I was there too
The lighthouse on the island just off the coast by Ballycotton is always a nice subject for a photo. The night we were there, we hoped to photograph the moon rising behind the lighthouse but a large bank of cloud covered the horizon.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 124mm |
| ISO | 1600 |
| Shutter speed | 1/250s |
A doorway in Kinsale saying what we all hope for in this crazy, violent world. Free Palestine.
Videos I watched recently:
| Aperture | ƒ/7.1 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 3200 |
| Shutter speed | 1/125s |
A month ago, Cork City Council acquired 4 eyesore buildings at the top of North Main Street in Cork. They are in a prominent location and not used for much over the years – I remember a shoe store in one, a clothes store in the place next to it and a retro goods store too. They’ve been mostly derelict for a long time.
Hopefully they’ll be demolished and we’ll see something decent done with the location.
North Main Street sits on one of Cork’s oldest thoroughfares and was actually built on reclaimed marshland. The street runs parallel to what was once the original course of the River Lee before extensive land reclamation in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of the Georgian buildings here were constructed using limestone quarried from local Cork quarries, which is why they’ve developed that distinctive weathered patina that photographs so beautifully in black and white.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 12800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Father Mathew Quay is a road that is definitely closed. The tarmac has been torn up to be remade into something better, hopefully.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 25mm |
| ISO | 1000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Cork City, where birds have become incredibly adept at turning human carelessness into dining opportunities.
Urban-adapted birds like the seagulls and crows photographed here have developed significantly different behaviours compared to their rural counterparts. City-dwelling seagulls often show reduced fear responses to humans and have learned to time their foraging around peak human activity periods, such as lunch hours when dropped food is most available.
Crows, meanwhile, have demonstrated remarkable problem-solving abilities in urban environments and can even learn to associate specific locations with regular food sources. Studies have shown that urban bird populations often have different dietary compositions, stress hormone levels, and even song patterns compared to rural birds, reflecting their adaptation to city life and the constant presence of human activity.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 150mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1/320s |
The restless Atlantic waves become ghostly veils of white mist caressing the rocks on Owenahincha Beach, Co Cork.
Henry shared a photo of this same rock yesterday. There are lovely swirls of water in his photo.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 2s |
A beautiful brass candle stand in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork. When Helios was on display in the Cathedral, I visited there with Blarney Photography Club and took the opportunity to photograph other parts of the cathedral’s artistic heritage.
The inscription above reads, “NÃ mar is toil liomsa, ach mar is toil leatsa”, which roughly translates as, “Not as I will, but as you will”. A reference to the Biblical quote, “Not my will, but thy will be done”.
St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, completed in 1879, is the Church of Ireland cathedral of Cork and is renowned for its French Gothic Revival architecture and exceptional craftsmanship. The cathedral contains numerous examples of fine metalwork, woodcarving, and stained glass, much of it created by Irish artisans.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 23mm |
| ISO | 640 |
| Shutter speed | 1/6s |
A series of photos showing men fishing off the pier at Ballycotton, Co Cork a couple of weeks ago. It was a beautiful evening. Lovely time to be there.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/320s |
A few simple edits of fireworks in Cobh on Sunday night. Great fun and a great night out with friends!
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 169mm |
| ISO | 800 |
| Shutter speed | 3s |
This is the narrow bridge that crosses the River Lee near the Ballincollig Royal Gunpowder Mills.
I found out today while doing a little research that the bridge was built in 1805, replacing an older 6 arch bridge. It’s very narrow, but a survey showed that 7,000 cars cross it every day!
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/30s |
An Asian hornet was spotted in Cork recently. If they gain a hold in this country it could be very bad news for bumblebees like the one in this photo.
This particular bee had 3 of us surrounding her with cameras trying to photograph her as she fed on the nectar of this little flower.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 4000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
It’s sometimes hard to believe there was a gunpowder mill in this area, but look around and you’ll see the ruins everywhere. Here though, I found a winding, worn path running parallel to the neat tarmac of the modern path.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1s |
