Bonfire Night 2012. The tradition being kept very much alive this year by the cubs and scouts of Boyle at their campsite in Lough Keel, Boyle, Co. Roscommon.
My Mum and Dad were 47 years married lastnight. Kisses to you both. XX
June 24, 2012
Happy Wedding Anniversary Mum & Dad!
Bonfire Night 2012. The tradition being kept very much alive this year by the cubs and scouts of Boyle at their campsite in Lough Keel, Boyle, Co. Roscommon.
My Mum and Dad were 47 years married lastnight. Kisses to you both. XX
June 19, 2012
Summertime?
Coming towards the end of June, school will finish soon, it's holiday time in Ireland ... but you'd never think it if you were going by the weather!
Photo: Taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 in AF Macro mode.
Photo: Taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 in AF Macro mode.
June 12, 2012
Congratulations to this year's recent graduates from the Faculty of Education at NCAD. I wish you all, every success for the future!
View the Graduate Catalogue HERE.
May 16, 2012
April 24, 2012
Longford Railway Station
There has been some dramatic and changeable weather across the country lately, the sky has been in a constant state of turbulence and shifts between vivid blue and moody, smouldering grey making for interesting backdrops to any image. I've caught a few with a pocket camera on my travels, snapshots for fun mostly. I'm very relaxed about my photography these days but still always looking for the next picture.
Photo: Lumix LX5
April 15, 2012
Thich Nhat Hanh - “The Miracle of Mindfulness” in the Dublin Convention Centre (16 photos)
Click photo for more from this event.
March 6, 2012
Clontarf Dublin
I found myself on the East coast today near Clontarf to consider some long exposure locations for future visits when I have more time. These images are very much straight from the camera and accurately reflects the light there. Shot with a Lee 3-stop Hard Grad ND filter. This particular filter is fast becoming one of my favourites at the moment.
Lower image: Camera on tripod. ISO 100. 1/40 @ f/6.3. 10-20mm lens @ 10mm.
March 4, 2012
Aughris Head, Sligo
Sunday 4th March. Beautiful light at Aughris Head today but wasn't in a 'picture-taking' frame of mind. I thought this scene of seagulls tailing the surfer was worth having though.
February 29, 2012
February 23, 2012
A shed in the country.
I remember a while back when the 'Wonderbra' billboard ads decorated the Irish landscape and the uproar they caused. That was back in the early 90's. We've come a long way since then though, haven't we!?
Read the press clipping HERE.
Read the press clipping HERE.
February 11, 2012
Terminal 2. Dublin Airport
Absolutely coming back here for a Black & White shoot. 'Flying' visit to the airport today but stole a few minutes to take some photos of the new Terminal 2 building with my Lumix compact.
Photo: Lumix LX5 Exif Data
Photo: Lumix LX5 Exif Data
February 10, 2012
February 9, 2012
The Parlor
Photo: Hand-held. ISO 400. 10mm wide-angle lens. 1/80 @ f/4. SB 800 on-camera @1/2 bounced vertically (the ceiling was very dark so the light spill was very subtle).
In ACR, I adjusted the white balance only and opened it in PS. I subsequently adjusted the Curve slightly via the colour channels. A Warm Filter adjustment layer was added at 40% to bring back some warmth and atmosphere. Next I done a little canvas rotation using 'Transform' to straighten the verticals and cropped. I finished it by running a Guy Gowen sharpening action pulled back to 30%.
January 24, 2012
After the weekend BCC Shoot in Roscommon, I am still in 'church interiors' mode. Founded in 1874, St. Augustine and St. John's RC Church is in the heart of Liberties Dublin and right beside my place of work. I was out for lunch today and detoured inside to check the light. This is a very beautiful but dark church, particularly gloomy today and challenging for any decent DSLR. However, on this occasion I had only my Lumix LX5 in my pocket and no tripod ... still, I decided to have a go. This scene is to the left of the main alter and is illuminated with an assortment of artificial lights and candles making it difficult to assess white balance. Kneeling in front against the marble rails, I held the camera fast against a brass handrail and used the self-timer to fire the 2.5-second, single exposure. I think the Lumix done a fairly decent job of it under the circumstances.
I intend to return shortly with some proper gear for a more thorough exploration.
Photo: Lumix LX5 Exif Data
January 23, 2012
Sacred Heart Church - Roscommon
Members of Boyle Camera Club visited Roscommon Town at the weekend and visited some of the local landmarks. Sacred Heart is a gem of a church, built in 1903, it has been renovated recently and ranks as one of Ireland's finest religious buildings.
Photo: Nikon D300s with Sigma 10-20mm wide-angle lens. Bracketed exposure, 3 frames blended in PS.
