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See Ireland with a Creative Eye
What Is A Photo Tour?
What is a photo tour and is it different to a photography workshop? This is a question we get asked a lot. There is no real difference but simply, a tour is more focused on seeing the place with a photographic emphasis while a workshop is specifically designed to concentrate on one or more aspects of your photographic technique, equipment or composition. Both tour and workshop are interchangeable and there is a degree of overlap.
Because we tailor each tour to suit your needs, we choose the appropriate locations and times to maximise your time in Ireland and help you to improve your photography.
If you would like to know more about our photography workshops in Ireland please contact us here and join an Irish photographer for a day in your favourite part of Ireland.
Don't forget that we offer Gift Vouchers for Christmas and all year round for birthdays and other occasions. A photography gift voucher entitles the holder to the same benefits as a direct booking: one-to-one photography tuition, a choice of locations in Dublin, Wicklow and the rest of Ireland, morning or evening photography workshops, follow-on advice and critique on images. To buy a Panoramic Ireland Photography Gift Voucher for a friend, relation or even for yourself please follow this link or Contact Us.
Find out more about our Dublin Photo Tours here, for our Northern Ireland photo tours click here and Galway and rest of Ireland you can find out more here.
What makes Ireland so special? Perhaps it is the landscapes, the history, the people or a combination of all of these that bring 7 million visitors every year to this little island.
Dublin is the capital of Ireland and the chief city on the island, Belfast is the second largest, and the chief city of Northern Ireland. The island has two currencies and two governments but there no border controls between the north and south; indeed it is quite easy to drive from one side to the other without knowing it.
It is true, in Ireland it rains a bit (isn't that why it's so green?) but don't let that put you off because it doesn't rain as much as you think. With some good luck there will be fine weather during your visit. The best months to visit are April, May, June and September. The days are long, the weather is often perfect and it isn't high season. Is there any better place to be than driving along a country road somewhere in Ireland on a warm, sunny day?
Ireland makes a perfect location to improve your photography or to enhance your image collection. Contact us today to learn more about our bespoke tour options.
Panoramic Ireland (that's me) Meets Irish President Michael D. Higgins
Here I am (just so you know that I am actually a real person) meeting Irish President Michael D. Higgins at the Festival Interceltique du Lorient in France.
Image of the Month
Winter 2024
The beauty of the Irish countryside in winter, still green and with colour in the sky above the ancient fort of Emain Macha in Armagh.
For 2025 take one of Panoramic Ireland's private photography tours in Ireland from Belfast to Cork to Dublin to Galway - perfect for avoiding the large crowds and finding scenic seascapes, landscapes and cityscapes to photograph. Bookable now for 2025 and beyond.
Find out more by going to the Contact page.
Seven Essential Places to Photograph in Ireland
- Dublin - home to Guinness, Croke Park and The Book of Kells; you can't miss Dublin, a city that has improved over the past 10 years.
- Wicklow - mountainous and empty yet less than an hour from Dublin, Wicklow is home to the most famous hermitage in Ireland at Glendalough.
- Belfast & the Antrim Coast - the land of myths and legends, saints and scholars, Northern Ireland has some of the finest landscape photography. The stunning landscapes are now easy for all to see, Game of Thrones has added to that appeal.
- Dingle - the furthest west that you can get in Ireland, and a peninsula that has as more pubs than you could ever visit. Visually stunning.
- The Burren - a unique geological landscape, The Burren is home to arctic, alpine and mediterranean plants.
- Connemara - rugged and wild, full of bogs, sea and sky as well as a few ponies of distinction.
- Donegal - the most northerly county in Ireland, the Atlantic coastline is second to none in Ireland with the sea cliffs of Slieve League and miles-long sandy beaches.
Have a look at the blog section of the site for more stories, events and information on the places mentioned here.
Enjoy the site, we hope you learn something and when you come to visit us here in Ireland/ Why not book a photography tour with us, learn something about the real Ireland and learn how to make better images.
