Daily Blog

It seems like a long time since I posted a picture of Croagh patrick. here is an unusual view of the holy mountain, taken from Bertra Beach.

The sun came out for a second day in a row!! But unfortunately I was unable to take advantage so am posting another from yesterdays trip to Carramore Beach Louisbugh. You can see Clare Island on the horizon.

Summer at last!!!! The sun finally came out this morning, and afraid it would not last, I headed out towards the coast this morning, I took this picture on Carramore Strand, I loved the "delicate" sky.

Just like last Monday I went to Westport today and just like last Monday it was pouring rain, this must be the wettins Summer we have had in years. Unlike last week I decided it was just too wet to take the camera out and so anm posting another picture from the Burren in Co clare. The Burren is famous for its limestone and its wild flowers. I am always amazed by how all kinds of flowers and even small trees grow in every crack of rock. I thought this little Thyme flower was almost a garden in itself.

Last night I posted a picture of Carron Church in Co Clare. While there I found a camera, a small compact full of water. the camera had been lying in the grass for two weeks and is ruined. however it had a memory card in it and I would love to get the pictures back to their rightful owners, so if you happen to recognize this young lady ,who is the subject of many of the photos, you might get her to contact me. I know this is a bit of a longshot, but lets see how big, or small, the internet really is?

I spent a lovely day today in North Mayo. I was booked to have a photoclass with a couple two people, Clair and Maureen, both are keen photographers using "bridge cameras" but both still using the cameras on "auto". After today I'm hoping they won't use auto ever again!
In the afternoon we did some work with photoshop, when Clair and Maureen worked on their own images and I think were just a little surprised by how easy it was to make significant improvements to their pictures. I had hoped to get some pictures myself before or after we started today but the weather was pretty bad so I am posting a picture taken a few days ago.

Here is another picture from Co Clare. this is the ruin of Carron parish church. the church was built around 1200 and was , apparently served as the parish church for 400 years, Carron and was the largest parish in Co Clare.

Back in Mayo after a lovely couple of days in Co Clare. This sunset picture was taken from the pier in Ballyvaughan, last night.

Twenty eight years ago today Patricia said "I do" and my life has been pretty much sorted ever since! To celebrate we have come away to Ballyvaughan in Co Clare. This afternoon we walked up the Caher Valley in Fanore, the river was in full flow.

Spent the day in Limerick where I was helping my daughter, Grainne, photograph her first wedding! It was a bit of a role reversal for us both as she usually helps me , but today I had to do the lifting and carrying, change lenses etc. I think we were both a little nervous about wether I would be able to keep my mouth shut, and take orders from her!! But I think we both did ok! I took this picture of the Shannon River when all my work was done.

Rained again all day, but I decided ,enough is enough, I had to get out to take a picture. So I was in Westport in the afternoon and decided to nip out to Lecanvey. I intended to include the pier in the picture but the rain was so bad I could not point the camera in the direction of the pier ! So sheltering the camera under a big golf umbrella I am sure I must have looked just a little strange, standing on a beach in the pouring rain with a camera on a tripod. Anyway here is the picture, and do you know, I think it was worth the effort.

I was in Castlebar around lunchtime today to return the bike I had borrowed for yesterdays race. The weather was lovely, bright but cloudy, so I took a quick trip out to Castlbourke where I took todays picture. While there Mayo were playing Sligo in the Connaught Final and I was listening on the radio, that prompted me to take this particular picture because one of the boats was sporting the red and green of Mayo! I was about 20 minutes waiting for the sun to come out for the picture.

The weather was great today in Kiltimagh for the Race2Glory. I have no pictures because I was participating in the race. The race involved a 10krace up Sleive Cairn our local "mountain" followed by a 23K cycle over the same mountain with a 7k run that includes a short distance through the Glor river to finish. It took me 2hours and 41 minutes a big improvement on last year but still 45 minutes behind the winner!!

Todays picture is taken in the Sheefry Valley, it looks like an idylic place to live............ on a summers day !

This picture of Castle Bourke on Lough Carra was taken on a very windy day. I tried to show the wind by using a very slow shutter speed of 15seconds, this allows the clouds and the trees to move and blur. It only works however because the boats and the castle are stationary .

Returned from Mulranny this morning but on the journey home we stopped at Burrishoole Abbey, just as we arrived the sun broke through the cloud, the tide was low so I was able to cross the little stream to include the water in the picture.

Apologies for being so late posting today. Had a great day in Mulranny. After such a long period of dull and wet weather it was great to spend the day in Mulranny where the sun shone for most of the day. This picture was taken at about 6pm this evening and is a slow shutter speed { about 1 1/2 minutes which is why the clouds are "moving" . Its hard to believe that such a magnificent beach could be empty on such a lovely day.

More rain again today so spent the afternoon watching sport on the TV ! Heres a picture taken on a sunny day. A Tern who seemed to be happy to pose mid flight , taken on Inniskea island, North Mayo.

Once again the sun refused to make even a short appearance today .But at least we are being spared all the rain that parts of the east and the UK are getting, and the terrible heat of parts of America, so I suppose I should not complain. I received a complaint today, a friend of mine wrote to say I should stop using the ND filter when photographing waterfalls as I was turning the water into Yogurt!! So I thought I would post one picture without the filter to prove I can do it !!

I took this picture yesterday near Keenagh, not far from Crossmolina. As you can see the weather was very dull, but probably because of that the buttercups in this little field provided a welcome splash of colour.

Another miserable kind of day here in Mayo, dark and rain. I visited with my friend Monica who was experimenting with her new Canon5d mk111 . We decided the weather was good for waterfalls so we visited Letterkeane woods . This is a thirty second exposure.