Today I headed into the mountains, the day started cold and grey with a lot of driven rain.

Perhaps not the best choice to be high on the mountain tops in Ireland in wet and windy weather so I went instead to a sheltered woodland to photograph streams and flowers - where the bluebells are still in fine colour.

Here I gave full attention to the small stream, cascading through the woodland but with little flow there wasn't a lot to capture that impressed.

I do enjoy visiting the famous places in Ireland, there's Kilkenny, Dingle, Dublin and the Giant's Causeway to name a few.

But I also enjoy leading photography workshops in the non-famous places here in Ireland - those places that make up the bulk of the Irish countryside such as here in the above image of a typical woodland scene in spring.

The coast of Ireland is perfect for landscape or seascape photography, and perfect for relaxation too.

Here, a stormy Atlantic sunset over County Kerry's Blasket Islands makes you just want to stop and watch. Which is what we did on a photo tour to Ireland's most westerly peninsula, Dingle.

Landscape photography is an interesting pursuit, sometimes you end up with blue skies and sunny conditions and sometimes the moody, dramatic image as seen here.

Weather does play a factor, here we had the drama of an Irish sky, a little bit of blue but mostly diffuse light and really quite suitable to the subject matter in this case. Rugged, blocky rocks and a waterfall that cascades into the sea - in fact it's the Atlantic Ocean crashing here upon the shore.

Panoramic Ireland made a return visit to the Antrim Coast this week saw me leading a photography workshop to capture the landscapes and seascapes of this geologic region of Ireland that includes the Causeway Coast, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Giant's Causeway.

Approximately 8m in height, Glenariff waterfall is located deep in its own valley in the Glens of Antrim, easy to find by the sound of its thunderous roar and along a wooden walkway that takes you along the edge and across the steep, narrow, damp valley.

The softness of the Irish landscape is here complemented by the softness of the Irish weather.

A chilly start to the day before the sun warmed the green and grey of the west of Ireland, clouds gently lifted from the lake towards the weathered mountain tops.

And then, on we go capturing scenes from this scenic part of the world.

Join me to photograph the west of Ireland, all year round.

Panoramic Ireland, that's me by the way - my name is Darren, create photography workshops and tours in Ireland.

My private and small group tours and workshops are designed to work with your schedule and your interests, to help improve your image making skills or to show you the best, mostly hidden, places in Ireland.

Because my tours are private, it can be a combination of all of the above.

Learn how to make better landscape images with me, a professional travel photographer who has worked with the biggest names in international publishing, photographed many of the world's biggest bands and has been exploring Ireland ever since (and before actually) graduating with a Bsc Hons in Geography.

From Fair Head to Mizen Head, the Antrim Coast to County Cork, Dublin to Galway - each and every corner of Ireland.

And of course please feel free to ask any questions.

I look forward to seeing you in Ireland with your camera in hand!

Green Reflections

There's something about reflections and photography, don't you think?

From street photography to landscapes via architecture, reflections feature in all genres of photography.

There can be no doubt that the west of Ireland is as scenic as any other place in the world.

Here is one example, a small coastal mountain capped with cloud, struck with bright sunshine on its lower slopes giving a portion of the countryside a bright, vibrancy.

The lanes of Ireland are a favourite photographic subject of mine.

Here, the final leaves of 2018 were falling - covering the ground with russety autumnal colour as the bright sunlight shines, casting shadows and making the whole scene more enticing.

Here are a few more of my favourite laneway scenes that I have photographed over the years:

https://panoramicireland.com/blog-ireland-guide/an-irish-laneway-with-mountains-in-the-distance

https://panoramicireland.com/photo-tours-blog/ireland-midlands-laneway-colour-sunset-sky-landscape-photography

https://panoramicireland.com/photo-tours-blog/irish-laneways-look-colourful-as-autumn-gives-way-to-winter