I was there too
Just before I left Warsaw, I spotted these four women leaning against the wall of the stairs to the train station, and they appeared to be Jehovah’s Witnesses. You’re no doubt familiar with them as they’ve taken to the streets as well as calling to homes to spread the Word. In Poland, it appears that there are 116,307 “ministers who teach the bible” according to their website.
Anyway, now I want to watch Life of Brian…
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 125 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
A nearby tree and bushes were silhouetted against the dying light of the sun, as it had just set behind the distant hill.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 125 |
| Shutter speed | 1/125s |
Blarney Castle can be seen above the trees of the surrounding area as the sun set last Thursday evening. Blarney Photography Club took the opportunity of a lovely evening to walk around the village and nearby to photograph the area. This photo is, of course, taken from Ring Wood, off Station Road.
Did you know that membership of Blarney Photography Club is now open to all (over 18s)? The new season starts in September and the club is holding an open night on September 5th at the local secondary school. Doors open at 7:30pm. I’ll be there, as will other members of the club. The famous Beginners and Improvers Photography Course will start the following week, and the 8-week course is great value at only €75. You’ll also become a member of the club, so you’ll be welcome to our weekly meetings, outings, competitions, practical sessions and more.
Visit the Club open night web page for further details!
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/50s |
Visiting the Mural Room in the Courthouse of Santa Barbara was a treat I was not expecting. The murals depict the history of the region, sometimes inaccurately, as they include Peter Pan, Robin Hood and Errol Flynn!
| Aperture | ƒ/2.2 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 2.2mm |
| ISO | 500 |
| Shutter speed | 1/30s |
The train tracks of Birkenau concentration camp in Poland lead off to the front gate. The camp is only a 5 minute bus journey from Auschwitz, along a road bordered by a train track. It’s surreal passing by homes, businesses and people walking about living their lives next to these places.
Tourists gather around the building, listening to their tour guides.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 160 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
An angel checks her phone and takes a photo during the Cork Pride parade last weekend.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 500 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
I loved to see all the support for transgender rights at the Cork Pride Parade last weekend.
Mammies for Transgender Rights can be found on Instagram here.
| Aperture | ƒ/5.6 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 73mm |
| ISO | 500 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
One of the (many) highlights of the Cork Pride parade is the massive rainbow flag that accompanies the marchers through the city. It was unfurled on Grand Parade where a jubilant crowd carried it and waved it in preparation for the trip around the city. I noticed a bump in the middle, and saw the reason underneath. 🙂
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 500 |
| Shutter speed | 1/6400s |
The Commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, lived in the large house at the end of this road. It sits right outside the concentration camp where so many people were put to death, but a family lived here, and they are the subject of a 2023 movie, The Zone of Interest.
When I visited the camp last week, the guide made an offhand remark while pointing in the direction of a locked gate, saying, “That’s where the camp commandant lived with his family.” My group were on our way to Gas Chamber 1, so nobody went to look, but I stuck my camera over the gate and recorded a photo of an ordinary street with parked cars outside a red brick building and the family home further down. Watch the trailer of the movie, and you’ll recognise the shape of the roof in the background. Gave me chills.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 200 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
At the Cork Pride party today, Bambie Thug performed for the crowd, and came on stage proudly waving the transgender flag. The party was great, and the parade was full of energy, colour, smiles and happiness. If you missed it this year, make sure to go next year. It’s a great event!
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 5000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/2000s |
Young men climbed on a public toilet in the centre of Warsaw this afternoon to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.
At 5pm, sirens rang out and suddenly red flares were lit as a large cargo plane flew overhead. Smoke from the flares filled the air, and it got noticeably cooler as the sun was temporarily blocked.
The flares and smoke cleared within minutes, and a commanding voice in Polish continued to talk to the massive crowd.
Earlier in the day, we observed a simple military service. Two elderly people were there, and it’s obviously about the Uprising, but if anyone recognises them, I’d love to know more.
This episode of Dan Snow’s History Hits podcast does a great job covering what happened when Poles rose up against heir Nazi occupiers 80 years ago today. I found a Reddit thread about it too.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 124mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/800s |