LATEST POSTS FROM OUR BLOG
Featured Posts
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Winter Lights Dublin 2019 - Millennium Bridge
Written by Darren McLoughlinIrishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.
Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic
Cancer survivor.
Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.
in Guide Read more...
Dublin's Winter Lights have illuminated some of the city's famous buildings for the second year. Created by Dublin City Council the lights switch on at sunset every night in December and stay on until 02:00.
There are 14 buildings and areas in total, including Trinity College, Hugh Lane Gallery and Christchurch.
As well as the buildings there are a few streets and Dublin's Millennium Bridge pictured above. This bridge has in recent times become known as the Rainbow Bridge and is back for winter 2024.
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Snow, Sand Dunes and Sunshine in Winter, Carrauntoohil and MacGillycuddy's Reeks as Seen from Dingle, Ireland
Written by Darren McLoughlin
Irishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.
Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic
Cancer survivor.
Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.
in Photo Tours
You can never guarantee snow in Ireland but it does snow a little every year even if only in the mountains.
Here, the famous MacGillycuddy's Reeks with Carrauntoohil the highest peak at 1038.6 metres above sea level, it is Ireland's highest mountain and only one of three peaks that top 1,000 metres.
The snow line can be seen easily and the tops of the peaky mountains almost match the clouds moving out of scene to the left.
These mountains sit on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, home of the famous circuit scenic drive the Ring of Kerry but are seen here from Dingle, the peninsula that brings you as far west as it is possible to go in Ireland.
The foreground is bathed in a golden glow, typical of the clear winter light on sunny days in Ireland.
Panoramic Ireland are running photography workshops and tours in Dingle, County Kerry in 2023. Use the Contact page to find out more or visit: https://panoramicireland.com/photography-workshops-ireland/book-a-dingle-ireland-photo-tour
Recent Posts
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Quiraing and Trotternish Ridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Written by Darren McLoughlin
Irishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.
Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic
Cancer survivor.
Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.
Written on Thursday, 17 April 2025 22:40 in Photo Tours Read more...
The Quiraing and Trotternish is undoubtedly one of the most photogenic landscape locations in the world.
The Quiraing is part of the 19-mile long Trotternish Ridge, a huge, natural landslip which is the largest in Scotland.
Quiraing takes its name from the Scottish Gaelic Cuith Raing which itself is derived from the Old Norse Kví Rand, meaning “round fold/enclosure”, a safe place for livestock.
Trotternish comes from Tròndairnis, nish as a placename ending means ness, or headland and so Thrond’s Headland is the translation.
The landscape as seen here features basalt that has slipped or moved in landslides, in the North Atlantic Tertiary Volcanic Province (Southern Extension), a large igneous area formed around 60 to 50 million years ago during the Paleogene.
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Colourful Sunrise, Saint Patrick's Day at the Coast 2025
Written by Darren McLoughlin
Irishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.
Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic
Cancer survivor.
Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.
Written on Monday, 17 March 2025 20:30 in Guide Read more...
A bright and colourful sunrise at the coast for Saint Patrick's Day 2025 in Ireland.
The Sun peeks over the horizon, casting a warm glow across the tranquil waters of the Irish coast, sand dunes in shadow waiting to warm up with the morning light.
The soft, pastel sky reflects on the calm sea, creating a mirror of colour and light on the day of Ireland's patron saint.
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Golden Hour Dawn Swim in March at the Forty Foot, Dublin, Ireland
Written by Darren McLoughlin
Irishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.
Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic
Cancer survivor.
Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.
Written on Saturday, 08 March 2025 22:36 in Photo Tours
Golden Hour Dawn Swim in March at the Forty Foot, Dublin, Ireland
Early morning is a time to experience the true beauty of the world, daylight builds before sunrise to bathe landscapes in golden hour colour.
