A recent photography tour in County Donegal brought us to the edge of a mountain to photograph the landscape of Ireland's most northerly county.

The weather was overcast, torrential rain had put an early end to photographic pursuits the previous evening, so despite a long journey across the country we headed off to photograph at least a few of the scenes missed.

Just off the boggy path, sodden from the recent heavy precipitation, we spotted a relaxed sheep just sitting on the edge of a rock. 

With a smile it watched our every move, unperturbed by our presence and the glass of our long lenses pointed right at it.

No doubt finding mirth at our clumsy perambulation across the narrow, slippy track.

For a time this was the most photographed sheep in Donegal, and the most accommodating, as it continued with its perfect pose for some time.

A moment of utilitarianism.

On we went in search of waterfalls and ancient ruins.

Join Panoramic Ireland, that's me, to photograph in the Irish mountains or the urban wilderness of Dublin.

Today, August 31st, marks the end of summer - meteorologically speaking - as the three hottest months of the year have now passed.

The weather has already begun to change with cooler temperatures and full, grey skies overhead in recent days.

That of course doesn't mean that the good weather is gone for the year.

Oh no, we are just about to get into the brightly coloured season of autumn where we still get plenty of sunshine and all that character in the countryside.

Why not join me, Panoramic Ireland to photograph in autumn, winter, spring or summer in Ireland.

July 2021 has brought some interesting weather to the island of Ireland with a new record for Northern Ireland set in Armagh at 31.4 degrees Celsius. Unusually for summer, Ireland has had warmer temperatures than neighbouring Britain for much of the month and a 'Tropical Night' was recorded when night-time temperatures didn't drop below 20C.

So far the hottest place has been Armagh with a recorded temperature of 31.4 Celsius on July 22nd 2021.

Known as the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, with both the heads of the Catholic Church and Church of Ireland being based in the city founded by Saint Patrick in 444AD, Armagh sits in a drumlin belt (hills created by the movement of ice across the landscape) that stretches across Ireland from County Down on the Irish Sea to County Mayo on the Atlantic.

Here, overlooking the City of Saints and Scholars, both of Armagh's cathedrals dedicated to the patron saint of Ireland can be seen in the green landscape of the lush Irish summer countryside. In the distance the twin peaks of Sawel and Dart in the Sperrins - a mountain range running through Tyrone and Derry.

There's something about the smell of the coast - a fresh Atlantic Ocean breeze, sunshine and recently passed rain.

And it's the smell of nature after rain that will be very familiar to anyone who spends much time outdoors, even in the urban environment, indeed a typical Irish town will have that particular post-pluvial odour caused by a mix of geosmin from gardens, parks and hedges and ozone from concrete and tarmac.

Of course the smell of the countryside, fields and forests the same.

And that smell has a name, Petrichor which comes from the Greek petros for stone and ichor which was the blood of the gods.

Sometimes I get asked if the non-summer months, or at least October to March, are good for photography in Ireland.

And of course the answer is yes. The autumn, winter and spring months hold some fantastic clear light days, moody overcast conditions, fog, burst of colour and often storms.

These months also typically have fewer tourists around and so make a perfect time for landscape photography.

A case in point; travelling through Northern Ireland's Mourne Mountains in March I found this scene of large fields bounded by huge-granite-stone walls so typical of County Down, an old cottage the only sign of habitation here.

And in that field, an arrangement of sheep.

39 legs in all, if you count my two of course, and one for the monopod supporting my camera.

Strong sunlight is evident here with those short well-defined shadows and bright folds of wool.

Northern Ireland will reopen soon and Panoramic Ireland's tours and workshops will be available to book as soon as possible but in the meantime I am still taking no-deposit, fully cancellable and changeable bookings - just send me an email to enquire about locations and dates.

I have written about Slieve League or Sliabh Liag before, Ireland's highest mainland coastal cliffs.

This is one of Ireland's finest landscapes with its indented, steep cliffs constantly battered by the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of metres below.

Bright, golden light catches each of the rocky indents.

Join me, in 2024 and 2025, to photograph in Ireland's most scenic locations including Antrim, Donegal, Galway, Wicklow and Waterford.

Water falls over the waterfall, that's what a waterfall does; but sometimes in dry conditions, here during summer, it loses its scale.

In full flow, the waterfall fills this rockface with a powerful force of continuously falling water, flowing fast from the deep rock pool below.

Where water doesn't regularly flow vegetation can be found, green mats of bryophytes and bunches of ferns - sometimes tucked away in niches behind the falls as seen in the images above and below.

In full flow waterfalls are difficult to photograph, often generating a spray that can mist a camera lens in less than a second. Below the same waterfall with much more flow as autumn ends.

Join Panoramic Ireland in 2021 to photograph scenic Irish waterfalls and landscapes.

This lone and windswept tree prepares for another tough year of growing, its short stature and horizontal growth shows the direction of prevailing winds.

Clearly this side of the small lake makes for difficult growing conditions, the far side being more sheltered and with deeper soils supports a small natural woodland of upright trees.

Trees provide a focal point for photography whether that be standalone trees on ridges or hills, deciduous woodlands or planted neatly in urban parks.

National Tree Week 2021 is here and I am posting some of my favourite tree images from over the years. Check back again tomorrow to see more.

Rural lanes in Ireland or Green Roads are remnants of old, sometimes ancient, paths through the countryside. Here on a fine winter's day I headed into the green and colourful landscape to view the mountains under the blue sky.

Ireland has had some cold nights recently in January 2021, winter is well and truly here but for now milder conditions have returned and little remains of the snow even at higher altitudes.

I have written about green roads before, here.

The low, setting sun slips below the ridge and at this time only illuminates the higher slopes of the mountains ahead.

Well, the time has finally arrived, it's time for Panoramic Ireland's final post for 2020.

The year started so well, with a lot of promise then quickly descended into a state of...not so good.

So it's time to bring some hope into the new year and look forward to a better year, starting with January.

I would normally do a review of the year at this time but, well you know how it is. Actually I did photograph some interesting scenes this year but not nearly as many as usual.