Cornameeltha

Lucky and Billy have been with us from the beginning of our life at Cornameeltha. Inseparable, they're getting on a bit now but are two of the sweetest, most loyal companions anyone could ask for. No matter what kind of a day I had, it lifts my spirits to see their welcoming, wagging tails as I come down the drive from work.

Prague

You know the place ... the café beside the sculpture of the horse hanging up-side-down from the ceiling!

Photo: ISO 4000. Hand-held 1/30 @ f/4. 10-20mm lens at 10mm.

October in Prague

 

I had very little opportunity to photograph this beautiful city during my recent visit to Prague and was limited to grabbing low-light evening photos. On my final day I was rushing to find locations to take advantage of the 'Blue Hour' light, this was a hand-held test shot taken in advance of setting up the tripod for longer, bracketed exposures. It's the only one I took to measure the light using a shutter speed of 1/100 which froze motion (subsequently all the other long exposures blurred the busy, moving crowds).

Although it worked very well as a colour shot, I could see the BW potential which gives a vintage feel to the scene. I'm sorry now I didn't take more of these. The food vendors were one of the attractions for me as they were like beacons on what are mostly dark, poorly lit streets. Same location as previous shot but 25 minutes earlier ... the clock tells the story. Goes to show how long I was hanging about this spot.

Photo: ISO 800. 1/100 @ f/2.8

Tribute

I remember many years ago seeing a documentary where the artist Francis Bacon, gave some insight into his work. I've long forgotten the content of the film but have remained a great admirer of his painting. At a talk I gave yesterday on the influence of photography on Bacon's work, which was at times 'heated' to say the least, I revisited some of the books I have at home to see if I could justify my defence of his artistic genius ... I am resolute. I took this photo as a tribute.

Achill Henge, Co. Mayo

"Ireland has plenty of ancient settlements and monuments. But on Achill Island, off the far west coast - up a mountain and in the middle of a bog - sits a different kind of monument that locals are calling Achill-henge."

I was there on Saturday with some good friends to check it out. I have a feeling it will not age as well (or last as long) as the henge on the Salisbury plain.

More.

Adam O'Connor at The Fleadh in Cavan

Flava Floors is Cork's first and only true Hip Hop Dance Studio. Started by renowned Cork Breakdancer Adam ‘Dusto’ of the Rhythm Rebelz Crew. The Flava Floors Crew have a combined total of over 20 years dance experience, performing with the likes of Akon, Cascada and Rahzel as well as representing Ireland in the World HipHop Dance Championships in Las Vegas, Euro Battles in Portugal, Welsh BBoy Champs.

Main Street, Boyle at Night

A very calm 'night before the storm' that dominated the Irish weather on Thursday 15th August. I used to do quite a lot of night photography some years ago but I've moved away from it recently. In taking this shot, I relived the challenges and pleasures of it all. 5-minutes after taking the shot the rain came and the pleasure quickly evaporated.

Toasting Marshmallow

Many evenings have been spent toasting marshmallows this summer. A simple pleasure that the children (and their parents) really enjoy!

Bonniconlon Agricultural Show 2012

I visited the Bonniconlon Show on Bank Holiday Monday which, after 63 years, continues to draw crowds from far and wide. A great day out for the Irish farmer and his family!

More photos from the day HERE.

Reek Sunday 2012

A Sunday stroll ... for all my sins!
Click on the photo above to see more.

TWELVE

The Caves of Keash, Co. Sligo

Keshcorran hill is the location of 13 small caves at the foot of a steep limestone cliff. 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 bears also occupied the caves for long periods. Early 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.
On a recent visit with my son and his friend. we took some time out to admire the fine view which stretches all the way to Croagh Patrick, just visible on the horizon on the right 'thirds' axis.


View the scene Large HERE

Shrimping about the shores of Clew Bay

A really pleasant way to spend your time productively in Clew Bay as the tide comes in on the Mayo coast is to get yourself a net and bucket and comb the shrimp from the seaweed covered rocks. It's a very relaxing hobby and I believe you'll not get tastier shrimp anywhere on the Irish coastline!

Photo: Lumix LX5

Ballintubber Abbey, Co. Mayo

Ballintubber Abbey on a wet day in July. It's history goes back to pre-Christian times, people came from the east through Ballintubber on their way to the holy mountain on the west coast - now called Croagh Patrick.
When St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland in c.441AD, he founded a church at Ballintubber. The present Abbey was founded in 1216 by King Cathal O'Conor.

It is the only church in Ireland still in daily use that was founded by an Irish king.

Photo: Top - Lumix LX5 Bottom - Nikon D300s 

Doo Lough, Delphi Valley, Co. Mayo

A damp Summer day in Mayo when I took these at this beautiful part of the county. Seems it's always raining when I visit Delphi!

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

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.

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.

The Border

Photo: Lumix LX5

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

Thich Nhat Hanh - “The Miracle of Mindfulness” in the Dublin Convention Centre (16 photos)

Click photo for more from this event.

Roscommon Ploughing Championships 2012 held in Boyle (20 photos)

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.

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.

Hotel

Photo: ISO 3200. 10-20mm lens @ 10mm. 1/50 @ f/4

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.

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

Door is Always Open

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%.

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

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.

Silos at Stewart's Mill - Boyle

Photo: Lumix LX5 Exif Data

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.

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

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.

Preparations for First Communion

Photo: Meath Street, Dublin 8.
Lumix LX5 Exif Data

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.

The Road

Photo: Lumix LX5. Low-light performance test .... pass?  Exif Data

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.

Doon Shore on Lough Key - Boyle

Should be viewed up-side-down ... :-) 
Photo: Lumix LX5 Exif Data