Killarney National Park – In Photos dot Org

When Stags Find Their Voice

A red deer stag with large antlers decorated with vegetation stands in a grassy field with his mouth wide open mid-bellow, displaying typical rutting season vocal behaviour.

A red deer stag with impressive antlers decorated with grass and vegetation stands in a grassy field, having just tossed plant material into the air which is suspended mid-flight above its head during rutting season behaviour.

I travelled to Kerry this morning to photograph the rutting in Killarney National Park there. There weren’t many stags to be seen but this fellow was lying in the middle of a field I suspected would have a stag or two. After a few moments he stood up, digging his antlers in the grass and tossed his head from side to side with grass flying everywhere.

Despite the dramatic behaviour, he looked over at the human photographers again and lay down, chewing some grass and ignored us once more.

Aperture	ƒ/6.3
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	387.6mm
ISO	12800
Shutter speed	1/640s

A Stag and his hinds

I visited the National Park in Killarney, Co Kerry, today to photograph the deer with other members of Blarney Photography Club, and a few friends.

A stag looks on at a horse and trap full of tourists in the background

There weren’t many stags or deer to be seen, apart from in a field up a hill beyond the Castlerosse Park Resort golf course. We found this stag near the Torc Waterfall side of Muckross House. No other stags nearby, they were all calm and relaxed. I think the stag was slightly worried about the silly humans pointing long lenses at him from some 300m away. He needn’t have worried.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	600mm
ISO	1000
Shutter speed	1/1000s

The Deer of the Rut

A stag looks towards me. One of his eyes is weeping and injured. He has grass in his antlers.

A few photos of the deer in Killarney National Park a year ago when I visited there with Blarney Photography Club. These have been sitting in my “Unpublished” collection since then, so I might as well make them public.

Aperture	ƒ/6.3
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	600mm
ISO	3200
Shutter speed	1/1000s

Sunrise by the Brickeen Bridge

Reeds in the foreground, then water and far away hills are coloured yellow by the rising sun behind clouds in the sky.

On a trip with Blarney Photography Club to the Lakes of Killarney a year ago, we photographed the water as the sun rose over the mountains in the distance.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	144mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/160s

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

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

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

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

A Boat on a Lake with Clouds

A boat on a lake. Reeds in the foreground and cloud covered hills in the background.

There’s something about a small boat on a calm lake that just begs to be photographed. And when you add in the backdrop of hills shrouded in clouds and the texture of the reeds in the foreground, it becomes a picture-perfect moment.

Capturing that moment, though, can be a challenge. You want to make sure you get just the right angle and lighting to do it justice. But when you finally get that shot and see the results, it’s all worth it.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	77mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/80s

The Tree in Muckross Abbey

A very tall tree grows in the middle of the abandoned, but restored Muckross Abbey.

When you visit Muckross Abbey in Killarney, one thing that immediately catches your eye is the magnificent tree that grows right in the middle of the building. The tree is so large that it almost looks like it’s part of the abbey, as if the building had grown around it over time.

Taking a photo of this tree is an absolute must if you’re a photography enthusiast. As you stand there, camera in hand, you can’t help but marvel at the sheer size of this tree, as its branches extend high into the sky. It’s truly a sight to behold. And if you’re lucky enough to visit on a sunny day, the way the light filters through the leaves is simply magical.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	16mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/160s

Abstract Forest in Motion

The slim trunks of trees in the forest near Torc Waterfall are blurred by intentional vertical camera movement.

While out with Blarney Photography Club in Killarney National Park recently, we came across a small forest of slender tree trunks stretching up towards the sky like spindly fingers. The light was just perfect for some intentional camera movement, so we decided to experiment with a vertical ICM technique.

I set my camera to a slow shutter speed, and then began moving it in a vertical motion as I pressed the shutter button. The result? A beautiful and abstract image that captures the essence of the forest in a unique and captivating way!

The slim tree trunks blend together in a mesmerizing blur of lines, creating a sense of movement and energy that’s almost hypnotic. It’s as though the trees themselves are swaying in a gentle breeze, their branches reaching out to dance with the sunlight.

ICM photography is all about embracing the beauty of imperfection, of letting go of the need for a perfectly sharp image and instead capturing the essence of a moment in a creative and artistic way. And in this forest, with its delicate and slender trees, I found the perfect canvas for my ICM experiment.

Aperture	ƒ/9
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/2.5s

Horse and Cart in Motion

A horse and cart drives past in Killarney National Park.

As I was strolling through the serene beauty of Killarney National Park, a horse and cart leisurely passed by. I couldn’t resist capturing this moment, and so I snapped a photo of the horse and cart using a slightly longer shutter time.

I love the resulting image. The soft light filtering through the leaves and branches of the trees creates an ethereal effect, with wavy lines adding an almost mystical quality to the scene. Most of the picture is a blur, of course, but the horse’s legs are a blur of motion, capturing the essence of its steady trot through the park.

Aperture	ƒ/11
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/2.5s