A little like Peter Pan I get frustrated by a shadow, fall across rocks, talk to myself, shout at the sky, as I attempt to capture the raw beauty of Cruit Island and its deserted golden beaches in Donegal.
In The Field | Big Beautiful Beara
The latest YouTube blog takes me to the Beara Peninsula in the south of Ireland. It is a place I haven’t been to in a number of years, and to be honest its a place I need to visit more frequently. My travels and more importantly the images can be viewed on the video below.
In The FIELD | Winter Light
So after over indulging over Christmas, and more Covid lockdowns on the cards I made the short trip to my local beach in attempt to get my creative juices flowing again. The results can be seen on the vlog below.
Landscape photography - 2020 in Review
That time of the year again where I look back on my year in photography, reviewing all the images I captured on my travels, and making plans for where I intend to travel in 2021!!! Small problem, COVID 19, a virus that circled the globe, and put the brakes on all travel, and turned us all into mini epidemiologist, a profession I had never heard of before COVID kicked in.
To combat the spread of the virus, the Irish government like many others implemented restrictions on movement. The result has been that most of my photographic year was restricted to within 5KM of home, forcing me to cancel workshops and open my eyes to the beauty that resides on my own doorstep including my back garden.
Back in January 2020, before Ireland entered lockdown in March 2020, I managed to make a trip to Arranmore Island. Located off the coast of Donegal it is an Island that has been on my must-visit list for some time, and thankfully it didn’t disappoint. To say the Islands coastline is stunning, would be an understatement. During my brief visit, I captured several images, and made copious notes, earmarking other locations that I need to revisit. An article I penned appeared in PhotoPXL, while a YouTube video I made appears on my YouTube channel.
My base on the Island was a warm welcoming glamping pod, which was very welcome after getting soaked by the Atlantic. It also helped, that it was just around the corner from a pub, for a few late-night scoops. Pubs, remember them!!
Lockdown happened, and thankfully the woodland that sits on my doorstep went some way to helping me scratch my creative itch. Early mornings were spent under the spring canopy, listening to a cacophony of bird song, watching the early morning light paint the woodland, resulting in me capturing one of my favourite images of the year.
Colpe Woods
With travel restrictions lifted briefly I travelled to rural County Cavan, to a location called Tullydermott Falls, a place I had never been to before. It’s a real, gem and on this particular day, I spent a few hours capturing the beauty of the falls with no one else around.
The vlogs from this trip to Cavan can be viewed on the following YouTube urls Cavan Waterfalls & Cavan Landscapes
One of the new pieces of photographic hardware I acquired this years was a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone. A drone is something that has long been on acquisition list, and after discovering how easy they are to fly, I was kicking myself I hadn’t purchased one years ago.
My second flight of the drone was out over Dundalk Bay one early morning in August. The drone footage I captured I was delighted with and can be viewed on the YouTube video I made. Daybreak over Dundalk Bay
August brought me back to the Rosguill peninsula in County Donegal, where on one particular magical misty morning I made use of the drone to capture some boats sailing through a Misty dawn. I also managed to capture one or two images that I was quite pleased with. One, in particular, is a portfolio worthy image (see below ). You can see the drone footage and story of that trip on the video that appeared on my YouTube channel
Most recently, with restrictions back in place again I have been restricted to locations close to home. Which has meant I have been back out revisiting some old locations, trying to capture images. So when a rare icy misty descend long the mouth of the River Boyne, I trained my camera on the navigation beacons that mark the safe passage of the ships that sail up the river to the port of Drogheda. The images I captured are minimalistic, and not to everyone’s taste, but they are ones I am happy with, and that after all is what photography is all about, making images that appeal to you, and not the social media family.
Those images I captured can be viewed below and the behind the scenes footage on the making of these images can be viewed on the YouTube video below.
So as the page turns to 2021, I wish you peace, good fortune, good light and most importantly good health. Take care and hopefully I will see you In the Field.
Mist - Landscape photography Donegal Ireland
I spent a few days up in Donegal in mid August and thankfully I was greeted with some truly stunning conditions, the images and the story behind them can be viewed on the vlog below.
In The Field | Glenveagh, Co Donegal
The latest edition of In the Field, takes my out to perhaps my favourite location in Ireland - Glenveagh National Park in North West Ireland. Here I go in search of compositions that capture the Donegal landscape as it takes on its Autumnal coat.
In The Field | Morning has broken, Ireland
This edition of my In the Field landscape photography vlog, I head out along the Rosguill Peninsula in Donegal chasing the perfect shot over Trá Na Rossan Bay.
Check it out below:
In The Field | Salterstown, County Louth
The County Louth coastline around Salterstown is the latest location for my “In The Field” vlog. On this particular evening compositions were alluding me until the Sun went down, and things got interesting.
In the Field | Mullaghmeen, Co Meath
The latest edition of my “In the Field” vlog takes me out to Mullaghmeen forest in County Meath. A real hidden gem, it is one of the largest Beech Wood forests in Ireland, and was a real challenge to photograph. Check it out below.
In The Field | Woodland Challenge
The latest “In the Field” vlog locates me in Townley Hall, Co Meath, challenging myself to open my creative mind and find compositions in the wood. Check it out on the video below and see what happens.
Woodland Challenge.
Amongst the waves, Hook Head, Ireland
The latest edition of In the field, takes me to South East Ireland to Hook Head County Wexford. Check it out on YouTube on the link below.
At the Seaside & a bag full of Cat Pee
The latest “In the Field” vlog is available on YouTube. Filmed near the back beach at Falcarragh County Donegal, this episode takes you on a journey from capture to post processing.
In the Field | Majestic light over Tory Island
I was lucky enough to recently spend a week in Donegal photographing locations I have been to many times before, but more importantly, to explore new locations that I have long marked for exploration.
During that time, I managed to find some time to return to Trá Mór beach near Dunfanaghy to photograph the evening light over Tory Island. The results can be viewed in my latest vlog, which can be viewed below.
In the Field | Bloody Foreland, Donegal
The latest edition of my "In the Field" video journals is now live on youtube. Shot the night before I ran one of my 1-2-1 workshops, the location, up along Bloody Foreland in North West Donegal is spectacular.
In the Field - An Port, Donegal Ireland
I was lucky enough to return to "An Port" in County Donegal recently. It is a wildly remote and beautiful location, miles from the nearest village, it is a place that haunted me photographically speaking since I first visited it 12-15years ago.
The story of my recent trip can be viewed on my youtube channel at the link below.
In the Field - Achill Island, Co Mayo
Back in late September I made a visit to Achill Island, County Mayo Ireland to photograph its dramatic coastline. On arrival I was greeted with howling wind, dramatic light and a landscape that did not disappoint. The vlog below is the story of that trip.
In the Field - Sheephaven Bay, Donegal
The latest edition of "In the Field" my photography vlog is now up on YouTube. This edition comes from the shoreline in and around Sheephaven Bay in County Donegal Ireland.
In the Field - Creeslough, Donegal
The latest edition of my "In the Field" photography vlog is now up on YouTube. This edition sees me get off the beaten track and explore the remote Co Donegal landscape near Creeslough.
In te Field - Connemara
The latest In the Field vLog comes to you from the wildly beautiful Connemara region of Ireland. Long a favourite location of mine to explore, it was good to return and catch up with old friends, and of course the magnificent Connemara landscape.
In the Field - Murlough Beach, N Ireland
The latest "In the Field" Landscape photography vLog is now up and running on my YouTube Channel. In this edition I photograph the Dunes around Murlough beach, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains.