The swans they are a coming Swans rush to the bank of the Lough looking for bread from the crazy guy hanging over the water with a large black object… This shows off one of my favourite night-time techniques. Long exposure with a flash. The long exposure captures the background while the flash illuminates the…

The Moonlit Shipyards The shipyards in Rushbrooke, just outside Cobh are still active although much quieter now than during their heyday. The cranes make for great photography against the moonlit sky. This was shot from across the River Lee in Passage last November. FRLinux asked about settings so here they are, including post-processing: Flickr’s exif…

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…

Unhappy Child A small girl walks mournfully into the shopping center on Paul Street clutching her “BT Kids” balloon, probably handed to her by this lady.

Odd one out A charity collector stops to watch street entertainers on Patrick’s Street last October. The orange and red costume stands out just a little bit next to the dark clothing of those around him. I almost jumped with glee when I saw this scene in front of me but the image itself paled…

Footprints on a sandy beach on the Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry. The blue sky, fluffy clouds, golden sand and warm breeze are just the tonic for a relaxing break away from it all.

Alone in the park A dog, a tree and a park bench in the Lee Fields, Cork. I took Oscar, our shitzu, for a short walk at the Lee Fields a while back and made this image during what was a fairly uneventful walk. Neither of us was in the mood for a walk but…

Leading lines and bright lights Studs on the ground lead down to the traffic lights on the South Mall, Cork. In this long exposure shot a couple of cars passed by providing a nice light trail in the background. The twinkling of the street lighting is from the narrow aperture. Setting the aperture as small…

The witch and the balloons A witch hands out balloons to young kids outside Brown Thomas on a late October Saturday. Just out of frame of this shot is a woman who has asked for a balloon. The witch explains that the balloons are just for the kids.. I wonder why? More on this later.

King of my world A child is carried atop his parent’s shoulders on St. Patrick’s Street, Cork a few weeks ago. I really like this shot, for what reason, I’m not sure. Maybe it’s the brightness and flowery design of the clothing worn by parent and child compared to the passers by. I’m sure both…

Friends together Friends talk and laugh on the street while busy shoppers pass on either side. Pictured on St. Patrick Street, Cork last October in front of Penneys. I love my wide angle lens!

Stepping out of the crowd A girl steps away from the maddening crowd on a busy street. This was a bit of an experiment for me. I blurred the background by making a duplicate layer, blurring, adding a layer mask and then revealing the girl through the layer mask. It’s not perfect, and in fact,…