There is some wild weather on the way for Ireland this week, stormy winds and rain.

I am planning a visit to the west of Ireland soon and have been looking through images from previous visits.

Here I found this one from 2014 when the late evening sun, partially obscured by fast moving clouds, momentarily illuminated the rocky mountainsides above the lake.

It probably wouldn't be a bad place for a swim, but on this occasion photographing along the entire west coast of Ireland was the endeavour.

Next visit will be for photography as well, but maybe after that a little bit of time to have a picnic and a stroll or even swimming in this fine mountain valley lake.

Why not join me to photograph in Ireland's wild landscapes or in Dublin.

Sunset in the mountains, Ireland, the sun goes down.

Valley lakes reflect the last of this day's light as the sun edges towards our apparent horizon on the mountain ridge; glints of brightness in the dark from quartzite rocks.

Thin Lizzy's haunting final single The Sun Goes Down is about more than this quotidian natural event, yet as one of my favourite songs, I feel it fits with this image quite well.

Of course, now at the end of November we are seeing early sunsets in Ireland at approximately 16:30 and we will soon reach the shortest day of the year.

Winter is a fine time for photography in Ireland, short days mean that sunrise and sunset are easier to be up and out for, the crowds of summer have gone and often a good winter storm brings interest to the coast.

Join Panoramic Ireland's photography tours in Ireland all year round, not just when the sun goes down - when it comes up as well.

I have written about castles before, namely my exploration of Barrymore Castle in Castlelyons, and Cahir Castle in County Tipperary that recently played host to Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer for the filming of Ridley Scott's The Last Duel.

Ireland is awash with castles but many are, unfortunately, barely more than a single stone.

This is a two part image, in the lower-middle incoming waves meld into bluey-green and white bands over the course of the exposure and to the bottom returning water ripples remain consistent, in the top half of the image slow-moving white and grey clouds barely move against the azure sky.

In long exposure photography we are looking to use movement in at least one part of the image, here that is in the bottom half more so than the top.

Join Panoramic Ireland to photograph in Ireland in 2021, 2022 and beyond.

It doesn't snow that often in Ireland, but it does snow more often than you think, particularly in the meteorological winter months of December, January and February.

The middle of January 2021 has seen some snow falling over much of Ireland but accumulations have been small; lasting, as snow typically does in Ireland, for only a few days at upper elevations and for only a few hours closer to sea level.

The upper slopes of this hill are more snowy than those towards the bottom, the triangle field here as much green as it is white.

It is likely that we will see more snow in 2021 but for the moment warmer weather is on the way.

The West of Ireland, it's the place that I photograph most often in Ireland along with the Antrim Coast and Dublin.

Here, a typical western scene of rugged mountains, very often coated with a soft green of grass and, here where you see the reddishness, bracken that has died back for the winter. 

Bracken is a type of fern Pteridium that dates back some 55 million years, is highly invasive and can cause cancer in humans (only if eaten) and is poisonous to animals (again only if eaten).

The sky above the west of Ireland, in particular Connemara, is more impressive than those of the rest of Ireland.

Big, open blue skies and stormy skies stretching for miles are the likely scenes awaiting the photographer and visitor alike.

Panoramic Ireland's photography workshops run all year round in Connemara, in Dublin and throughout Ireland.

Contact me today to find out more about the places and options for 2021.

It's winter now and my mind turns to coastal landscapes.

Here, one from the Antrim Coast of Sheep Island.

Crashing waves batter both sides of the small island, for millennia a well known landmark off this part of the Causeway Coast but now more famous from its appearance in HBO's Game of Thrones.

Sheep Island rises some 30 metres above the North Atlantic with mostly sheer cliffs, a thin layer of soil on top gives a green colour particularly in spring. In centuries past, local farmers would graze sheep out here being able to land only on the calmest of days.

Some doubt that landing a vessel here with sheep is possible, but on a calm day and good local knowledge this would be a difficult, but not impossible, task.

Sheep Island is home to a large proportion of Ireland's population of the northern European sub-species of cormorant and is a protected habitat.

You can just see the coast of Scotland, faintly on the horizon under the grey cloud to the right of Sheep Island in this image.

Golden light slowly fills in from the east as sunrise approaches on the Irish Sea coast of Ireland.

Mountains hidden by the night slowly emerge from darkness casting off their shrouds of cloud, gently pushed by the morning breeze.

It might not be possible to travel to Ireland right now, as we approach the end of 2020 but in spring and summer 2021 Ireland will be open to travel and to visitors seeking to view and photograph the seascapes and landscapes of the fine countryside.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, for a landscape photography tour in Ireland during 2021 - no deposit required.

Ireland is usually seen as the Emerald Isle, with its abundance of green landscapes and old buildings.

Weather plays a big part in the mood of the Irish countryside, and often the conditions make it difficult to photograph those stereotypical, iconic scenes.

Soft scenes like this, with waves washing gently over pebbles below a grey sky - most of the green here seen in the colour of the ocean, make up a large part of the landscape photographer's collection in Ireland.

For when the weather isn't quite a s good as it should be.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, to learn how to photograph coastal landscape scenes like these.

July 2020 sees the return of Panoramic Ireland's photography workshops.

For the time being these will be run on a one-to-one or small group basis, with you and your friends.

Improve your photography, landscapes and seascapes on Ireland's fine coast.