The tide was very far out when we visited Ballycotton last week, so I wandered out on the rocks, carefully avoiding the slippery seaweed, and took a few photos.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 320 |
| Shutter speed | 2.5s |
Tag Archives: Blarney Photography Club
Ballycotton’s Spectacular Sky
The golden hour at sunset is spectacular but I love the amazing colours you might be lucky to see after the sun has set. Such happened on Thursday night in Ballycotton. This is a panoramic photo of several photos stitched together to make one larger one. The dark, dramatic cloud was too wide for my lens, but even though it was dark, handheld panoramas are possible these days if you’re careful.
The phenomenon captured in this photograph occurs when the sun has set below the observer’s horizon but continues to illuminate high-altitude clouds from below, creating dramatic lighting effects known as “alpenglow” or “afterglow.” This effect is particularly pronounced in coastal areas like Ballycotton, where the unobstructed western horizon allows for clear sunset views, while high clouds moving in from the Atlantic provide the perfect canvas for these spectacular post-sunset displays. The pink and purple colours result from the way the atmosphere scatters different wavelengths of light, with longer wavelengths (reds and pinks) penetrating further through the atmosphere to reach the high clouds even after the sun has disappeared from view.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/13s |
Ballycotton’s Famous Beacon at Dusk
Ballycotton Lighthouse as pictured from the end of the pier at the village of the same name last Thursday night. It was a lovely evening. Warm and with just enough clouds to make for a spectacular sunset.
The Moon was due to rise almost behind the island here, but a huge cloud bank covered the horizon, spoiling our chances of capturing that moment.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 160 |
| Shutter speed | 1/60s |
Growing Up by the Sea in Cork
It was a lovely evening in Ballycotton last Thursday, and a group of teenagers were making the most of it, jumping off the pier into the water and enjoying life.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/800s |
Purple Skies Over Ballycotton
I was in Ballycotton last night on an outing with Blarney Photography Club. Our summer outings are a highlight of the year and always a nice social event for all involved.
When we got there, it was a nice evening, and I hoped there would be a nice sunset, and there was, but after the sun set, the sky lit up in a spectacular way. Fishermen were nearby, providing a nice silhouette for my photo.
We had hoped to photograph the Moon as it rose beyond the lighthouse there, but a thick band of cloud prevented us from seeing it until it was far off to the side. Maybe another day.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 27mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/10s |
A boat disturbs the water
As you may have seen over the last few days I was taking photos of the boats moored in Kinsale Harbour. Until another boat came along and sped past, disturbing the scene and rocking everything about. Still a lovely evening there, and it was about time to move on anyway. 🙂
| Aperture | ƒ/18 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 50 |
| Shutter speed | 1/8s |
Petal Power in Kinsale
A flower growing out of the crack between two blocks on the quayside in Kinsale, Co Cork.
There it was, growing in the unlikeliest of places, just doing its thing right in the middle of all the grey.
| Aperture | ƒ/3.5 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/320s |
Sailing Through Time
Someone walking past a sail in Kinsale made for a nice slow-motion intentional camera movement photo.
| Aperture | ƒ/5.6 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 49mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1.3s |
Masts and Mirrors
I visited Kinsale recently with Blarney Photography Club. Many photos were taken all around the town, but I went down the quay to start with the boats mooored nearby.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 46mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 2s |
Youghal’s Charming Beach Huts
I had no idea these beach huts were in Youghal until about a week ago, but I just love the colour and shape of each one.
| Aperture | ƒ/14 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 166mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/50s |
A Sentinel at Sunset
A groyne standing upright by the seashore near Youghal.
The wooden post in this photograph is part of Youghal’s coastal defence system called groynes. They are structures built perpendicular to the shore to prevent beach erosion by trapping sand moved by longshore drift. These timber groynes at Youghal are regularly maintained and replaced as part of ongoing coastal management efforts by Cork County Council. The long exposure technique used in this photograph typically requires exposure times of 30 seconds to several minutes, using neutral density filters to reduce the amount of light entering the camera, which creates the smooth, ethereal water effect by averaging out the motion of waves over time.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 39mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 13s |
The Watchtower and Seaside Blooms
The lifeguard tower at the end of the main section of the beach at Youghal. The beach does continue on, but the sand was green with algae and it was obvious it’s not used by humans much.
I love the matching colours in this photo. I spent a good few minutes kneeling in damp sand and dirt trying to get this photo.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 500 |
| Shutter speed | 1/125s |