Glendalough Round Tower and Autumn Valley, County Wicklow

Looking down the valley at Glendalough in autumn — the round tower among the trees, colour in the woods, and the Wicklow Mountains holding the scene.

The famous view of Glendalough may usually involve the upper lake, this scenic part of Wicklow whose name in Irish Gleann Dá Loch means valley of the two lakes, is often besieged with visitors in the summer. Always avoid on bank holiday weekends!

But here in autumn, colour blasts through the valley during October and November and I took the opportunity to photograph it to capture the bright colours and beauty of the foliage - with the monastery’s 1,000-year-old round tower standing tall above the ancient woodland that occupies the area.

I always like to photograph the famous views but often the lesser spotted scenes make for a better image.

A grey day suits a scene like this, in even light you can see the difference between the rusty foreground and the more yellow trees flaming across the hill. And there’s plenty of green left, which matters here as much as the reds and oranges, the image would look a lot flatter if everything had turned at once.

Open all year round, Glendalough is one of my favourite places to photograph, just not in high summer, come along and photograph it with me on your visit to Ireland.