Daily Blog

I looked out the window early this morning to see misty rain, I was delighted, it meant I had no reason to get out of bed ! I'm exhausted after the weekend. It was a great weekend and everybody was so keen to to learn, by and large the weather was not great, accept when we were using the computers and we had to shade the sun coming in the windows !. We finished the weekend by printing and framing each persons favourite photograph, the photographs were really good and it was amazing how different they all were given that we were photographing together for the weekend. I didn't take many pictures myself because I spent my time helping other people but I did grab this one while demonstrating how to compose a picture, it was taken on Daugh Beg beach just outside Mulranny.

It was more in hope than expectation that I headed out from the house at 5.30 this morning to meet with my fellow photographers to capture a sunrise in Mulranny! we met at 6.30 and went to our sunrise location about twenty minutes before the expected sunrise time. It was very cold , very windy and very cloudy with thick black clouds and no sign of the sun. Being a dedicated lot we waited until after sunrise time but nothing happened.



Then we decided we should go back to base for coffee and rethink our plans for the rest of the day. We were travelling in two cars and one car left, as the rest of us were getting into the car i noticed a little bit of pink high up in the sky..... we hung around for a few more minutes then suddenly THIS HAPPENED!!!


Phone calls were made and we managed to get the other half of the group back before it all disappeared.!!

Just back from a day in Mulranny on day two of the Digital photography weekend. One of the participants on the course is actually from Kiltimagh so before going to Mulranny this morning we said we would try and capture the sunrise. We met at 6.45 and it was raining, it really looked like we would not see a good sunrise but a couple of minutes before the sun appeared the colours suddenly began to appear,twenty minutes later the clouds had blocked out the sun and the morning was pretty miserable! The group are going to try for a sunrise in Mulranny in the morning, I hope we are this lucky!!

I am teaching a digital photography course this weekend in Mulranny. We start this evening and finish on Sunday evening, I am really looking forward to it, but just have to put a few finishing touches to my notes today.
This picture of Ashleem Bay on Achill was taken on Tuesday evening during the windy weather. It really looked like we were going to get a really spectacular sunset but the sun disappeared behind the haze very quickly and in truth it was a bit "watery". It was not easy to capture either because of the high wind. Too windy for a tripod and too dark for a fast shutter speed, I had to lie on the ground supporting the camera on my elbows to get some shots, and even then many of them were blurred because the wind was so strong.

After visiting Roonagh pier in the storm on Monday evening, we decided to stop by Carramore beach on the way home and were surprised to find people in the water!! There were a small group of surfers taking full advantage of the stormy weather!!

The wind has calmed and the phone and email and internet has been restored! How did we ever manage before we got the internet? Yesterday while the wind was still strong, I went with my friend Michael to Achill Island, to visit Cloughmore a place that is often good for wave shots. It was really amazing, difficult to work because the wind was so strong, a tripod was out of the question and the sea spray carried a long way in the wind. The most useful piece of equipment I had with me was a tea towel that I used to dry the camera between every shot!

Had trouble posting today due to lack of phone and Internet following the high winds. I went to Roonagh pier, which is where you get the ferry to clare island. The wind and waves weren't as high as I expected but I did get some pictures.

Just watched Ireland Vs USA in the Rugby. USA did well and got a great try at the end, but things don't look great for the Irish team, still it was good to see the Americans do well on what must be a very difficult day for them. Its hard to believe its ten years since the attack on the twin towers.

Todays picture was taken earlier this week, at Lough Conn near Ballina, the weather has been really bad , but I was driving to Ballina when the weather cleared so I took a short detour to get the picture.


All the places on the photo weekend have now been filled.

There is now only one place left on the digital photography weekend! So contact me if you want to join us. See yesterday's post for details.
Todays picture is of the round tower, or at least what remains of it, at Balla. Balla is the next town to Kiltimagh. It seems almost surreal to see the round tower so close to the houses of the town. But it also shows how old the town must be.

Anybody interested in a Digital Photography weekend? Due to a late cancellation I have two places available on my next weekend which is in mulranny, starting on Friday evening sept16th through to Sunday18th. the normal cost is €300 but I can offer these two places at only €150 each. so if you are interested give me a call or email.

