Your future: wear a beard

Important decisions in life. What job will I do in the future and should I wear a beard? I’ve got the job bit covered, but would I look better with a beard? I think there’d be trouble if I tried growing one! 🙂

The wearbeard sticker really caught my eye. It’s just weird to create a site about that but it takes all sorts I guess.

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/250s

Margi, of Ladywolf Glass

Margi is an artist and business woman living in Oracle, Arizona in the US. She makes beautiful handmade jewelry and glass beads from this small building near an iron smith in the town. I bought a few items for my wife and she loves them.

If you’re near Oracle, call in and say hi. She’s busy but is lovely to chat with and will gladly sell you beautiful jewelry!

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/160s

Fred Fans Go Wild!

Two enthusiastic fans of Cork band, Fred, when they played at the May Day celebrations in Cork back in 2005. I loved their first album, but the second one was just more of the same. Great to hear and watch live though!

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera CYBERSHOT
Focal length 17mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/250s

Shih Tzu in the sun

We attended a beautiful christening in Fermoy today and afterwards it was off to Mitchelstown where we joined the other guests in a light lunch of finger food and sandwiches. Loved that apple tart afterwards. Yum!

This is our shih tzu, Oscar, who we took along for the drive. After the main course was over half the crowd piled out onto the adjoining terrace and so I got Oscar from the car. He had a great time, and was a big hit with all the kids but we did warn them he was a little odd and liable to snap so they were careful. Later I checked the temperature in the car dashboard and it said 25C which I hope is as hot as it’s going to get in Ireland this year. I had to seek the shade, it was so hot!

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/250s

Fancy ass public transport

OK, so it’s not quite a bus, but it’s a stretch limo. I saw it again today cruising up and down Patrick’s Street with the rear window open a crack. I’d hate to see that try to navigate a tight bend!

Aperture ƒ/5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 12mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/250s

The birds of Schull

Two seagulls wander into the water on the slip that serves the Bere Ferry in Schull Harbour.

Jacinta was the first to notice that actually, the Bere Ferry does not go from Schull. It lands at Castletownbere! Oops!

Aperture ƒ/9
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 22mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/125s

T.J. Newman, Schull

We had lunch in T.J. Newman’s in the town of Schull last month. Lovely thick bread in the sandwiches I got. Kept us going for ages and tasty too! Adam loved looking at all the paintings upstairs!

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/125s

Hungry Cat

A hungry, scrawny cat came up to us while walking around Schull in Co. Cork last weekend. The poor thing was crying for food and affection. This was the first time Adam saw a real cat and he was delighted but we had to leave the poor thing to fend for itself.

I discovered that the Irish name of the town called Schull is “Scoil Mhuire”, a much nicer name IMO. In English that would be “Mary’s School”, or more likely, “St. Mary’s School”. West Cork is so beautiful but the basterdisation of Irish names is shocking. I even saw a sign for a town called “Snámh” which had been translated as “Snave”. “Snámh” is the verb, “to swim” in English. Perhaps the town was created by an English landlord and named “Snave” first and then named “Snámh” by the Irish?

PS. Congrats to fellow Mallow Camera Club member, David Lavery, who left his comfortable 9-5 day job to become a wedding photographer in Mallow, Co. Cork a year ago today! Not many would take the jump, so I hope he’ll get that blog rolling and write about his experiences. I know I’d like to hear about them!

Aperture ƒ/5.6
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/80s

The stag in the English Market

I remember seeing a shot Alkos took of this stag or deer on a wall near the English Market in Cork. I must dig up a link to it. Anyway, that shot was on my mind when I took this photo and I really like how it turned out!

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 1600
Shutter speed 1/50s

Boats and fishing tackle

Boats and lobster pots (I presume?) lie on the quay in Bantry. This area is a must see for photographers. There are so many things to see you could spend hours there just snapping away!

Aperture ƒ/5.6
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/80s

Sheila

This boat, Sheila, has been tied up in Cobh for I don’t know how long. This photo was taken in 2006 but the last time I was in Cobh around this area I remember seeing it. I wonder what’s the story with it?

Aperture ƒ/5
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/50s