Samyang AF 24mm F2.8 FE – In Photos dot Org

Church Bay’s Cosmic Cathedral

The Milky Way as seen from just above Church Bay, at Weaver Point, in Co. Cork. This was last night, a few minutes after the moon had set. Unfortunately, the centre of the galaxy was hidden behind a bank of clouds at the horizon. The forecast said there would be about 30% cloud, but thankfully it mostly didn’t cover most of the galaxy.

The best time to see the centre of the Milky Way again from Ireland will be in March 2026. However, you’ll still be able to shoot the less bright celestial arms once the moon has set for a good few weeks, probably.

I recommend using Sun Surveyor to plan a Milky Way shot. Photopills is good too, but the street view integration in Sun Surveyor is difficult to beat.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	6400
Shutter speed	20s

The Global Warning Guy

If you wander down St. Patrick Street in Cork on a Saturday you’re sure to bump into this gentleman who is there in front of Murray’s with his global warning sign. He’s been there most Saturdays since at least 2016.

It turns out he has nothing to do with global warming, the very real danger all of humanity faces. He’s part of an evangelical Christian movement warning about the end times and judgment coming to the Earth.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/500s

Istanbul Conversations

Two friends chatting on a street in Istanbul.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	320
Shutter speed	1/500s

A Splash of Yellow and Red

A couple sitting at an outdoor table in a little café in Athens, Greece about a year ago. Their body language couldn’t be more different, and every time I look at this image, I wonder what they were talking about.

Their roles in this conversation are opposed. He appears relaxed and confident, while she is reserved, nervous, maybe defensive?

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	1250
Shutter speed	1/500s

Elvis wants you to get a haircut

Well, Elvis works at a barber shop now.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	125
Shutter speed	1/500s

Celestial Circles

The sun was particularly active last weekend, promising spectacular aurora with KP values of over 7. Unfortunately, the expected nighttime display failed to materialise. Instead, I swung my camera around and took 10 30-second exposures of the night sky, with the trees of a nearby road.

After combining them in Photoshop this is what you get. Not bad for 300 seconds.

Star trails form circular patterns around the celestial pole due to the Earth’s rotation, and in the Northern Hemisphere, these circles are centred on Polaris, the North Star, which barely moves at all in the sky. I wasn’t sure where Polaris was, but it looks like it’s just off the photo.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	1600
Shutter speed	30s

Standing for Palestine in Cork

A man carrying a Palestinian flag after the protest rally last weekend. I met him on Nano Nagle Bridge, and he said he comes in whenever he can, to join the weekly rally against the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/3200s

Cork City Walks Past Fashion Giants

Advertising goes unnoticed as people hurry past on Opera Lane, Cork.

Did you know the rugby shirt, with its bold stripes, was first popularised in the 19th century?

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7RM5
Focal length	24mm
ISO	640
Shutter speed	1/500s

The Sandal Seller of Athens

Off Monastiraki Square, Athens, along a narrow street filled with small shops, I found a man leaning on the door of his shoe shop.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	800
Shutter speed	1/500s

Urban Geometry in Valencia

An interesting building that caught my attention on the C. del Mar in Valencia. Just around the corner from the Placa de la Reina.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/500s

When you’re betting on the economy

The bookies will have a proper electronic board, not an inflexible board that looks like it was made for a child, when you know the ~~tariffs~~ odds will change.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/800s

A Golden Moment

The wide pavement of McCurtain Street is where I spotted a young woman putting the lead on her patient Golden Retriever. He sat there patiently as she fixed the lead in place and continued on their way down the street.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/1000s