I was there too
Surfers on the Isar or Eisbach canal in Munich, Germany. It was bizarre seeing people surfing in the middle of a city but the river was perfect for it. Unfortunately, the wave seems to have disappeared recently and they don’t know why.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 25mm |
| ISO | 12800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/250s |
If you’ve ever wandered down to the Claddagh in Galway, you’ll know the swans are less “graceful wild creatures” and more “assertive locals who know exactly when the bread’s coming out.”
That’s what happened on this day in 2005 when we visited and saw a young woman feeding those swans. Other birds wanted crumbs of bread too! Now we know that bread is not an ideal food for birds. Green vegetables are better for them.
| Aperture | ƒ/3.5 |
| Camera | CYBERSHOT |
| Focal length | 17.2mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/125s |
I haven’t been back to Canada in many years but 2009 was my first visit there and we stayed near Quebec and took a tour of the city on a wet and cloudy autumn day.
| Aperture | ƒ/7.1 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 40D |
| Focal length | 20mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1/50s |
At the end of a day of street photography we took the train back to Liverpool Street Station from Oxford Circus. That of course calls for the obligatory long exposure shot of the train coming into the station.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/8s |
Last October when Blarney Photography Club visited Killarney to photograph the rutting season this year, we took a break from the deer and some of us went to O’Sullivan’s Cascade. This is the Lakes of Killarney as seen from where that waterfall flows into the lake.
It was a beautiful clear day. The sky might have been a little boring for photography but I loved what I saw there. Especially when I saw how the sunlight caught a rock in the water. The hills in the background disappear into the distance like a painting. Quite a remarkable day.
Videos and Links
I love Alex Webb’s photos. Here’s his 2026 calendar.
| Aperture | ƒ/11 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/50s |
This was originally going to be a portrait shot of the Eiffel Tower but I quite like this one too, especially with the lovely colour of the sky in the background.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/6s |
When the sun is shining, it’s nice to have portable shade in the form of an umbrella. In Athens on the day this photo was taken it was a hot day!
The Basilica of Megali Panagia (which translates to “Great Virgin Mary”) was an early Christian basilica built in Athens during the 5th century AD. What makes this site particularly fascinating is that it represents the transition period when Athens was shifting from its ancient pagan identity to becoming a Christian Byzantine city. The basilica was constructed using materials salvaged from older classical buildings, a common practice called “spolia”, meaning those stone blocks you see in the photograph might originally have been part of temples or structures from Athens’ classical golden age, essentially recycled into a Christian church. The site reveals multiple layers of Athenian history literally built on top of each other. Athens during summer regularly reaches temperatures of 35-40°C (95-104°F), which explains why that blue umbrella is essential equipment for archaeological site visits. Many ancient sites in Greece now restrict visiting hours during the hottest parts of the day to protect both visitors and the monuments themselves from heat damage!
| Aperture | ƒ/4.9 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 27.2mm |
| ISO | 50 |
| Shutter speed | 1/380s |
The sun had set by the time I got into the city to photograph the Andalucía. Twenty minutes earlier, the sun was shining on it and made for a spectacular photo.
I made a bracketed shot from further down the quay because there were bright lights on the front of the boat that would make a shot from that side difficult. I like this shot anyway, as it captures the old with the new. The buildings at the quayside are old, the ship is a replica of an old ship and other buildings nearby are new and modern.
I did take some more photos. A rather drunk man asked me to take a photo of him with the ship, using his phone. A few minutes later, he asked me to photograph him in front of Penrose House here and then went off home.
So, I discovered that the Galeón Andalucía is not just a static museum piece. It is the only replica of a 16th-17th century Spanish galleon in the world that actively sails today, having travelled over 80,000 miles and visited ports on four continents since its launch in 2009.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1/6s |
It was a blisteringly hot day in Athens when we were walking around the ruins of the old city when I saw this woman in a bright yellow jumpsuit approach.
That yellow colour jumped out at me, but it was only later I noticed the man behind her carrying her bag. Is that a charging cable going from her phone to the bag? Nice to have someone else carry your bag on a hot day, with a battery for your phone too! 🙂
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Another tourist watches for a moment before taking her own photo with her phone, inside the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Non Muslims are restricted in where they can go now because it was turned back into a mosque again in 2020.
This was on the morning after I spent the day in bed recovering from food poisoning, so I didn’t take a whole lot of photos and had to go back to bed afterwards as I was so tired from the walk. This page has a number of photos showing what it’s like. Definitely try to avoid the busy times. It’s thronged with visitors.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 10000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/60s |
When you walk in the first gates of Edinburgh Castle you’ll spot two iconic red telephone boxes. I was delighted to see a father and daughter posing for a selfie which made for a nice candid photo. 🙂
Did you know that iconic red telephone box was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott?
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7RM5 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 250 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
I was lucky he didn’t spot me taking this candid photo.
| Aperture | ƒ/2.2 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 2.2mm |
| ISO | 500 |
| Shutter speed | 1/35s |
