It might make more sense to post the first sunrise of a new year from New Year's Day rather than the first sunset. But where I am, in the west of Ireland, with wide views to the west and high ground to the east, sunset is a more appropriate time of day for photography. 

So here, a scene from the colourful west of Ireland at sunset. 

Indeed, my last post of 2024 was of one of the final sunrises of the year - weather and aerial perspective suited here.

Keep an eye out for more posts here on Panoramic Ireland, or come to Ireland to join me and learn how to photograph in the landscapes of the west of Ireland.

It was an early start, here on location already at 05:05 on 06/06. A still morning, high on the Quiraing, a landslip ridge on the north end of the famously beautiful Scottish Isle of Skye. Awaiting the sunrise

I was in Scotland to photograph puffins and landscapes and on this morning I photographed in the blue hour light, a stormy purple at this moment, rather than the classic view of this location as I wanted to save that for the golden hour

Imagine my surprise when a ship should enter view out on the Atlantic, I recognised her shape and sure enough, after a quick Google search I found that Swan Hellenic's SH Vega was indeed in Skye at that time.

I had been on board the small polar class cruise ship last year when she made her first visit to Dublin and Ireland. At that time I said "I hope to see her again soon." And here, now in Skye photographing in the most scenic of scenes.

The view along the ridge was spectacular, I can only imagine how this scene looked from one of the 76 staterooms on board the ship; seeing the Quiraing slowly lighting up with the clearing sky and shadows across the rocky ridge.

Ah November, the month in which winter is supposed to begin in Ireland. Not so this year, 2024 has seen records being broken across Ireland for warmest temperatures recorded in various locations.

Although the overall maximum November temperature hasn't been broken as yet, November has seen eleven weather stations across Ireland register temperatures higher than ever recorded at those locations ranging from Tipperary to Donegal.

In some cases, such as at Athenry, County Galway and Claremorris, County Mayo weather stations recorded 18.6C and 18.2C respectively which are both 2C higher than previous maximums. 

The highest so far this year is 19.2C in Dublin's Phoenix Park but the record still stands as 20.1C in November 2015 at Dooks, County Kerry.

Minimum temperatures have been high too this year with 14.6C at Valentia, County Kerry observed, the third highest on record for the month in Ireland.

In the image, Ballycotton Island Lighthouse in County Cork on a warm, cloudy November day. This lighthouse was painted black in 1902 to distinguish it from the nearby Capel Island Lighthouse.

The forecast is for cooler conditions this week, for a few days, but with a return to warmer weather by next weekend.

Join me to photograph in the Irish countryside, in the city, or by the coast in November, December, January and the other nine months of the year - 2025 dates available now.

The green roads or lanes of Ireland are impressive but can often be quite hard to find.

They are unlike other small country roads in Ireland, they don't have a metalled surface, they weave between fields through the Irish landscape but often have become disused or paved over. These green roads often would have been routes between townlands, forming part of the cultural landscape of Ireland.

Today they are important for wildlife, with hedgerows providing wildlife cover, berries and seeds for winter and with limited traffic - usually walkers, cows and horses are the only passers-by now.

Green roads give character to an area and provide a link to our past as well as being incredibly scenic.

A calm evening close to sunset with cloud obscuring the best of the western sky over the edge of Ireland.

Yet it's still a scenic view as a few breaks in the cloud allows the orange-red sun rays through to briefly illuminate the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

Panoramic Ireland's photography tours and workshops are running all through autumn, winter and into 2025 here on the west of Ireland Atlantic or in the urban streets of Dublin, Belfast, Cork and more.

In the depths of the Irish countryside, the sun rises slowly illuminating the rugged, mountainous countryside.

Clouds lift off the valley floor, wisping along the steep slope of the mountains as the early morning sunlight highlight the quartzite rocks.

Such scenes make some of my favourite landscape photography images. Empty of people, early in the day or late in the evening and dramatic lighting.

To photograph scenes like these, why not join me on a day photographing the landscapes of the west of Ireland in 2024 and 2025?

To find out more please feel free to contact me.

The Irish summer is a strange thing, one day can be hot and sunny and then the next day is cloudy, cold and raining.

And of course we can get all of that in one day too. 

Here, a lush scene of Irish farmland ringed by mountains, a river runs through it. All under a cloudy sky.

It's a patchwork of 1,000 fields, trees line the river and tree-filled hedges mark the boundary between fields all helped by the long daylight hours in summer, plenty of rain and gentle heat.

Bands of colour from the Irish coast in spring.

As the days get longer here in Ireland (well, a day is still 24 hours but the proportion of daylight is now getting longer and will soon be more than the length of night), the opportunity to photograph for longer during the day is to be welcomed.

The coast of Ireland is varied and in places is sandy, rocky, cliffy or often a combination.

Here, a stormy afternoon brings fresh winds and plenty of waves to the golden sands of the shore.

Below, a blue hour image from the coast.

Join me to photograph in Ireland, on the coast or in the mountains.

It was a warm evening in the west of Ireland last summer when we stopped to photograph at the famous Pine Island in Connemara, the western part of Galway.

There wasn't much sunlight left as clouds rolled in for a wet and windy finish to the day but the calm conditions we encountered here made the day's photography more than worthwhile.

An almost perfect reflection, low cloud wisping across the mountains and colourful sunset skies created an image that many say remind them of other places, not so much Ireland.

Even from those who have been here, the scenery is more reminiscent of tropical locales such as the Serengeti in Tanzania.

Pine Island is a place I visit often, join me to improve your photography in Ireland this year - places available throughout 2024.

Peace descended over the west of Ireland at the end of yet another fine January day.

There was no direct sunset, instead a bank of cloud moved in and the sun slipped in and out of the grey band stretched across the sky, crepuscular rays emanating in many directions for 30 seconds or so at a time.

Ducks quacked, geese honked as the countryside began to darken before the long night, the time after sunset that we call the blue hour.

After many storms Ireland is experiencing an extended calm with respite from the incessant rain and wind of the last week of December which saw several storms including Gerrit, Pia, Geraldine and Henk.

I have been out photographing in the countryside and in Dublin this week and Panoramic Ireland's photography workshops and tours are open to book every day of the week throughout Ireland, subject to availability.

Join me to photograph in Ireland.