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Shadows of North Main Street

A month ago, Cork City Council acquired 4 eyesore buildings at the top of North Main Street in Cork. They are in a prominent location and not used for much over the years – I remember a shoe store in one, a clothes store in the place next to it and a retro goods store too. They’ve been mostly derelict for a long time.

Hopefully they’ll be demolished and we’ll see something decent done with the location.

North Main Street sits on one of Cork’s oldest thoroughfares and was actually built on reclaimed marshland. The street runs parallel to what was once the original course of the River Lee before extensive land reclamation in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of the Georgian buildings here were constructed using limestone quarried from local Cork quarries, which is why they’ve developed that distinctive weathered patina that photographs so beautifully in black and white.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	12800
Shutter speed	1/500s

Heroes of the Sea

The RNLI flag flies in Ballycotton Harbour.

The RNLI operates one of Ireland’s busiest lifeboat stations at Ballycotton, which launched 57 times in 2023 alone, rescuing 49 people and assisting 67 others. The station operates an all-weather lifeboat capable of handling the most challenging sea conditions off the Cork coast. Ballycotton RNLI has a proud history dating back to 1858, and the station’s crews have been awarded numerous medals for gallantry, including gold medals for particularly heroic rescues. The RNLI is a charity that relies entirely on voluntary donations and is crewed by unpaid volunteers who undergo extensive training to perform rescues in some of the most dangerous maritime conditions around the British and Irish coasts.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	110mm
ISO	125
Shutter speed	1/250s

Stop and Look Up

If you look up, you might see something towering overhead. Gleaming glass towers stretching up until they seem to pierce the clouds themselves.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/5000s

Cherry Blossoms in Bloom

Cherry blossoms bloom on a tree at the other end of my park every year, but I always forget to bring my camera to photograph it until this afternoon.

Aperture	ƒ/4
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	75mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/1250s

Horses on Sherkin Island

We were visiting Sherkin Island in 2015 when I saw a rider pulling another horse along with him. This was on Cow Strand, but I’d seen him riding on Silver Strand earlier in the day. A lovely, warm, August day just before school was about to start again.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	Canon EOS 6D
Focal length	24mm
ISO	160
Shutter speed	1/250s

Sky High Vantage Point

A seagull resting on a very tall pole in Dingle, Co Kerry, with the setting sun lighting up the sky in wonderful colours.

Aperture	ƒ/6.3
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	112mm
ISO	1250
Shutter speed	1/125s

buzz buzz buzz

I’m not a huge fan of wasps, but these three were part of the exhibit of statues at Castlemartyr Resort in Co Cork. buzzzzz! Fly away!

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	25mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/1000s

Swinging on the Moon

One of the statues at Castlemartyr Resort was this one of a woman swinging off the crescent Moon. It was quite striking and imaginative.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	25mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/400s

The Port of Cork

The sign saying "PORT OF CORK" displayed on the middle island of the city, visible to any boats coming up the river from the harbour. The supports of the sign are reflected in a puddle, as are the lights and nearby building. The Cork skyline is visible in the background of this sunset photo.

The PORT OF CORK sign welcomes any boat coming into the city, but it’s probably on borrowed time if development continues in this area on Custom House Quay.

I made this from 3 separate images because I forgot I had my wide-angle lens in my camera bag. I was out with friends from Blarney Photography Club photographing the city. Here’s a post with more photos!

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	2.5s

Flowers of the Eiffel Tower

The EIffel Tower in the distance while at ground level are lovely flowers and plants.

When you visit the Eiffel Tower, you’ll see the massive Jardin de la Tour Eiffel stretch off into the distance. In warm weather, the gardens are thronged with people in the evenings who gather to watch the Eiffel Tower light up.

This photo was shot on one such evening. The night was calm, and warm and it was lovely to be out.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	16mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/2s

A Modern Sky

Looking up next to a building with coloured stripes to the left, and an apartment block to the right. Blue sky with light cloud in the middle.

Walking past the Museum Brandhorst in Munich and I noticed the pleasing lines of the museum and the repeating pattern of the flats next door.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	30mm
ISO	320
Shutter speed	1/500s

Motion Around the Eiffel Tower

Life is all around beneath the Eiffel Tower. Most people are walking but the people selling mini Eiffel Towers and other knick knacks to tourists are the only ones stationary.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	16mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/6s