Sketrick Island is a favourite place for a walk, and a walk needs a camera… Today, Friday 8th May 2020 Janette and I went for a socially isolated walk along the causeway out to the island. It was a lovely warm, calm sunny morning. Here’s some shots…
Glasker Old Mill is on the road between Loughbrickland and Rathfriland in Co. Down. The likelihood is that the mill was once part of the extensive Irish Linen industry which thrived in that area in the 19th and early 20th Century.
I photographed it with my ‘baby’ – the Fujifilm X-T30 camera, fitted with the 18-55mm kit lens.
Just a little further down the road is a beautiful old phone box, set against an unattractive brick wall.
Newcastle Co.Down is a favourite of mine, with it’s beautiful setting; the scenery that inspired Percy French to write his famous song, “Where the Mountains of Mourne Sweep Down to the Sea.” He might not have found it just so inspiring today, for the wind was blowing a gale, and the seas were rough – the mountains overcast and dark.
In this image I was trying to show the darkness of the mountains against the stormy sea. Shot in Acros Black and White, F=18mm, f/16 @ 1/40th sec ISO400
I had the Fujifilm X-T30, with a standard zoom, the 18-55mm f/2.8-4. I love using this camera, for it’s small, but with a powerful processing engine. For this walk I kept the camera on ISO400, with the film simulation mode set to Acros Black and White and shooting simultaneous Jpegs and RAW.
Kilwarlin is described on some internet sites as a ‘small village near Hillsborough, Co.Down’. The truth is that it is scarcely that, rather a ribbon development of homes along a very narrow country road, not wide enough for two vehicles to pass, and accessible only with great care.
It’s back to the North Coast, one of my favourite parts of Northern Ireland! This time to spend an October day around Ballintoy, a picturesque harbour between the Giant’s Causeway and Ballycastle, Co. Antrim. I took the Fujifilm X-T30 and the Nikon F100.
Ballintoy Harbour
Ballintoy (Baile an Tuaigh – the northern townland) village is less than a mile from the harbour, which is accessed by a narrow winding road. Even the journey to the harbour is visually rewarding.
South Down – Mountains and Sea, Castles and Forests.
Nestling in the shadow of Slieve Donard, the highest peak in the Mountains of Mourne, is one of the most beautiful areas of Northern Ireland. Driving towards Newcastle, whether through Ballynahinch or Downpatrick, one will pass through Clough, where on the left hand side of the road is Clough Castle, an ancient Motte, probably dating back to Norman times.
Spending a windy afternoon in Coleraine, and trying to find something to occupy the time, I decided to do some simple street shots, around The Diamond – the main shopping area of the town. Despite the cold weather, the car-parks were full, and I left the car in a side street, returning to find an enthusiastic traffic warden had ticketed my car! So, I’m posting a photo of him (or one of his mates) below…
I took the Fujifilm X-T30 and a 100-200mm lens up the street, with the ‘film simulation mode’ on the camera set to ACROS. Film simulation mode is unique to Fujifilm (I think) – for the Fujifilm people have been renowned for their range of films, each with distinctive characteristics. Acros film is a black and white film with unique grain and mid-range contrasts. Continue reading Coleraine Street-Monochrome→
Some time ago I made images of a field of barley at Comber, and I uploaded two of them to Pixabay, the photo-sharing website.
They’ve been downloaded 91 times, so far, – which is quite nice. But just down the road from the now-harvested barley field, there are acres upon acres of cabbages, and since I now consider myself an expert vegetable – (photographer!) – I couldn’t resist stopping to get a few photos. Of cabbages… Er, yes. Cabbages.
With a couple of hours to kill in Craigavon, I decided to make a photograph of each of the Craigavon Roundabouts – but then I’d second thoughts. After all, I’d only a couple of hours, not all day! So instead, I took a drive out to Gilford and Tullylish, and on the way back to Portadown, went to look at the Moyallen Quaker Meeting House. Here’s a few images…