I've written about this location before, it's the Forty Foot in Dublin and doesn't need a lot of introduction if you've been a regular visitor to the site.
There is a special serenity to the morning, an ephemeral liminality as the short-lived golden light moves into bright daylight.
And at this time of year, it's getting bright around 06:00, with sunrise under an hour later.
Join Panoramic Ireland to photograph in Ireland throughout the year, especially at sunrise.
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Visiting the Cliffs of Moher in 2025? Keep an Eye Out for Path Closures
Written by Darren McLoughlin
Irishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.
Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic
Cancer survivor.
Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.
Written on Tuesday, 25 February 2025 21:13 in Guide
Are you planning to visit Ireland's famous Cliffs of Moher in 2025?
If so, keep an eye out for path closures at the stunning Wild Atlantic Way site. Currently, as of February 2025 only the paths around the visitor centre are open so it's impossible to walk from or to Doolin on the northern section of the trail at the moment and it's not possible to walk on the southern section of the trail to or from Hag's Head.
The surfers' path is still open on the northern section but not as far as the visitor centre.
With over 1.5 million visitors every year, the paths, which at times are close to the edge of the Atlantic, can be uneven and unfenced and have seen a number of unfortunate deaths in recent years.
To create new, safer sections of path the trails will be closed for most of this year, 2025 but with different sections open at different times.
The visitor centre remains open with viewpoints still accessible.
Check here for more information.
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The Green Winter Landscape in Ireland
Written by Darren McLoughlin
Irishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.
Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic
Cancer survivor.
Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.
Written on Tuesday, 18 February 2025 02:02 in Guide
Ireland, despite a northerly latitude, sees little snow in the winter.
Indeed the countryside remains green for most of the dark months of the year, here mid-winter in the west of Ireland a scene of fields, wooded sections, a high water table and sheep grazing.
All under a dramatic sky to add character to the end of the short day.
So, while it does snow in Ireland in winter and spring, it looks a lot like this for the darker months of the year.
The west of Ireland is Panoramic Ireland's favourite part of Ireland, scenes such as this and a feeling of relaxation that only comes from the western seaboard.
Join me to photograph in the west of Ireland all year round.
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Visiting Ireland in March? Don't Just Think Saint Patrick's Day
Written by Darren McLoughlin
Irishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.
Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic
Cancer survivor.
Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.
Written on Sunday, 26 January 2025 21:52 in Photo Tours Read more...
When you think about Ireland in March, the first thing that often springs to mind is Saint Patrick's Day, the 17th of March. And no wonder, it's one of the world's most famous holidays with festivals and parades held in every continent.
I have already written about visiting Ireland out of season, the summer months can, like any part of Europe, be incredibly busy and the autumn, winter and spring can offer the photographer much more in terms of access to Ireland at its best.
Ireland in March can be warm, cold, and everything in between and I often get asked if March is a good time of year to visit. Yes is always the answer.
Colour begins to arrive in the hedges and certain trees, but snow can blanket the countryside turning green to white.
Here, below, are some of my favourite images from the month of March in Ireland over the years.
So if you are planning to visit Ireland in March or the other off season months, check out Panoramic Ireland's photography tours and workshops and enjoy the gallery on this post below.
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Happy New Year from the West of Ireland - First Sunset of 2025
Written by Darren McLoughlin
Irishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.
Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic
Cancer survivor.
Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.
Written on Wednesday, 01 January 2025 20:37 in Photo Tours
It might make more sense to post the first sunrise of a new year from New Year's Day rather than the first sunset. But where I am, in the west of Ireland, with wide views to the west and high ground to the east, sunset is a more appropriate time of day for photography.
So here, a scene from the colourful west of Ireland at sunset.
Indeed, my last post of 2024 was of one of the final sunrises of the year - weather and aerial perspective suited here.
Keep an eye out for more posts here on Panoramic Ireland, or come to Ireland to join me and learn how to photograph in the landscapes of the west of Ireland.
