A kiss at Finn’s Corner

A kissing couple outside Finn’s clothing store on the corner of Grand Parade and Washington Street, Cork. This was way back in August last year when temperatures were a little higher than they are now.

Psychedelic colouring comes from the “soft light” plasma layer I plastered on top of the original black and white layer.

Edit: of course this is “Finn’s Corner”. I must have been half-asleep when I wrote the title of this post. Thanks to Mykel C for commenting, and Tony Finn for getting touch and correcting me. It’s much appreciated!

Aperture ƒ/5.6
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/320s

Father and son in the water

Father and son wading in the shallow water at Inch Strand, Co. Kerry last September.

I previously posted a picture of the child but this image demanded attention when I was looking for “sea” photos. I love the silhouettes, the colour, the waves and the clouds.

Happy Valentines Day!

Vote in the Irish Blog Awards!

Damien says there’s only three days left to vote in the Irish Blog Awards. 1100 people have voted and apparently we’re in for some shocks if voting patterns remain the way they are. So, thank you all who voted for me already, and if you haven’t voted, please take two minutes to vote for In Photos in the best Photoblog section.

Aperture ƒ/16
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 72mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/640s

Horse and Rider at Inchadoney

Riding through the waves at Inchadoney beach, Co. Cork. The horse loved the experience galloping up and down the beach with gusto!

Last night was themes night at the camera club and I had to come up with several images about the “sea”. Luckily I had a good few ready but I searched through my archives and found a few more. Expect more sea related images over the next few days.

Aperture ƒ/6.3
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 200mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/1250s

Family at the beach

Dad carries the forgotten kite, daughter walks through the water and mom basks in the sun of a glorious September afternoon at Inch Strand, Co. Kerry.

Tonight is theme night at the camera club. My theme is “The sea” so I went through my archives yesterday choosing suitable photos. This will be one, which is possibly stretching the definition a little but it does have breaking waves on a beach.

Vignetting was done using an overlay layer and a separate overlay was used to make the shadows of the clouds deeper. I could have burned them in as well but I like the way it turned out.

Aperture ƒ/10
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/250s

Many faces in the crowd

A crowd of Alcatraz sightseers prepares to disembark from the ferry back at San Francisco. From the expressions on a few faces I think they were wondering what that guy was doing with his camera held in the air!

I love the patterns in the roof and the contrast with the metal grill, you can’t take me anywhere that I won’t take a photo!

Aperture ƒ/4.5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 11mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/30s

The red and white man

A street entertainer on stilts entertained the crowd at the Midleton Food and Drink Festival last September. I took photos of him in Cork too and I think he recognised me and my wife as he made a beeline for us and stopped to chat.

This was shot from below as he was towering over us, but I cropped a much larger shot. I used flash to illuminate his face against the bright sky.

Aperture ƒ/9
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/250s

Alcatraz Staircase

A lonely staircase on Alcatraz is off-limtis to tourists but not to the eye of my camera.

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/125s

Corrugated Prison Roof

Visitors to Alcatraz Island walk about on the broad path up to the main prison building.

Some of the buildings on the island are in a bad state of repair, lacking everything but the brick walls that stand like a whitewashed skeletons. This building is about halfway up the hill and in much better condition.

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/125s

The gull and the flag

Two teenagers watch a seagull on the way back from Alcatraz Island in San Francisco. The US flag flutters in the same breeze that keeps the gull aloft, who no doubt is hoping for food from the boat full of tourists.

I’m going to be shooting at a fund raising night for Cope Foundation tonight. It’s an Eighties Night in the Ambassador Hotel here in Cork. It starts at 9:30pm, tickets are €12.50 on the door, and there’ll be spot prizes throughout the night! All are welcome, especially if you can get out your 80’s gear again. Time for big hair, leg warmers and shoulder pads?
If you’re there, watch out for me and say hi!

Aperture ƒ/16
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 20mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/320s

Tourists on the tram

Tourists on a tram in Chinatown, San Francisco. I got lots of smiles and waves from the passengers when they saw my camera pointed at them!

Aperture ƒ/9
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/160s

The couch on the street

A couch rests against a pole on a street junction in San Francisco. That’s a novel way of getting rid of unwanted furniture but I wonder who’ll pick it up? For all I know, it could still be there with a family of squirrels living in it.

The same happens everywhere. Here in Ireland bed frames, mattresses and other other furniture can sometimes be seen dumped by the side of the road, usually in the country away from the watchful eyes of the authorities.

John Harrington posts about cuts among staff photographers at major US publications. Not a good time to be working in the “old world media” in some places.

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/200s

Golden Gate Bridge in Fog

Tourists on a ferry pass by the fog shrouded Golden Gate Bridge
in San Francisco Bay.

The day was beautiful out near Alcatraz but fog covered the upper reaches of the bridge and I thought would make a pleasing shot.

PS. I’m not finished with photos from 2006 by a long shot!

Aperture ƒ/13
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 200mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/800s