There are many factors that contribute to making a good image. Not least among them is lighting, in fact without light we have no image and without good light we have a bad image.

No matter how many times you visit a location as a landscape photographer there is always something of interest, something different to photograph.

The subject matter might be the same, the image might be from the same location as your last visit and the weather might be as good as it was before but the scene is not the same and the image will be different.

Another evening in Dublin and another amazing sunset as crepuscular rays from the low sun spread out from behind dramatic clouds suspended over the River Liffey as it flows through the centre.

It seemed on this occasion that the evening was going to be overcast and boring, but as is often the case with evening weather the sun's rays burst through the clouds and blue sky became visible.

Spring 2016 has been busy for Panoramic Ireland's photography tours and workshops in the Irish countryside.

The beautiful weather of recent weeks has brought challenges and opportunities, and the month of May has been better than those of recent years.

Here is a colourful image of a field of buttercups fringed by hawthorns and beech trees under a blue sky with soft, white clouds, taken in a quiet moment between sessions with tripods and filters.

The sea stack of Dun Briste on County Mayo's north coast is one of the most spectacular scenes on a spectacular coastline stretching over 2,500km along Ireland's Atlantic seaboard.

Dun Briste or Dún Briste meaning Broken Fort in Irish refers to this small but impressive vertical island on the edge of the Atlantic. In this image, layers of rocks on the stacks exposed sides hint at a sedimentary geological origin.

Thinking about taking a swim?

It was a bit stormy on this occasion even for this man who swims often.

I chatted with him for some minutes as the sun made its way higher in the sky, the bold colours fading to daylight tones quickly. As it happens I had met him before and after our chat he left as I was packing away my camera equipment, the swell was too strong for a pleasant swim.

I have started my review of 2014 in images over on another section of the site.

Last year saw me visit many counties, cover the Wild Atlantic Way and write articles on the Antrim Coast's Game of Thrones connection and street art in Dublin as well as Belfast's peace walls - now a focal point for community based art.

Eight arms and four oars propel a rowing boat at speed upstream along the River Liffey as it flows through the centre of Dublin, Ireland. 

Antrim Photography Experience

I wrote about a recent photography workshop on the Antrim Coast with two Sicilians, see here - we went along the coast, photographing waterfalls, green fields, rocky coastline and of course the Dark Hedges. This is real landscape photography territory.

Another tour of Connemara

After a few weeks of travelling (more to come on that) I am back in Ireland and led a photo tour in Connemara with MC from New Zealand last week.

The weather was fine, stormy at times and very windy in places but with plenty of cloud action to keep the skies interesting.