Photos – In Photos dot Org

Kinsale’s Waterfront Serenity

If you’ve ever been to Kinsale in Co Cork, you’ll immediately recognise the house and tree in the picture above. If you go back in my archives you’ll probably find a photo of it from another angle, but it’s so nice I thought I should take another photo. 🙂

TIL that style of large, spreading tree you see dominating this Kinsale scene is likely a Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani), which became incredibly fashionable to plant on Irish estates during the Georgian and Victorian periods. These trees were imported from the eastern Mediterranean and became status symbols for wealthy landowners. Having a mature Cedar of Lebanon on your property basically announced “we’ve been here long enough to grow something this impressive.” They can live for over 1,000 years and develop those distinctive horizontal, layered branches that make them instantly recognisable. The tree in this photograph is probably 150-200 years old based on its size and shape, meaning it was likely planted sometime in the early to mid-1800s when Kinsale was thriving as a fishing port and naval base. So that tree has essentially witnessed the entire modern history of the town!

Aperture	ƒ/5.6
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	49mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	2s

The Geometry of Retail

I was having a coffee and scone at the café in the Cornmarket Centre when I spotted the circles on the roof. Apparently they are acoustic baffles to absorb sound waves and echoes. I guess it is quite a large enclosed area..

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	320
Shutter speed	1/30s

When Art Meets Daily Life on Sullivan’s Quay

I love the murals around Cork City, and the mural on Sullivan’s Quay is particularly eye-catching. Ordinary life continues on, but at least we’re treated to the gorgeous colours whenever we pass by.

Aperture	ƒ/9
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	77mm
ISO	1600
Shutter speed	1/500s

Qween at the Cork Opera House

A guitarist with curly dark hair ala Brian May wearing a white shirt made yellow under the red lights and ornate waistcoat playing an electric guitar, with a keyboardist visible in the background at the Cork Opera House during a Qween tribute band performance

The Queen tribute band, Qween, played in the Cork Opera House on Saturday night to a packed audience and they were so great!

Check out this video from the gig. Go see them if you can!

Aperture	ƒ/3.5
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	25mm
ISO	2000
Shutter speed	1/500s

Irish Terrier Practises Street Yoga

Was it yoga, or was there another dog just out of frame and this Irish Terrier wanted to be friends?

Irish Terriers are one of the oldest terrier breeds and are nicknamed “daredevils” because of their famously spirited and fearless temperament. During World War I, Irish Terriers were used as messenger dogs in the trenches, carrying communications between units under incredibly dangerous conditions. They were so effective and brave that they earned widespread admiration. One officer wrote that they were “extraordinarily intelligent, faithful, and honest, and a man who has one of them as a companion will never lack a true friend.” That stretching behaviour you see in the photo? It’s actually a natural “play bow”. Dogs use it not just to stretch their muscles but also as a social signal to other dogs (and sometimes humans) that they’re feeling playful and want to engage. So this little terrier might just be inviting passersby on Oliver Plunkett Street to join in the fun!

Aperture	ƒ/9
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	160mm
ISO	1000
Shutter speed	1/500s

Where Water Meets Light

The sun had set behind the distant hills and the exposure times went up when I took this photo, but that’s what I wanted as the sea was rough and I wanted to make it silky smooth and misty at Owenahincha Beach last August.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	50
Shutter speed	8s

When Recycling Gets Serious

This small garden caught my eye. It would be a nice space if not for the obligatory bins that every household must have. The left wall is a lovely deep blue, matching the colours of the flowers there.

Aperture	ƒ/7.1
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	6400
Shutter speed	1/125s

The Summercove Hills

Parking up by Charles Fort is always easier than trying to get through Summercover near Kinsale. The road is very narrow and steep, both ways, if you’re trying to the to the Bulman Bar.

Those yellow diamond-shaped road signs are actually part of Ireland’s relatively recent road signage system. Before the 1970s, Ireland used the older British-style circular and triangular signs, but when the country adopted the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, they switched to these diamond-shaped warning signs, making Ireland one of the few English-speaking countries to use this continental European style. The “10%” gradient warning means the road drops 10 metres for every 100 metres travelled horizontally, which is steep enough that most driving instructors would consider it “character building” for learner drivers!

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	110mm
ISO	2000
Shutter speed	1/250s

Silhouettes Under the Bridge

A man and a woman look along the shoreline of the Thames in London, probably for old pieces of pipe which are common along there.

Above us was the modern Blackfriars Railway Bridge, and of course off in the distance is the London skyline.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	33mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/320s

Juggling Knives in London

I love that this street entertainer is wearing such bright and distinctive clothes but I wish his knives were brightly coloured. Still, the reaction of (some) people was worth it even if the background is too busy to see the knives properly.

Knives. He’s juggling knives over the head of a tourist lying on the ground. That could have ended badly, but people who perform in Covent Square are really good.

Street performers must audition for their spots in Covent Square through a formal licensing system managed by the local authority. Performers are allocated specific time slots and locations, with the most desirable pitches going to those who demonstrate the highest skill levels and ability to manage crowds safely. The system was introduced to maintain quality and safety standards after the area’s transformation from a working market to a major tourist destination in the 1980s.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	101mm
ISO	1600
Shutter speed	1/500s

Storm Light Over Owenahincha

Waves broke on the rocks at the edge of Owenahincha Beach a month ago.

Aperture	ƒ/7.1
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1.3s

A Milkcap in the Galtees

We took ourselves to Kings Yard near the Galtees today, and walked up a nearby trail next to a river. It was lovely there, so quiet except for the sound of the rushing water! There weren’t many mushrooms around yet but we spotted a bunch of them near the end of our walk and I was delighted to get a few photos of them!

Did you know, false saffron milkcaps are mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they form symbiotic relationships with tree roots, particularly spruces and firs? The mushroom helps trees absorb nutrients from the soil while receiving sugars in return. This partnership is so specific that finding these mushrooms often indicates the presence of healthy coniferous woodland ecosystems, making them useful indicators of forest health.

Aperture	ƒ/5.6
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	90mm
ISO	4000
Shutter speed	1/200s