A doggy resting in the shade

A Jack Russell lying in the shade at the recent Dawstown Point-to-Point horse racing. It was warm, and the sun was bright, so he made a beeline for the shade afforded by his human dad standing nearby.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length366.2mm
ISO160
Shutter speed1/500s

The view from St. Peters in Munich

St. Peter’s Church, or Alter Peter, in Munich is the tallest building in the vicinity. Local regulations prohibited building taller buildings except for a few years a while back when ugly glass office blocks were built a few kilometres away. That’s the Frauenkirche, a large gothic church in the middle distance.

So, you get a great view of the city, and it was nice to go up there to wait for the sunset. Unfortunately, the sky was mostly clear so the eventual sunset wasn’t that amazing but I loved seeing the city from this vantage point.

Beware, it takes 4 minutes to walk down. I didn’t record how long to get up. My legs were like jelly afterwards!


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/250s

A kite at the Basant Festival

I visited Carrigaline yesterday for the Basant Kite Festival. It was a lovely day, and the forecast rain stayed away for most of the afternoon. Here’s one of those kites flying high over the bandstand in the town. There weren’t many kites flying but it was lovely to see them!

I asked Bing to generate an image for me of people flying kites at this festival and it came up with some odd looking ones. DALL-E really is nowhere near as good as Midjourney, but this was the best one.


Apertureƒ/9
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length240mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/1600s

A Collie in Gougane Barra

When I went to Gougane Barra with Blarney Photography Club a few weeks ago, I met the cutest collie ever. He was so chill and friendly, and he had this gorgeous white and brown fur that matched the scenery perfectly. I think he works at the hotel nearby, but he didn’t charge me for his cuddles.


Apertureƒ/1.7
CameraGalaxy S23 Ultra
Focal length6.3mm
ISO80
Shutter speed1/180s

Dawstown Point to Point, 2023

A horse and jockey race to the finish, followed closely by others.
A horse and jockey jump the fence
A horse and jockey jump the fence, closely followed by others
A horse and jockey jump the fence, with others before and after him

I had a great time today at the Dawstown Point-to-Point horse racing event! The races started at 2 pm and continued until 4.30 pm, and I went with some of my buddies from the Blarney Photography Club. We positioned ourselves near the second last jump, and it was a super fun day filled with lots of action and photography opportunities. I’m excited to share this selection of my favourite shots with you!


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length600mm
ISO2500
Shutter speed1/2000s

The eye on the street

If you’re a fan of street art, you’ll love this vibrant and eye-catching hoarding in Cork City. What was once a dull and drab barrier around a derelict site has been transformed into a colourful canvas of graffiti. The hoarding is situated on the corner of Sheare Street and Grattan Street and it’s impossible to miss its bold and striking presence.

While the small one-storey building that once stood on this spot may be long gone, the art that has taken its place is alive with energy and creativity. I was particularly drawn to the striking eye that gazes out at the world from the corner of the hoarding. It’s a powerful reminder that even in the midst of decay and neglect, there is always beauty to be found in unexpected places.


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/1600s

Breathtaking Border Mountains in Germany

Here’s another photo from my recent team meetup in Germany, where we got to see these incredible mountains that span the border of Germany and Austria. We were up pretty high too, around 1500m at Bergstation Herzogstandbahn, which made for a wonderful view.

Of course, the weather wasn’t exactly on our side – those ominous black clouds overhead made it feel like it could start raining or snowing at any moment. But honestly, it only added to the atmosphere and the sense of adventure. It wasn’t too cold at first, but on the way back to the gondola, the weather turned, and it got noticeably colder up there. It was totally worth it to see this incredible natural wonder. I just can’t get over how powerful and peaceful nature can be at the same time.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length172mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/1250s

Exhausted on Snowy Slopes

We had trudged up and down rugged hills, wearing snow shoes, until we finally came to a stop, feeling sore and utterly exhausted. The sun blazed down on us as we stood at 1500m on a crisp, clear day. Ahead of us loomed another hill, descending a valley and then ascending at a steep incline. At the bottom, we spotted two skiers preparing to travel further down the slopes.

In the foreground, a sign attached to a precarious, leaning pole caught our attention. It commanded us to “Halt”, but the sign pointing to the ski lift pointed upwards towards the sky, which was fitting because the ski lift itself ascended the side of a dauntingly steep hill.

Wisely, I believe, we decided to take a break for lunch instead of attempting that treacherous incline. 🙂


Apertureƒ/9
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length146mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/2000s