The Panoramic Wheel Spectacle

The ferris wheel, or big wheel, or Panoramic Wheel as it’s known to it’s owners, on Grand Parade. We had some fun photographing it from the car park across the street.

Henry has a photo of the wheel on his Instagram account too.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length42mm
ISO320
Shutter speed2s

Red Brick and Stone

Following on from yesterday’s photo of Shandon Bells, here’s another one taken nine years earlier in 2007, on a day when it was about to rain, but the sun came out for one final glimpse of Cork before the wet enveloped the city.

You can see Shandon Bells, the North Cathedral, SS Peter & Paul’s Church and the presbytery attached to that church.

All taken from the roof of the car park on Grand Parade, but I think it’s blocked now. I’ll have a look this evening.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length144mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/250s

Cork’s Spiritual Heights

The historic spire of St. Anne’s Church, Shandon Bells, rises out of the mist, with the North Cathedral, the Cathedral of St Mary & St Anne, behind it.

In the foreground is the roof of SS Peter & Paul’s Church and the nearby Presbytery.

This was photographed on December 10th, 2016. Just a day over 8 years ago. I think it’s not possible to photograph this scene now. The new Capitol building is in the way.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length300mm
ISO3200
Shutter speed1/320s

Ruins and Beacons

The Baltimore Beacon can be spotted between the ruins of a Franciscan Friary on Sherkin Island. The Beacon is around 900m behind the ruins, sitting on a cliff overlooking the sea.

The Friary, known locally as The Abbey, was founded in 1460, and it continued to act as a religious building until 1650, when it was confiscated by Cromwellian soldiers.

ref:

  1. https://westcorkislands.com/franciscan-friary-sherkin-island/
  2. https://heritageireland.ie/unguided-sites/sherkin-franciscan-friary/

Apertureƒ/11
CameraCanon EOS 6D
Focal length105mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/80s

Storm Clouds over West Cork

We went for a walk with my aunt one cold December evening in West Cork, doing a loop around the local area with our dog. The sun had dipped below the clouds, but it was still showing a bit of colour in the distance. A very lonely, quiet area, apart from our busy family walking back home, looking forward to a cup of tea and some brown bread.


Apertureƒ/7.1
CameraCanon EOS 40D
Focal length18mm
ISO800
Shutter speed1/25s

Rural Barriers

Barbed wire along the edge of a field on Valentia Island is knotted to make sure the barrier holds.

I remember hearing a podcast about the use of barbed wire in the US, how, in the 19th century, it helped white farmers control herds and easily fence their territories.

The wikipedia page is quite interesting.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length105mm
ISO125
Shutter speed1/200s

Albert Quay in ye olde times

Before the glossy, glass faced building of One Albert Quay, a warehouse and other old, industrial buildings occupied that site. This is what it looked like in 2009. I would guess they were originally part of the train station that sat at that location. The “FREE FIT EXHAUST CENTRE” would have been a familiar sign to anyone who lived in the south side of the city and passed by that area.

The Elysian can be seen in the background, but it was a brand-new building then, having only been completed early in 2008, the previous year!


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraCanon EOS 40D
Focal length18mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/100s

The Building of Opera Lane and Boots

A street-level view showing pedestrians walking past Le Chateau Bar, with its distinctive yellow wall mural and outdoor seating area. Behind the bar, the ongoing construction of the steel-framed building is visible, with construction cranes in the background against a blue sky.
A construction site on a rainy day in an urban setting, showing a steel frame structure being built behind blue construction barriers marked "BOWEN." In the foreground is a wet cobblestone street with green bollards, and to the left is a red-painted building with "Murphy's" signage.

You have to go all the way back to 2008 to see the building of Opera Lane., in Cork. Google Maps only goes back to 2009 on Patrick’s Street, where you can see some construction work, but Emmett Place isn’t covered until 2010 when construction had completed.

Turn around and there’s the modern site of Boots on the corner of Paul Street and Half Moon Street.


Apertureƒ/3.5
CameraCanon EOS 40D
Focal length10mm
ISO400
Shutter speed1/1000s

Cosmic Bubbles Meet Electric Candy Floss Trees

One of the nice things about Wonderlights was how they used the natural surroundings as part of the display. The electric trees and sign in the background were eye catching, but what piqued my interest here was the light highlighting the branches and autumn leaves of the tree in front!


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length32mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/2.5s

Flowers and lasers at Fota House

I went to Wonderlights in Fota House last night with others from Blarney Photography Club and, despite the rain and mud, we were blown away by the light show, especially over the pond where lasers cut through the dry ice fog over brightly lit flowers on the water’s surface.

It’s a bit pricey at €25+booking fee, but it’s spectacular and worth it.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length26mm
ISO2000
Shutter speed1/20s