Eiffel Tower Reflection in Grand Palais Éphémère

So many people gathered to watch the Eiffel Tower in Paris, but if they looked behind them, they’d see this magnificent reflection of the Tower.

The Grand Palais Éphémère was empty and dark when I was there, so it reflected perfectly the Eiffel Tower in its windows.

I have to admit, the last time I was in Paris, some 23 years ago, I don’t remember the Grand Palais Éphémère being there at all, but back then I didn’t have the equipment or skill to take a photo like this anyway, and never thought to visit the Eiffel Tower in the evening! It wasn’t in the guide book!


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length16mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/1.3s

Fog rolls into the Conor Pass

It was a beautiful evening in Dingle. Light clouds in the distance promised a fantastic sunset. I decided to head to Stradbally Beach to the north of the town but time was running out. Up and down the Conor Pass and as I drove along the road I saw clouds rolls in off the sea and worried they would hide the sun. I looked to my left and saw a blazing red ball of fire hanging a few degrees above the horizon and hoped I’d get my camera out in time to photograph it.

It was my first time to Stradbally Beach and the road I hoped to follow to the beach turned out to be a private caravan & camping site, with a gate across the entrance. I drove on. The sun dipped below the high dunes next to the road and eventually I came across an opening where quickly parked. I grabbed my camera and tripod and ran to the beach, only to see a sliver of the red sun disappear behind the cloud on the horizon! To say I was disappointed is an understatement!
I consoled myself by taking photos of a nearby headland in the cloud, and the rotting wooden stakes of a beach fence that might look good in black and white.

As I drove back to Dingle I saw that clouds were creeping inland from the sea and the sky was still somewhat bright. This photo was taken on the way into the Conor Pass. It was stunning to see and even though I was eaten alive by midgies I’m glad I stopped and it made up for my earlier disappointment.

The Conor Pass and the north side of the Dingle Peninsula was covered in the cloud the next day. The south side basked in boiling heat!

Aperture ƒ/10
Camera ILCE-7M3
Focal length 24mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 3.2s

Night Over Quebec

Night falls over Quebec as we finish our tour and photowalk around the city. ISO 1600 came in very useful as the sky got darker! Pictured here are a few of the buildings just outside the old city walls. I think the Hilton is the building on the right.

Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/100s

County Hall Sunset

The sun sets behind the County Hall in Cork. Taken from near Fitzgerald’s Park a few weeks ago on a glorious weekend evening.

PS. My first photo from the parade last week was published on outsidein on Saturday!

Aperture ƒ/11
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 88mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/320s

Windsor Leaves

Down by the river in Windsor the ground was littered with autumn leaves and served as a perfect foreground for someone else’s castle..

That was a great idea of Matt’s to head down that direction!

Aperture ƒ/22
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 15s

Queen Elizabeth 2

Luxury cruise ship Queen Elizabeth 2 tied up at the quayside in Cobh, Co Cork last Thursday. This was moments before she cast off. You can see a tug in the background of this image.

It was bitterly cold down on the quay, but we were lucky that the evening sun cast a lovely golden glow over everything.

PS. some photography links: The Right Frame of Mind, Design Star, Join a stock photog on a photoshoot.
PPS. Just back from the camera club. This image came second overall in the digital section of tonight’s open photo competition. It drew with another image, on equal points. Chuffed!

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 200mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/250s

Call of the evening

A bird atop the light outside my house calls into the glowing evening sky heralding the end of 2007.

After walking Oscar I had to grab my camera and shoot the beautiful evening sky. The background was this colour, there’s no trickery here except a little vignetting and sharpening.

Aperture ƒ/6.3
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 125mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/125s

The road to Blarney Castle

This is the private road to the estate on which Blarney Castle sits.

As I was walking about one late winter afternoon I spotted the lovely light shining through the trees and just had to take a snap!

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 144mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/160s

Beach in the evening

Inch Strand in Co. Kerry as the sun shines over the water and the tide comes in.

Aperture ƒ/20
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 72mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/1000s

The shadows have it all

Sometimes it’s the shadows that are the focus of my camera rather than the people in it.

Aperture ƒ/11
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/320s

Cupid’s Arrow and the birds

Cupid’s Arrow in San Francisco provides an interesting silhouette against the evening sky. If you’ve payed close attention to my photos in the past you might think this is a duplicate of another shot but it’s from a slightly different angle and wider, and I feel stronger because of the pattern the birds make in the sky. What do you think?

Aperture ƒ/11
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 11mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/200s

Joyce and the Spire

James Joyce, forever forced to look upon the Spire on O’Connell Street Dublin. Here’s a humorous look at the names of the statues and monuments in Dublin. I had heard that the Spire was nicknamed the “Stiletto in the Ghetto”, but I hadn’t heard it called, “North Pole”!

Overhead wires destroy urban photography and this is no exception. I could have tried to clone it out but it’s notoriously difficult to clone out objects against a varying sky. Ah well.

I like this: self-portrait with 6×9 ultrawide pinhole camera

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/4000s