During a recent photography workshop in one of my favourite Irish locations for photography I visited a woodland that I knew to contain bluebells.

It was the end of spring, getting into early June and I knew that in most locations south of Dublin bluebells were past their best. But this location, sheltered under a large beech wood canopy on the northern slopes of a mountain, always provides a few extra days of bluebells even if the native Irish species of wildflower is not as extensive here as elsewhere - see my previous post of a covered woodland floor here.

As we walked through the woods the path led us past moss-covered rocks and the last of this year's bluebells - as anticipated still in good condition here at the start of June.

Trees arched over the path forming a natural tunnel; burdened by vigorous leafy growth and buffeted by strong winds year after year they almost touched the ground on the opposite side of the trail that invited us deeper into the forest. What a place to stop for a few moments and a memorable photograph.

Panoramic Ireland create photography workshops throughout Ireland, from bluebell and moss-covered woodland to urban Belfast and Dublin.

For more information contact me here.

Bluebells Hyacinthoides non-scripta are a common sight throughout Ireland in late spring every year, particularly in woodlands.

Here in Sligo the whole woodland floor is carpeted with blue from the native wildflowers, rocks and trees are covered with bright green moss under a canopy of fresh green beech leaves.

Another evening in Dublin and another amazing sunset as crepuscular rays from the low sun spread out from behind dramatic clouds suspended over the River Liffey as it flows through the centre.

It seemed on this occasion that the evening was going to be overcast and boring, but as is often the case with evening weather the sun's rays burst through the clouds and blue sky became visible.

Spring 2016 has been busy for Panoramic Ireland's photography tours and workshops in the Irish countryside.

The beautiful weather of recent weeks has brought challenges and opportunities, and the month of May has been better than those of recent years.

Here is a colourful image of a field of buttercups fringed by hawthorns and beech trees under a blue sky with soft, white clouds, taken in a quiet moment between sessions with tripods and filters.

The rugged landscapes in the west of Ireland make for great landscape photography.

Here, small fields of green have been created by generations of farmers clearing stones from the land. 

Old cultivation ridges can be seen inside the fields where, in centuries gone by, farmers created what are known as lazy beds.

Another beautiful evening here in the west of Ireland and what an evening it was.

Any of you who joined me for a chat earlier will have seen and heard how calm the conditions were, just a few ripples on the surface of the water created interesting reflections of the passing clouds overhead.

And the sun sets on another day, another Saint Patrick's Day in this case.

To anyone I was chatting to earlier, here is the finished sunset image. 

Hello and welcome to the redesigned panoramicireland.com. I have been working hard on the site over recent weeks and have now had some time to get out with the camera on my own terms.

I've led several photography workshops in Galway over the past few days and today I had a day to myself that didn't include website designing.

It's Saint Patrick's Day, the 17th March, so I went to see the nearest parade and that was Galway. It was sunny again today just like last year in the small Atlantic coast city.

The west of Ireland is as blessed as many parts of the world with beautiful sunsets, the sun dropping towards the horizon, its light skimming across a few thousand miles of ocean uninterrupted.

The sun sets over the watery landscape, flooded after a long winter season of heavy rain, the wettest winter on record in Ireland. Grasses slowly regrowing in a matter of hours despite being submerged under the cold lake water and abused by wave after wave for months over the many dark hiemal days.

Snow rarely lasts for more than a few days when it falls in Ireland. Save for in the high ground, above 600m where it might persist for the winter months on northern slopes.

So on waking today when I saw snow in the mountains it was a sensible decision to venture in search of the white stuff.