Lots of rain again today, so once again I did not get out, I am beginning to run out of "reserve images" but here is one taken three weeks ago on Killary Harbour. this boat is usually moored on the water, so perhaps it has been taken out for the winter, but I think it is well placed against the dry stone wall, from a photographic point of view !!

Turlough round Tower, lit with a flash with a full moon and..... whats that?

Happy Halloween !!

Another day with no sun , and there was a weather warning for heavy rain overnight. I did not get out with the camera today, but I did photograph this little chap through my kitchen window, a cleaner window would have resulted in a clearer photo! something else for the to do list!

As I posted yesterday's picture, it occurred to me that I did not have to say it was not from Mayo, I could have simply described it as an "Atlantic Sunset". But tonights picture is clearly not from Mayo ! But it demonstrates the need for light in a photograph. I was busy today, most of the day, was spend on the computer preparing a wedding album. I had thought I would get out in the afternoon for an Irish sunset, but we did not see the sun after about 11am, and by 4pm it was really quite dark , and I did not go out.
This image was made on Falasia beach , on the second evening of our holiday in Portugal. The sandstone cliffs that run along parts of the beach are not very high but are quite spectacular , but its the low setting sun that creates the shadows and highlights that brings out the shape and form of the eroding sandstone.

Apologies if you have been visiting for daily blog posts. I am currently on holidays and have been unable to post pictures to the website, I have been able to post to the images of Mayo Facebook page though. So you may like to try Facebook. Images of Mayo

People who follow this page would know me better as a landscape photographer then a portrait photographer. But sometimes there are faces that just fit the landscape. This is Michael a teacher and farmer who lives very close to me. I often meet Michael as I pass his farm . A few days ago I asked him if I could photograph him, in the landscape, so we went onto the bog behind Michael's house. The photograph was taken between showers on Sunday morning, the light comes from an off camera flash held by Patricia. So I suppose I should say, modelled by Michael, lit by Patricia !

yesterday afternoon I went to Roonagh pier I only had a small tripod with me and it was just too windy and with the rain I was unable get any good pictures, but as I drove back towards Westport the sun came out for a couple of minutes, I spotted this sheep in "just the right position" in relation to Croagh Patrick and so pulled over the car and got the picture before she moved out of shot.

t for a walk this morning and look who I met!!

My daughter Grainne and myself had the privilege of photographing Rachel and Rory's wedding day today at the Westport Woods Hotel .The weather was pretty horrible with wind and but Rachel and Rory braved the elements to spend a few minutes in the woods! It was really dark in the woods so this is lit with off camera flash.We had lots of plans for pictures in other parts of Westport however rain stopped play. It was a beautiful wedding full of fun and a real sense of love and celebration.

Rain and wind all day today so no photography today! This image of Croagh Patrick, taken a week ago from Murrisk Abbey was taken just as the sun was setting to the right ( outside of the picture) .

Posting in a hurry as its almost kickoff time in Ireland Vs Germany!!!!! So I will be otherwise occupied for a time.

This image of Croagh Patrick was made last week, had travelled to Westport to photograph the sunset, as you can see the sun did not appear, but the sky was interesting for a few minutes.

I was in Mulranny today to deliver some framed prints to the Mulranny Park Hotel (they decorate the dining room) I was in a real hurry and did not have time for photography, but it is very hard to resist the beach at Mulranny . So I "just went to have a look". The tide was out and I had time to take one picture, this is it.

I was in Leenae today and got some lovely pictures of killary harbour.On my home I stopped at Fin Lough to photograph the lovely twilight just after the sun had set. But at the top end of the lake it seemed to be completely in shade at yet there was a lovely gentle light that was picking up the reeds beautifully.

I went out this evening to photograph the sunset, on my way to my chosen destination I took a small detour. These trees are on top of a hill, I knew the sun would be "setting" behind them, but the hill means the sun drops ten to fifteen minutes earlier then at the lake I was on my way to visit. The addition of the lovely cloud was a real bonus. I was also glad I took the detour because as I re started my journey the sun dropped behind low cloud and I did not actually see the sunset and so instead of turning left towards the lake, I turned right and came home.

I told you yesterday how I had visited my friend Michael ,and how our hopes of getting a sunset were dashed by the bad weather. This afternoon I was helping another photographer friend in Castlebar setting up a system for some product photography and seeing as I was half way to Westport at 5pm and the weather was good I thought I would go to Westport and try again for the sunset. At about 6pm I got a phone call from Michael who said , "if you get over here quick there could be a sunset". To which I replied "I know, I am standing under Croagh Patrick now watching it happen, are you coming out to play!" Ten minutes later Michael arrived and we witnessed a lovely sunset.

This afternoon I arranged to meet up with my friend Michael to go and take some photographs along the coast. Michael lives in Westport and as I left Kiltimagh I got a call from Michael to say the clouds were coming in from the atlantic and the light was very poor. I decided to go anyway because I had not seen Michael for some time, and sure you never know it might improve. Well Michael was right, of course, by the time I got to Westport it was pouring rain and the sky was black as far as you could see. Still Michael put the kettle on and we chatted over coffee. Now Michael's house has a great view of Croagh Patrick and just as we finished our coffee I looked out the window and despite the rain the sun was trying to break through, it didn't succeed but just a few rays did get through . We grabbed our cameras and sheltering from rain at the gable end of the house got a few pictures!