Todays picture was taken near murrisk, I would have preferred if all three horses had their heads up, and I shouted and clapped from the side of the road but he (she) happily ignored me.

Back to the archives again today !! I was looking through hundreds of pictures last night, most were what I call "near misses", images that are not bad, but not good enough to use for the website or for sale. Im not sure how I missed this one, taken near Roonagh . Most of the pictures taken on that occasion had water on the lens from a shower of rain so I was delighted to find this one among them!

Plenty of rain again yesterday and I did not take the camera out. I did watch Irelands soccer team do a real Houdini act in Moscow.!! Final score was 0-0 . But i dont know how the Russians did not score.

Today's picture is of one of my favourite views of Croagh Patrick and Clew Bbay taken from near Mulranny. This one is a little unusual because of the low cloud.

Today's picture was taken on the same beach, and about 15 minutes after yesterdays sunrise picture, isn't it amazing how quickly things change!!

As predicted the weather for yesterday's one to one training was as bad as it can get!!. However it was only light rain when Annie and I set off at 5.30am for Old head beach. We got there about 15 minutes before sunrise and were treated to a most spectacular display. we should have heeded the warnings though, you know the one "Red sky at night , shepherd's delight, red sky in the morning, shepherds WARNING ! Within ten minutes of rising, the sun was gone, and the real rain started, and did it rain! Im not sure what we looked like down at Doolough and Delphi, me holding an umbrella against the horizontal rain while Annie struggled with the controls of her camera. As we got back into the car at Delphi the umbrella was blown apart, and we called it quits! In the afternoon we worked on photoshop, and the rain stopped and the sun came out ! Still Annie got some great pictures despite the weather and the sunrise was really really special.

I think this could be my earliest posting ! It is 12.20am . Later this morning I have a one to one Landscape day with Annie. Annie has travelled up from Cork and we met this evening to go through some of the camera basics before we meet at 5.30 am to chase a sunrise! The forecast for tomorrow is not great so we may spend lots of time under the brolly. The training is not dependent on the weather because photography is photography and we are concentrating on composition and technique, but it would be nice to get some good light, so heres hoping.

Yesterdays weather was pretty miserable and this morning is not much better. I have a one to one Landscape day tomorrow, and the forecast is not good for that either. Anyway its back to the archives again I am afraid. Although this picture was taken on a wet day also.

I arrived home from Cork late last night and am exhausted from all the driving. I had intended to go out early this morning for some photographs, but while the spirit was willing the body was not ! I am now preparing for a one to one class photography I have later this morning. I am posting a twilight picture taken with a very slow shutter speed in July.

I am in Cork since yesterday, so no new pictures. I did get a new filter holder though !! I called into Barker photographic when I got to Cork yesterday, I use Barker alot ,they usually send me anything I order, so I caled in to say hello and get some ink and paper, and there on the counter were some LEE filters!!!
Anyway todays picture is of letterkeane woods further upstream to yesterdays picture.

The hunt for the filter holder was in vain . The water that I thought was maybe two or three feet deep turned out to be at least five feet deep ! Given that the filter hoder was made mainly of plastic it would have travelled a little bit before reaching the bottom. I had thought I would be able to stand in the water and feel around on the bottom , I made one attempt to lower myself in to the water but as the water almost reached my waist and I could not feel the bottom I pulled myself out again. Barry(my son) who had come to ensure my safety, had at this point, the video going on the iphone and was only encouraging me to continue !! Not sure what his motivation was !! But I suppose Dad getting a good soaking is always good for a laugh. It was at this point that Barry did the sensible thing and got a large stick from the forrest floor and used it to feel the bottom. The stick was five feet long and he just reached the bottom. We abandoned the rescue and I will just have to get the little plastic card out !! Here is a picture of the rescue site, the filter holder actually fell into the area in the bottom left of the picture.

It was a lovely day in Mayo yesteday but I did not get out with the camera. I am hoping to get my filter holder back from the river this morning, my son Barry has agreed to come and hold my feet! So heres hoping!!
Today's picture of an early morning view of Croagh Patrick was taken earlier this month.