Wicklow is not short of scenic locations for photography and one of the most scenic of them all is Ballinastoe Woods.

Here, a boardwalk ascends through the forest, part of a long walking route through the mountains and Irish countryside.

It's easy to imagine this place as enchanted, inhabited perhaps by a púca, one of the mythological creatures in Irish and European folklore.

Soft clear light, soft red pine needles and soft green moss add to the atmosphere of the woods as a special place, as seen here in autumn.

Mischievous in nature and seen as wicked or benevolent depending on the story, there is no doubt that an encounter with a púca would be very eventful.

As we reach Hallowe'en, based on the Irish festival of Samhain at the end of October, we arrive at the traditional day of the púca on November 1st.

So, as you leave the brighter parts of the woods take care in those darker, quiet areas for it might not be a badger that you encounter but a naughty púca; treat it with respect and I'm sure you'll be fine.

Here's another enchanted woodland that I photographed: https://panoramicireland.com/photo-tours-blog/116-ancient-woodland-co-kerry-ireland

I have photographed many cows throughout Ireland over the years but rarely somewhere as scenic as this.

On top of a grassy hill in County Wexford, the south-eastiest part of Ireland's sunny south-east we came across a herd of grazing cattle enjoying the bright summer weather.

And here it was as we were photographing the bright pastoral scene that my clients, a Swiss couple, told me of EdelAlp - a scheme where you can sponsor a cow for the summer. 

The mountain pastures above Verbier in Switzerland, a good bit higher than the hill pictured here, are home to Herens cows which are a small breed perfectly suited to the slopes.

For the summer, you can go and visit your cow in her pasture and at the end of the season you get a 5kg wheel of cheese.

A smart idea and one that might also work in parts of Ireland, with Irish breeds of cow.

Now, which of these lovelies would you sponsor?

On we went to find more scenes to photograph.

To join me, Panoramic Ireland, to photograph in Ireland use the contact page to enquire about places and availability.

There is little more enjoyable in spring than walking through a woodland filled with bluebells.

Here, a path leading through the scene deeper into the forest.

Bluebells Hyacinthoides non-scripta carpet hillsides and woodlands in April and May each year in Ireland.

And here on the photography workshop in the Irish countryside saw us photograph in ideal conditions with sidelighting that wasn't too strong, little wind and we moved on to some of the area's rivers afterwards.

Join me in Ireland to photograph scenes like this, bluebells are gone now for the year but Ireland has something of interest to photograph all year round.

Dublin's Docklands underwent significant, almost complete redevelopment in the 2000s with the biggest names in the tech industry still building and locating in the area today.

Here in Grand Canal Square the public realm was designed by landscape architect Martha Schwartz and the choice of red paving blocks and these tall red glow sticks were designed deliberately to give a red carpet effect coming from Daniel Libeskind's 2,000-seater theatre.

On the right is the distinctive chequered pattern of the Anantara The Marker Hotel.

This is now a good-looking part of the city and the redevelopment has brought a lot of life into the area that was run down for many decades at the end of the 20th century.

Join Panoramic Ireland to photograph in Dublin at night on our award-winning photography tours and workshops.

A recent visit to the Antrim Coast, one of the finest sections of coast in the world, saw me heading off to Rathlin Island pictured to the left in this image.

A quiet evening with a little cloud, and unusually for the Antrim Coast, little wind, saw some colour and movement in the scene as golden hour gave way to blue hour.

There was little to stop me from staying here photographing this scene for the night except for an early start the following morning.

An hour or so of changing conditions and changing my viewpoint up and down this short stretch of coastline allowed me to photograph a specific image. then to bed and ready for the next morning.

Visiting Ireland? Join me to photograph on the Antrim Coast, in Dublin or in Connemara during 2023.

On a recent photography tour in Cobh, County Cork we stopped to photograph the town's best known features - the hilly seaside street with colourfully-painted houses known as the Deck of Cards, and the lofty Saint Colman's Cathedral.

It was my first time visiting the seaside town since before the lockdown began in March 2020 and within moments it became obvious that something had changed since I took my last image. The previously colourful street had lost much of its character with recent colour changes.

From yellow, orange and red - bright, bold colours that clash with the blue and turquoise just a few doors away - to grey, beige and some other indescribable colour; becoming almost identically non-descript.

It's almost as if the owners hate their homes being photographed so much that they have decided to paint them some horrible colour to discourage the camera-wielding tourists.

Reflections are an important part of landscape photography. 

Sometimes these reflections are bright and colourful and sometimes, like here, more subtle and subdued like a typical west of Ireland scene.

Join Panoramic Ireland in 2021 for landscape and cityscape photography workshops in Ireland.

We can't journey as much through the Irish countryside right now with current restrictions on movement.

Here an image that makes me keen to get back out into the green, mountainous scenery of Ireland.

It makes me think of this quote from On the Road by Jack Kerouac:

“All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.”

While many of us are at home looking through image archives it makes for a good time to learn and to improve photography, why not join me on a private online photography class to cover any topics you want - from Lightroom (tone curve, sharpening, exposure adjustments, presence etc), managing image libraries, Photoshop, planning photographic projects and critique of images and portfolios. 

Find out more here: https://panoramicireland.com/photography-workshops-ireland/online-photography-class-tutorial-professional-photographer

So if you can't join me on one of my photography tours and workshops in Ireland, why not join me online using whatever video app you prefer.

We may be looking through the archives but here is one that never fails to make me laugh.

As I was explaining depth of field on a photography workshop with JMcC from Ontario, Canada this donkey popped up and crashed the shot and perfectly illustrated the concept of depth of field and selective focus.

To learn more about photography during the current Coronavirus quarantine, why not take a personal online photography workshop with me any day of the week, any time of day to suit your location via Google Hangouts, Zoom etc.

Contact me to find out more - sessions from 45 mins to 1 hr 15 mins. Learn how to use Lightroom, Photoshop or other editing software and manage your image collection as well as photography concepts such as depth of field.

Away from the crowds, in fact away from everyone the Irish countryside is a perfect destination for landscape and travel photography.

Here a rural road through the green Irish countryside leads us to the mountains just as a little bit of rain starts to fall.

You can see the rain streaking across this dramatic grey sky, but it didn't stay that way for long with sunshine coming out soon after.

Join Panoramic Ireland on a private photography workshop in the Irish countryside away from the crowds.

Places available right now, throughout March, April, May and on - 365 days of the year!