Blarney Photography Club – Page 6

A stag and his grass

A stag digging into grass to decorate his antlers

A stag with grass on his antlers, thought to make him more attractive to the female of the species.

A stag buries his head in grass, to decorate his antlers and make himself more attractive to female deer.

Killarney National Park, October 2023.

Aperture	ƒ/6.3
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	514.7mm
ISO	1250
Shutter speed	1/500s

Shadowy Groynes at Sunset

An ICM shot of the setting sun. The lens was swung horizontally meaning the sun left a trail on the horizon and the groynes in the sea are like transparent shadows

As the sun sets, one thing I like to do is intentionally moving the camera lens, so the resulting picture is more abstract, but still captures the colours and shadows of the sunset.

This is what I did in Youghal a few months ago with Blarney Photography Club. Standing in the water, I swung the lens horizontally. The sun had almost set, so it caused a streak at the horizon and the groynes in the water looked like shadowy transparent obstructions.

Aperture	ƒ/4.5
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	44mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	2s

Castlerosse Park Resort Cottage

A small cottage surrounded by a neat lawn and hedges with trees in the background.

Situated at the edge of the woods behind the Castlerosse Park Resort golf course is this small cottage. We walked by it a few weeks ago when we were in the area to photograph the rutting.

There was a car parked directly outside, so it’s occupied, but it’s so solitary and in a secluded area, it was like finding a magic cottage in the wood.

Aperture	ƒ/1.7
Camera	Galaxy S23 Ultra
Focal length	6.3mm
ISO	40
Shutter speed	1/100s

The sunset glow

A yellow sky just after sunset. The silhouettes of street lamps, a tree and the horizon.

The setting sun makes the sky glow a lovely yellow before the day ends in darkness.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	240mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/500s

Mushrooms on an old tree

Mushrooms cling to an old tree trunk in Killarney National Park.

Aperture	ƒ/6.3
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	600mm
ISO	25600
Shutter speed	1/500s

Light speeds on the road

Light streaks of passing traffic on a street.

A bus and other traffic speed along the road at night.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	320
Shutter speed	2.5s

The Red House

A red house with cream colour window frames and front door.

A red house in Kinsale. Observant readers will recall I posted another photo of this house a few months ago.

Aperture	ƒ/9
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	40mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/4s

Pink Roses

Pink roses stood out against the dark bushes and overgrowth over a wall in Kinsale last summer.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	78mm
ISO	4000
Shutter speed	1/320s

A grey wagtail looking for food

A grey wagtail in the bushes, looking for food. The bird has a grey back, and striking yellow, black and white feathers.

A grey wagtail pictured in Ballincollig Regional Park during the summer. He was hopping around in the bushes next to the River Lee, when Rory spotted him, got a few photos and called me over to see. I’d never have seen him otherwise, as he’s tiny.

Aperture	ƒ/6.3
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	571.8mm
ISO	4000
Shutter speed	1/1000s

To be a stag in October

A stag with grass in his antlers look on at stags and other deer out of the picture

We went to Killarney National Park this morning to photograph the annual rutting. This is when stags come down from the mountain and look for romance and court any nearby female deer. And they’re quite vocal about it.

This particular guy was on one side of the tarmac path occupied by us human photographers, and it didn’t occur to us that he wanted to get to the other side, where a large group of younger stags and some does had gathered.

In frustration, he bellowed, pawed the ground, and ripped grass from the ground.

A stag walks across a tarmac path, previously occupied by this photographer. Other photographers are seen in the background.

When we finally realised what he wanted, we made a hasty exit to the side. We watched this huge, powerful creature walk over ground we recently vacated.

Unfortunately, the other deer, male and female, all ran from him. None stayed around to challenge him. If you look carefully, you’ll see his right eye is weeping and injured. He has lost the use of that eye, whether through infection or injury, but it hasn’t slowed him down.

Aperture	ƒ/6.3
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	473.2mm
ISO	1600
Shutter speed	1/1000s

The Bells and the Hall

The tower of St. Anne's Church, or "Shandon Bells", with the County Hall in the background.

The tower of St. Anne’s Church, or “Shandon Bells” or “The Four Faced Liar” with the County Hall far behind it.

As seen from Bell’s Field.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	600mm
ISO	400
Shutter speed	1/3s

Sunset at Ballycotton

Small boat on the water outside Ballycotton harbour as the sun sets behind.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	28mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/200s