January 21, 2012
January 20, 2012
Kelly's Supervalu - Boyle
I came back to the car after getting some bits and pieces at the supermarket and was taken by the scene during this, 'the blue hour'. The light was poor and there was a constant buzz about the place with distracting head-lights blazing and the foot-traffic going too-and-fro. I propped the digital compact on the wing-mirror of my car and using manual mode, tapped in a 2-second exposure at ISO 100. I used the self-timer to take the shot.
Photo: Exif Data. Shot in JPEG with a Leica V-LUX 20. Processed in ACR with additional contrast and saturation adjusted in PS5. The result is noisy but from a 6mm x 4.5mm sensor, in these lighting conditions and using a compressed JPEG file, I was content with the result. The Lomo Effect was applied for visual appeal, not to disguise the poor quality of the shot.
January 19, 2012
Leica V-Lux 20 Test-Drive
I've had a Leica V-LUX 20 compact point-and-shoot for a few days now and am bringing it through it's paces. It might seem that I've forsaken my DSLR, and to tell the truth - for the short term at least - I've done just that. For the last three month's or so, most of my photography has been realised using a variety of 35mm film cameras, mobile phone, a 3Q HD and a Lumix LX5. I'm now adding the Leica to that list. I guess the main reason for abandoning the DSLR is lifestyle, I simply don't have the time to indulge in personal and deliberate photo shoots ... but I think about them quite a lot. In any case, the subject matter of my recent images is appropriate to the digital compact - photos taken on-the-fly of what ever catches my eye at any given time. I must say, I enjoy the freedom of it all and would go so far as to say it's changing the way I think about taking pictures. As all of these images may never reach a print stage, I don't need the resolution or quality of a DSLR sensor. If anything, I'm developing a greater appreciation and respect regarding the restrictions (and advantages) posed by the digital compact camera which most of my students must come to terms with in their work.
The Leica V-LUX 20 is a clone of the Panasonic Lumix TZ 10. In fact I believe both cameras are made in the same factory. There is however a price difference of about €300 between them. On the surface, the only difference between the cameras is the red dot sported by the Leica, it also has GPS tagging which I think is absent from the Lumix version. Apart from that, the cameras are identical. So how much did it cost me then? Lets just say I got an offer I couldn't refuse.
I'll be disclosing my opinions about the Leica in the weeks ahead but for the moment I'll let the images do the talking. On that note, keep in mind that the V-LUX 20 does not have RAW capability, images are in JPEG and I'll be running them through ACR to tweak white balance and contrast.
Photo: Water Tower, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. Shot in hard light to test dynamic range capability. Result ... look in the shadows ... pass!
Leica V-LUX 20 Exif Data
Leica V-LUX 20 Exif Data
Costello Memorial Chapel in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, second smallest chapel in the world!!
Photo: Leica V-LUX 20 Exif Data 1. Exif Data 2.
January 18, 2012
January 16, 2012
Franciscan Friary - Claregalway
I passed through Claregalway over the weekend where I visited the ruins of the local Franciscan Friary. This curious stone, set in one of the walls, caught my attention.
Photo: Lumix LX5 Exif Data 1. Exif Data 2. Exif Data 3.
January 12, 2012
Sunset - Kinnegad, Co. Westmeath
Anyone on the road this evening will have witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets in many weeks. It retained it's vibrancy for almost an hour, testament to the stretch (however small) in the evenings. I struggled to find a decent subject or place to pull-in along the N4. However, I didn't allow it to take from my enjoyment of the event.
Photos: Lumix LX5 Exif Data 1. Exif Data 2.
January 7, 2012
January 6, 2012
OCCUPY Dame Street - Dublin
With protesters planning to stay “as long as it takes” and no official complaints to the relevant authorities lodged against them, “Occupy Dame Street” looks set to remain outside the Central Bank in Dublin for the foreseeable future.
The protesters set up their camp on the plaza outside the Central Bank before Christmas.
According to Dublin City Council, the area “occupied” is outside its jurisdiction as it is clear of the public footpath. While the council confirmed it had received one complaint from a business located behind the bank, it maintained it was not in a position to act.
“As it is private property, Dublin City Council has no authority to move these people,” a spokeswoman said.
The camp is located on property belonging to the bank and as such it is a matter between the bank and the Garda, she added.
On average during the week, between 20 and 30 people are on site outside the bank but protesters said that number could swell to up to 150 during the weekend, when people had more free time.
“We will be here as long as it takes,” one protester said.
Gardaí said that no complaints have been lodged and added that, while they were monitoring the situation, there were no incidents of unlawful behaviour to report.
