Buncrana Coastline 3

Not technically correct as this is from Fahan, which is just south of Buncrana. The location for my early morning per-sunrise shoot. However it was a very overcast start to the day and I was not able to get the image I was after.

However I spotted this structure which looks like what’s left of a old pier.

Pier, Fahan, Buncrana, Co Donegal

I’m very happy with the above image. I like the composition and detail of the wooden beams and compare this to the soft mellow water and sky. The tide was in and it might make for an interesting image to shoot from under the  beams.

I left Fahan and moved to Ned’s Point. I have a couple more images to show before we move onto some images from my latest trip to Co Clare.

 

 

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Buncrana Coastline

I’m back a few weeks now from my Trip to Co Donegal. I was using Buncrana as my base. There is some great coastline around Buncrana to shoot.

Ned’s Point, Buncrana, Co. Donegal

 

I had some interesting cloud formations during one of the morning shoots. It didn’t look good for the planned sunrise shoot , but I moved location and was rewarded with a series of 5 images all taken around Ned’s Point. The rest of the trip was a bit of a washout due to low clouds and fine mist rain. I did manage to get to Malin Head, the most northerly point of Ireland, during a brief  dry spell but the resulting images are nothing to right home about. However I will post them so you can make your own minds up.

The wonderful bit of light I did get is put to good use in the above image. This light makes rocks in the foreground stand out against the dark cloudy sky. There was some very interesting cloud formations which you can start to see in this image and I will post the next image in this series during the week.

Old Head, Co.Mayo

Westport was the location for filming of Episode 2 of Dynamic Range video series. The first day’s filming was from Old Head, Westport, Co Mayo. Using the famous Croagh Patrick Mountain as our bacground.

Old Head, Sunset, Co Mayo

During the filming of the introduction it started to rain and the clouds started to roll in thus putting an end to the planned sunset image. However, all was not lost and the clouds did break and the resulting image above was taken. Using the clouds to aid the composition and draw the viewer into the image is what makes this image.  The long shutter speed has added drama to the waves.

You can find out more about the resulting image on the video which can be purchased from Dynamic Range Website

Trawleckachoolia ??

Or Silver Strand, Co Mayo if you are finding it hard to pronounce the name above.

Trawleckachoolia ( Silver Strand )

Peter Cox, Roger Overall and myself also knows as “Circle of Confusion” spent a couple of days in Westport scouting for locations for the next episode of “The Dynamic Range” video series. Since i know the Westport, Co  Mayo area the best as we go there  nearly twice a year for family holidays it was left up to me to find suitable locations.

How did I do ?

Well you will have to go The Circle of Confusion website and listen to the podcast along with the short video filmed my our Director, Roger to see how I did.

AllI will say is that we came away for the couple of days very pleased and we even got to take a couple of images also. This was not the prime reason and at time we turned away some wonderful opportunities to take some photos as it was not plan for this trip. However Roger did let Peter and myself of the hook at Silver Strand once all the pre-production work was done.

The light was only magic and lets hope we get this light again in March when filming starts. The image above is form Silver Strand looking south along the beach as the tide was coming in. Using a slow shutter speed in combination with the grad filters to capture the lovely flow of the water. I have a couple more image from this location as you shoot in any direction and come away with some wonderful images.

So stay tunned to see some more from Trawl………. Silver Strand.

Annagassan Sunrise

This image was taken a couple of years ago but only last week did I process the RAW file into something I liked.

 

Annagassan Sunrise.

 

Why ?

The answer to that question can be found the the Circle of Confusion Podcast No 15.

New Raw programs are getting better at processing the files to bring out more detail in the shadows and highlight areas. This was one such image.

I was going back through my old files to load a few into a new library to test Lightroom 4 Beta. I never use a Beta program on my master files just in case. You never know.

Taken one morning on the east coast of Ireland in a place called Annagassan which is between Drogheda and Dundalk Co Louth. The problem with this image is shooting into the very bright sun. The camera sensor was not able to capture the large dynamic range in the scene ( Dynamic range explained here ). Even with the use of a couple of ND Grad filters I was still not happy with the final image.

That has changed a bit when I opened the image in Lightroom 4. I was able to bring out the detail in the shadow in the foreground and keep the highlight from blowing out. I am really starting to like this image. I like the way the light hits the water and the rocks in the foreground. It also has a nice calming mood to the image.

 

 

 

Dinish Island Sunrise

Just as you think your never going to get that image….

On this trip to Kenmare the weather was mixed. Not great for photography as we had too much haze mixed with low clouds all during the day and not much better in the mornings for sunrise either. On the last day of the trip all the elements came together and I got the sunrise I was after.  This image shows Dinish Island, which is in the middle of Kenmare Bay, lit by the early morning rising sun.  I used this wonderful side lighting to bring out the texture of the stone slipway and used the slipway to lead you into the image.

Three days of sitting and waiting for the light was worth it me thinks.

Coornagillagh, Kenmare Bay.

I came across this location on the evening before but the clouds had rolled in and that was the end of the sunset. However the next day I came back this time a little earlier to see what it was like and go for a little walk around. The tide was low which made for so interesting foreground rocks to help in the composition.  In the image above you are looking straight out along the Kenmare Bay with Iveragh Peninsula on your right and the The Beara Peninsula on the left. You can’t really them with this portrait format but I think it helps the composition with the  way the rocks in the foreground led you into the image.

There is only one problem with this image- no sound. You can’t see them but you could here the Seals making some wonderful sounds. It added to the atmosphere  and will be added to the list of locations for the next episode of the Circle of Confusion Video series. Can’t wait to hear the sound on the video in the background while we try any part with some advice.