Some say it was a giant, Finn McCool or Fionn mac Cumhaill who built the causeway known as the Giant's Causeway. Finn was an Irish giant who, according to one version of the myth, was having a fight with his rival in Scotland called Benandonner.

Finn built the causeway, using rocks as stepping stones across the Irish Sea to Scotland so they could fight but when Finn realised he couldn't fight Benandonner and win, on account of the Scot's size, his wife suggested that Finn hide in the baby's cot. When Benandonner arrived looking for Finn he looked into the baby's cot and upon seeing the size of the baby, returned in haste to Scotland tearing up the causeway as he went.

The story explains why the same basalt columns are found in Scotland, on the island of Staffa particularly in a place known as Fingal's Cave - another name for Finn.

In reality the Giant's Causeway was formed some 50 to 60 million years ago when the chalk rocks of this part of Antrim were overlaid with basalt from massive volcanic activity.

The Giant's Causeway is Northern Ireland's UNESCO World Heritage Site and it makes for a fine photographic destination.

I have written about my native Antrim Coast on many occasions and I organise photography workshops here each year.

For more information about Panoramic Ireland's photography workshops on the Antrim Coast click here.

Ireland makes for a fantastic photographic destination all year round. In the winter as you might not have imagined the landscape is not covered in snow although soft, white landscapes do occur - most notably in the mountains.

The winter also has magical light, with scenes just like this of the sea, mountains and low light.

I run photographic tours and workshops in Ireland from Dublin to Belfast to Antrim to Dingle.

For more information please contact me.

Steps into the sea, my favourite subject matter is the coast and, Ireland, being a small island makes access to the coast easy. 

A Peaceful Moment

On a recent journey on the Irish Sea, having left port we passed a windfarm with many turbines and on the calm surface of the sea a dolphin gently breaks.

Landscape photography is not always about epic hikes and early starts, the beauty of the landscape is often right there in front of us at any time of day.

The coast, my favourite subject matter as a photographer.

And there is plenty of choice with several thousands of kilometres of coastline to photograph.

Here, wave after wave washes up upon the rocks, too many times to count and every time a little less remains.

Why not sit by the sea, camera on tripod and capture the dynamic beauty of the littoral?

Panoramic Ireland's photography tours and workshops run all year round and are perfect for everyone.

A return to County Cork took me to it's beautifully varied coastline that I have previously mentioned here.

Unlike on that previous occasion the weather was not cloudy and moody but bright and colourful highlighting the bright greens found in the littoral landscape.

It's true, the sun does shine in Ireland, unfortunately it is not always that way when planning a day of photography.

There is nothing quite like an evening at the coast on a calm evening with a colourful sky and still waters reflecting all above.

I had just finished up on a photography workshop on the coast of Ireland, the early part of the day was clean and clear but cloud covered the afternoon sky overlooking this bay.

Stopping to take a few images in the increasing wind and darkening skies, I was approached by a tourist who was unsure if I would get any images worth keeping, given that it was so dull and grey.