Text Source: The Irish Times
Photos: Lumix LX5
January 5, 2012
Self Portrait - Driving
Photo: Lumix LX5 Exif Data
Processed in ACR and Silver Efex Pro. Finished with Motion Blur and Lomo Action in PS5.
Processed in ACR and Silver Efex Pro. Finished with Motion Blur and Lomo Action in PS5.
January 3, 2012
The Caves of Keash - Co. Sligo
Keshcorran hill is the location of 13 small caves at the foot of a steep limestone cliff, access via the R295 between Boyle and Ballymote. As with the Bricklieve mountains, this hill is of pre-glacial origin. The caves are small, but the portals are high enough to stand under. There is a large hilltop cairn situated on the summit at a height of 362m above sea level, making it the highest cairn in County Sligo - around 30m higher than Maeve's Grave on Knocknarea.
Some of the caves were explored in 1901 and again in 1929. Bones of reindeer, boar, wolf and arctic lemming were found, along with a large variety of birds, including rare or extinct species. Brown bear also occupied the caves for long periods.
Prehistoric man was not a frequent visitor, but from the 8th to the 11th centuries there were more signs of human presence in the caves, such as remains of fires, animal bones, shellfish debris, various implements and articles of personal adornment. The ridge top was the site of ritual gatherings at seasonal festivals such as Lughnasa, until the last century.
Photo: Lumix LX5
January 1, 2012
Lough Key Forest Park - Boyle
Photo: LX5
The Windy Gap - Co. Mayo
The Windy Gap is a narrow stretch of twisting and uneven road that cuts through the Ox Mountains between Lough Talt in Co. Sligo and Bonniconlon in Co. Mayo. It's a lonely and desolate landscape, populated by flocks of mountainy sheep that sleep by the roadside (and often on it) during the night. It's also a very beautiful place, in any weather.
Photo: Lumix LX5
December 31, 2011
Fox Hunt Display about Boyle
I'm not in the least sympathetic to the activity of Fox Hunting in this country but the spectacle of riders and dogs is something I've seldom witnessed. On this occasion, the 'display' was in aid of a worthy local cause.
More photos HERE.
More photos HERE.
December 30, 2011
Streedagh - Co. Sligo
Location scouting. A very windy day on the west coast of Ireland, but a very dramatic and beautiful place, definitely worthy of a visit in the near future.
Photos: Top - D300 & bottom - Lumix LX5
December 23, 2011
Andy Irvine - Musician
ANDY IRVINE is one of the great Irish singers, his voice one of a handful of truly great ones that gets to the very soul of Ireland. He has been hailed as "a tradition in himself".
This shot was taken during the Boyle Arts Festival in July when Andy played alongside fellow musicians, Patrick Street. Impossible low-light environment and I couldn't get within 50 metres of the stage.
This shot was taken during the Boyle Arts Festival in July when Andy played alongside fellow musicians, Patrick Street. Impossible low-light environment and I couldn't get within 50 metres of the stage.
December 22, 2011
December 20, 2011
Ted Maughan - Tinsmith. Heritage Day at the Ballina Salmon Festival 2011
The Ridge Pool, Ballina - Salmon Weir 2011
Photos: Top - Lumix LX5. Bottom - D300s
December 19, 2011
Townend near Troutbeck on Wendermere
The Brownes of Townend were just an ordinary farming family, but their home, Townend House, and belongings bring to life more than 400 years of extraordinary stories. It's easy to understand why Beatrix Potter described Troutbeck Valley as her favourite when you see the traditional stone and slate farmhouses and barns. This shed by the side of the road is a short walk from the main house. I sat on the wall a while taking it all in, it's nothing like the Irish countryside, this place has a well cultivated almost manicured beauty to it. Yet it has the rustic charm of an ancient landscape, coupled with the summer sunshine, it was easy to let the mind wander.
All photos: Lumix LX5
Western Belle Ferry on Ullswater Lake in Cumbria
Many regard Ullswater as the most beautiful of the English lakes. It is a typical Lake District narrow "ribbon lake" formed after the last ice age when a glacier scooped out the valley floor and when the glacier retreated, the deepened section filled with meltwater which became a lake.
Ullswater 'Steamers' offer trips around the lake calling at Pooley Bridge, Glenridding and Howtown. The 'Steamers' were originally working boats which from the 1850s moved mail, workers and goods to and from the Greenside lead mine at Glenridding, which closed in 1962. The boats are now powered by diesel. People often catch the 'Steamer' from Glenridding to Howtown and then return on foot along the lake shore to complete one of the most popular and scenic low-level walks in the Lake District.
Evening Light - Troutbeck River near Windermere
Photos: Lumix LX5
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