Ireland in October: A Photographer's Guide to Light, Colour and Weather

The summer crowds have gone, the sun sits low all day, and the woods turn copper and gold. Best of all, you can photograph sunrise and sunset on the same day without losing a night’s sleep. The trade-off is weather that changes by the hour. For a landscape photographer, that’s the point.

Why October works for photography

The light. From October onwards the sun never climbs high in Ireland. Even at midday it comes in at an angle, raking across fields and stone walls and giving texture that flat overhead summer light doesn’t. Golden hour lasts longer, and on a clear evening the whole of the last hour before sunset is usable.

Sensible hours. In June the sun rises before 5am in Dublin and sets after 10pm. In early October sunrise is around 7:20am and sunset around 7pm. By the end of the month, after the clocks go back on the last Sunday of October, sunrise is around 7:15am and sunset before 5pm. That means dawn at a waterfall, breakfast, a day exploring, and sunset on the coast, all in a normal day. The west of Ireland is about 10 to 15 minutes later than Dublin and the east coast.

The weather. October is changeable, and that’s what makes for better images. A band of rain moves through, the sky breaks, and for ten minutes the light on the far side of a lough is extraordinary. Clear blue days are the ones I find hardest to photograph. Expect daytime temperatures of roughly 11 to 14°C, and more rain in the west than the east.

Fewer people. Glendalough, the Giant’s Causeway and the Cliffs of Moher are far quieter than in summer, especially early and late in the day. You can set up a tripod without working around coach parties and their selfies.

When autumn colour peaks

Ireland’s colour comes later than in North America or continental Europe. It usually starts in the second week of October and peaks from the last week of October into early November, depending on the year and how much wind there has been. A single autumn storm can strip a woodland in a night, so I plan around conditions rather than dates.

Native and old estate woodlands give the best colour. Oak, beech, birch and sycamore turn well; the conifer plantations that cover much of the uplands don’t change at all unless they get flattened by the wind.

Where I go in October

Kilkenny and the Nore valley. Inistioge, with its stone bridge over the Nore and the woods of the Woodstock estate above the village, is one of the best autumn scenes in the country. The river valleys of the south-east hold colour well and are sheltered from the worst of the Atlantic wind.

The Glens of Antrim. Glenariff’s waterfalls sit in a deep wooded gorge that turns rich gold in late October. Combine it with the Causeway Coast for sunset: the basalt columns at the Giant’s Causeway face the right way for autumn evening light.

Wicklow. Glendalough’s upper lake and the Glenmacnass waterfall are within an hour of Dublin, and the bracken on the hills turns rust-red from early October, well before the trees.

The west. Connemara and Mayo aren’t a woodland story. Here October is about the sky: showers moving in off the Atlantic, rainbows over bog and mountain, and blue hour on the coast. The bogland colours shift towards ochre and russet as the grass dies back.

Dublin. An evening on the quays in October gives blue hour at a civilised time, with the city lights on and the sky still holding colour behind the Custom House, often reflected in the River Liffey.

Rivers and waterfalls

This is the month I spend most time photographing water. After rain the rivers are full, the rocks are dark and wet, and fallen leaves gather in eddies and on stepping stones. A polariser cuts the glare off wet leaves and brings the colour back. A shutter speed of around half a second to a second smooths the water while keeping some texture in it.

Overcast days are best for woodland and water: the soft light holds detail in both the bright water and the dark trunks. Save the coast for days when the sky is doing something.

What to pack

• Waterproofs, jacket and trousers. You will likely stand in rain at some point.
• Waterproof boots with grip. Woodland paths and riverbanks are slippy with wet leaves.
• Lens cloths, several. Spray on the front element is the main thing that ruins October shots on the coast.
• A rain cover for the camera, or at least a microfibre cloth over it between shots.
• A polariser for foliage and water, and ND filters if you like long exposures of the sea.
• A head torch for walking in before sunrise and out after blue hour.

Things to know before you book

• The clocks go back on the last Sunday of October, and the last Monday of October is a bank holiday in Ireland. That weekend is busier and accommodation can fill up.
• Halloween has its roots in the Irish festival of Samhain. Derry holds one of the largest Halloween celebrations in Europe, and the Boyne Valley and Dublin have their own festivals around the end of the month.
• Some seasonal attractions, ferries and island services reduce their timetables from October. Check before you plan around them.
• Accommodation is noticeably cheaper than in summer, and you can often book closer to the date.

Photographing Ireland in October with me

Most of my October work is private tours built around the conditions on the day. If the forecast brings rain in the morning, we go to the woods; if it clears in the afternoon, we head for the coast. That flexibility is the difference between an average day and the best light of the trip, and it’s much easier with someone who knows where to go at short notice. So why not spend a day photographing with me in the Irish countryside in October or any other time of year.