Killynether Country Park is situated outside Newtownards, on the slopes of Scrabo. We walked through the wood on a sunny evening in May, just around an hour before sunset, looking for the strong low sunlight making paths through the leaves.
Percy French Country
The Irish poet and songwriter, Percy French immortalised Newcastle, Co.Down in his famous song…
Oh, Mary, this London’s a wonderful sight
With people here working by day and by night
They don’t sow potatoes, nor barley nor wheat
But there’ gangs of them digging for gold in the streets
At least when I asked them that’s what I was told
So I just took a hand at this diggin’ for gold
But for all that I found there I might as well be
Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.
Tonight, on the hottest day of the year in Northern Ireland, I visited Newcastle, and made some images around the town… Continue reading Percy French Country
Moving Experiences in Belfast!
A Passenger’s Perspective…
I like the city’s skyline, and I’m ashamed at how many time I admire it from the comfort of a car! Today however, due to a convergence of coincidences, I happened to be in the front passenger seat of a car, with a camera in my hand, – so I wound down the window and took a few shots. Not easy, for there were quite a few other vehicles on the road at the same time. Continue reading Moving Experiences in Belfast!
Playing with Light
The LensBaby Composer Pro 2 with Sweet 50 Optic.
I’ve recently aquired a LENSBABY! It’s the LensBaby Composer Pro 2 lens with Sweet 50 optic. Basically a LensBaby is just a lens with a ball-joint, so that the lens can be bent! Attached to the front of the lens is a removable optic, in my case a 50mm attachment, with a sweet-spot. That’s an area that is in focus, while the rest of the image is blurred. (Bokeh) Ok, it’s easier to show you than explain in words…
Babies…
Lots of lovely babies in the studio this week. I run a ‘KidsClub’ offer, with (usually) three studio visits over the first year, at 4 months, when they are able to lift their head, at 8 months when they can sit up, and at 12 months when they can stand.
Not everyone want to have their kids featured on a website or social media of course, but thankfully, these two lovelies had no such reservations.
Baby Daisy, celebrating her 1st Birthday with a special cake. 
Baby Edison, at his eight month session.
Casper the Cat
Photographing cats in the studio is never easy. The sudden flash of the lights seems to hurt their sensitive eyes, and after one shot they flee, terrified into some nook or cranny, in the hope of hiding away. Sometimes, even when they are being held by their owner, they will become so agitated that they will claw and bite their way to freedom.
Casper the English Long Hair Cat arrived at the studio yesterday with his human servant, and like any aristocratic cat would do, calmly settled down to pose for the camera, simoly aware that a celebrity cat of his position in life must sometimes nod at the paperazzi, and yield to the demand for publicity. Here’s a shot of him on his servant’s shoulder…
Moira Railway Station
Moira, historically in the County of Down, is served by NIR (Northern Ireland Railways), via a station around 1 mile outside the town, and actually situated in Co Antrim. The line is the Belfast to Portadown line, and Moira lies between Lisburn and Lurgan.
The station boasts a rather fine (although now disused) signal box and is the oldest station still in use on the NIR network, opened on 18 November 1841. Its hard to believer now that just as recently as 1945 the station was manned by a staff of 15 men, including the stationmaster, porters, signalmen etc. Now no-one works here at all.
Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh
A short overnight stay in Enniskillen gave me a few minutes to get down to the famous Enniskillen Castle for a few shots. The Castle is the home of the museaum of the Royal Ennniskilling Fusiliers, and is sitauted right on the banks of Lough Erne.
The North-West
A wee visit to Donegal, the northernmost couty of the Irish Republic, and a stop for lunch in Londonderry on the way left me with a little bit of time to make some photographs, using the Fujifilm X-T2. Here’s some of the images:-
Monaghan, Ireland
Monaghan Town
On a bright sunny April Friday, we visited Monaghan on business, and spend a little time around the busy town centre wiith the Fujifilm X-T2. Here’s some of the images.
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