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February 2017 saw me photographing a lot of studio images for my site darrenmcloughlin.com but I did venture out into the countryside both on my own and while leading tours in Dublin, Wicklow and Kilkenny.
Snow made a return during February 2017 and crocus flowers were in full bloom. The coast of course was a perfect destination with stormy weather and beautiful winter light.
Have a look at the YouTube video here for the show.
The Antrim Coast is a rugged, beautifully scenic place with the wild Atlantic pounding at its shoreline and islands constantly.
Here Sheep Island, a tiny island of basalt rocks sits close in front of the much larger Rathlin Island composed of basalt overlying chalk - evident in the cliffs as seen in the distance.
I was leading a photography workshop on this coastline, a part of Ireland I know very very well, for more information see here.
It was a windy day but still with blue sky and plenty of clouds as we considered that we were lucky to be on land rather than on the high seas, tripods shaking with the wind it was a time to shelter and photograph handheld.
Beautiful, don't you think?
A recent photography workshop saw me at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Giant's Causeway on the Antrim Coast in my own Northern Ireland.
It was a stormy day, the previous day saw a lot of rainfall although we did get many images even with the pouring rain, and continuing in the same way this morning started out windy as well but dry.
You can see some of the stormy scenes here of waves pounding this small section of the Giant's Causeway and its distinctive basalt columns.
I have written about the Giant's Causeway here before on Panoramic Ireland.
Join Panoramic Ireland, that's me, on a photography tour to the Giant's Causeway. You know how to contact me by now!
Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way stretches for 2,500km along the country's Atlantic seaboard from Cork in the south to Donegal in the north.
Here is one small section of that coastline, in County Clare when on a photography workshop we stopped to photograph the delights of this county well known for traditional music, archaeology and Father Ted.
I call it 'Waves' and you can join me on a photography workshop in County Clare or anywhere along Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way.
An old fence runs into deep waters from the shore.
I stopped here after a photography tour to capture this blue, wave-filled scene and used the fence to add interest into the image.
On a recent photography workshop to my own part of Ireland, the Antrim Coast, we stopped on our way between photographing waterfalls and caves to photograph the scene stretching before us across the sea of Moyle towards Scotland.
This part of Ireland is closest to Scotland, approximately 12 miles of North Atlantic separating Ballycastle from the Mull of Kintyre.
Here we are overlooking the islands of Islay and Jura, the peaked mountains on the horizon are the Paps of Jura.
Pink sky in the morning, day breaks as the sun nears the horizon once again spilling colour throughout the seascape without a care.
Announcing loudly that today is going to be bright and colourful, the Irish Sea plays its part in the directive - let's make this one to remember.
And it certainly was a sunrise to remember, the colours and warming glow made us stop in awe, of course we were there to photograph such a scene and we were not disappointed.
Planning only takes you so far, then there is adaptation to what nature is giving at any moment.
Come and join me on a morning photography adventure in Ireland; find and photograph scenes like these on one of Panoramic Ireland's photography workshops and tours - for everyone.
Grass clings to the rocky outcropping just offshore like it has done for countless millennia.
After the sun has set and all have gone home, I have this section of coast to myself with nothing more than the sounds of seabirds settling in for the night and crashing waves across the stony foreshore.
On a recent photography workshop to the Antrim Coast, specifically the Giant's Causeway, in between shooting images I made some video of the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site that is close to where I grew up and studied at University.
I have written about the Causeway in recent weeks, you can read more about that here and to book a photography tour or workshop on the Antrim Coast please contact me here.