Last night's colourful sunset saw me clambering (and falling) over stone walls in pursuit of the colourful sky in the west of Ireland.

From this week's forecast I knew that if the conditions looked right then it would be worth the effort to photograph the sunset, the forecast for today was for better and sunnier conditions but Met Eireann like many forecasting services around the world, are often not accurate in the slightest and that indeed proved right once again.

I have spent a lot of time in the west of Ireland throughout the years, photographing and travelling through this beautiful Irish region.

This summer of course has been very warm and dry, yet the west of Ireland's landscapes often have more interest in the sky than in other parts of Ireland.

You can now book directly a private one-to-one photography workshop in Ireland's west with Panoramic Ireland, in Connemara which is the western part of County Galway.

Connemara is perfect for learning how to make better images, the landscapes as well as seascapes are big and wide open.

Join Panoramic Ireland on any day of the year, to suit your schedule, and take away a better understanding of light and landscape.

Click here to check availability and book: http://panoramicireland.com/photography-workshops-ireland/coastal-photography-course/galway-connemara-coastal-workshop

Zigzag clouds in the morning - altocumulus undulatus above the west of Ireland.

Over the years I have photographed many types of clouds but this is one of the most interesting skies that I have trained my camera on.

Early morning in July on Galway Bay and the diving tower at Salthill saw the formation of this dramatic skyscape but it was not until we got to Lough Corrib with its calm waters reflecting the unusual clouds above that the scene looked so impressive as to make you stop and breathe it all in. A moment never to be repeated, unusual enough that in 20 years of photographing the Irish landscape I have never seen similar before.

The landscapes of Ireland are renowned for their verdure. In a typical year the summer temperatures rarely exceed 30C and in winter mild temperatures mean little hard ice and snow.

This is not a typical year however, a harsh winter with several major snow and ice events and now a long heatwave with little rain since the end of May mean that typically lush scenes look yellow and brown like in this image above.

Many trees are now also turning autumnal with green leaves changing to brown, hedgerows with fuchsia and montbretia usually ablaze with reds and oranges too are lacklustre.

Most people are saying that it was in 1976 when they last had a summer like this and certainly the summers of late haven't had anything more than a day or two at a time of good weather.

It's quite amazing really, not a need to bring a rain jacket and often 16C overnight meaning that the countryside is warm enough to enjoy in the evening without long sleeves.

Photographically it is a challenge as many of the days so far have had only bright blue skies without clouds for interest and contrast in the landscape.

And of course that famous green has disappeared, for now. I'm sure it will be back when the rain and cooler temperatures return.

Panoramic Ireland's photo tours are available in Galway, Dublin, Cork and everywhere else in Ireland, join me and learn how to photograph the beauty of Ireland's landscapes.

Sunset at Glendalough after a long day of photography in Ireland

We spent from before dawn right through to sunset photographing in Ireland's County Wicklow, situated just south of Dublin it is an area that I know very well.

I recently upgraded my online booking system for Panoramic Ireland's Dublin Photo Tours, and the tours for the rest of Ireland. It is now possible to book online using mobile phones, tablets and computers. You can also send me an email to enquire about dates, it's easy.

Have a look through my Dublin page, read more about how I can help you to make more of your camera and your creative vision, with years of experience shooting images for the biggest names in the travel and publishing industries including Ireland's Irish Times, The Sunday Times, easyJet, Ritz-Carlton and The New York Times.

With extensive experience image making for architects, musicians and travel companies amongst others - have a look at my photography site here - I can guide you in improving your photography and showing you the places that years of exploring Ireland's highways and byways brings. Choose from early morning, middle of the day or evening seven days a week.

Join me, an Irish professional travel photographer with over ten years of experience leading private photography tours to learn ho to make better images in Ireland, my tours are private one-to-ones with just you or your friends/family.

To book a photo tour / workshop in Dublin with Panoramic Ireland, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for the calendar booking system or search here:

Dublin isn't just a city of amazing architecture, great pubs and leafy parks, it's also a city of impressive skies.

Here the iconic Ha'penny Bridge spanning the River Liffey is illuminated by a double rainbow.

Megachile is the scientific name for this species of bee, commonly found in Ireland.

This is a leafcutter bee, a solitary species that makes its nests in small sticks and holes in walls, sealed up with a portion of leaf that it has cut with its powerful jaws.

Above, collecting pollen from Erigeron flowers, below here it is seen resting on a calendula leaf amongst cultivated tomatoes with a cut leaf in its possession. I watched them flying in hot conditions with their cut leaves, a heavy ballast. They land on another plant and wait for about a minute, resting, before flying off again to seal up a hole not too far away.

Bees are important pollinators of plants and trees and it is always amazing to watch these industrious insects as they fly through the garden on their busy mission. I saw my first bee of 2018 back in January - alas Google Plus no longer exists.

Read more about Irish bees here: http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/projects/irish-pollinator-initiative/bees/solitary-bees/

This week saw Panoramic Ireland, that's me - a real person, photographing on Dublin's River Liffey on another of my one-to-one Dublin photo tours.

We covered some of the city sights before finishing up along the River Liffey, an exciting part of the city in which to photograph.

Using a tripod at this time of night is necessary, the long exposures required mean that the camera should be solid and steady and protected from movement.

The night lights of the various buildings, including the hoops on the Convention Centre, add to the atmosphere of the urban night time environment. These cityscapes are something that changes a lot along the river and through time but I'm sure you will find it to be a colourful experience.

T.N. from Australia was on this tour with me and this is what he had to say:

“Darren is a terrific guide and a very kind and personable host. He took me on a great walking tour of Dublin City where we explored and took some great photos of several sights off the tourist trail. Darren is genuinely passionate about Dublin city as he is about his craft and he was very generous with sharing his abundant knowledge and experiences. I had a really enjoyable day and took many tips away with me that I will apply in my photography going forward. I highly recommend this experience to anyone at all, local or from abroad, who is interested in photography and is after a unique personalized experience photographing Dublin city.”

To join me on a photography tour of Dublin, to photograph the night cityscapes of Ireland's capital, contact me using the Contact link.

The spring is colourful in Ireland, summer is also colourful as seen here with the pinks of rhododendron lining a path through the mountains.

A recent visit into the Irish mountains took me through large rhododendron groves, often over 12 feet in height and covering acres of upland.

The pinks of spring cherry blossom are gone, see here for more of those.

The pink flowers are very attractive and of course a source of food for bees but these invasive, non-native shrubs are taking over much of the Irish countryside unchecked.

In places it is difficult to find a way through these large thickets or groves, the impossibility of viewing anything in the distance means wayfinding is impossible.

Despite this the pink colour is nonetheless impressive alongside the green leaves and blue sky.

Join me on a photography tour of Ireland's mountains in summer or Dublin's parks in spring.