There can be no doubt that the best times of day to photograph are around sunrise and sunset with the combination of colours and gentle light.

But if I had to choose one of these, it would be sunrise.

The day is just getting started and there is a sense of privilege to be had when standing in the countryside or by the coast welcoming the warmth of the morning sun. Birds are chirping and chattering, calling to each other and on most occasions there are so few people around it's a solitary pleasure to view and photograph.

Even in the city sunrise can be a good choice.

It does obviously depend on what you want to photograph and its location, whether sunrise or sunset works better but sunrise is definitely my preference.

Of course, some locations really do suit only one or the other, Ireland's famed Cliffs of Moher one.

And it doesn't always follow that east is for sunrise and west is for sunset. Direct light from the sun is not always required for a colourful sunrise photograph.

Sunrise photography does involve getting up and getting out early, or sometimes in summer, staying out during the night for the early light in Ireland's northerly latitudes but it's always worth it.

Join Panoramic Ireland to photograph in the Irish countryside at sunrise.

Golden light slowly fills in from the east as sunrise approaches on the Irish Sea coast of Ireland.

Mountains hidden by the night slowly emerge from darkness casting off their shrouds of cloud, gently pushed by the morning breeze.

It might not be possible to travel to Ireland right now, as we approach the end of 2020 but in spring and summer 2021 Ireland will be open to travel and to visitors seeking to view and photograph the seascapes and landscapes of the fine countryside.

Join me, Panoramic Ireland, for a landscape photography tour in Ireland during 2021 - no deposit required.

Sometimes the weather forecast shows for cloudy, boring and rainy weather here in Ireland.

That was true of the morning when I made the effort to head to the coast, one could have been forgiven for abandoning the morning's photoshoot or at least for not expecting much in the way of good images.

Yet here is the reward for patience, the lower clouds undulating across the sky pick up the first rays of the sun while those above slowly change colour.

The past few weeks have been busy here at panoramicireland.com as I traverse the length and breadth of Ireland.

Early morning, after the bright pink awesomeness of the first sunlight, more subtle scenes appear in the brightening sky.

They say the weather is one of the most talked about topics of conversation here in Ireland, the past few weeks would probably prove that.

The end of winter saw snow storms, spring was cold with some blisteringly hot days and now we have stormy conditions as we enter May, many column inches and headlines have been dedicated to the topic of the unusual weather.

Sometimes the early morning just gives more than you expect.

Making the effort to get out early for sunrise makes a lot of sense, especially on the east coast of Ireland.

On this occasion I knew the tide would be out giving the opportunity to get a wet sand foreshore that will reflect the sunrise sky's brightness and vivid colours such as here in this image.

What is harder to predict is the actual sunrise, but it is always worth making the effort to get up and get out with camera ahead of the arrival of a new day.

What we look for in sunrise skies are some high level clouds, blue sky and a clear horizon. That allows the early morning sunlight to shine across the sky and landscape catching the edges of those clouds above and any buildings down here on the ground.

On this morning the perfect combination - just look at that colour!

It doesn't have to be epic, just appropriate and the sunrise will make it beautiful.

A recent photography workshop took me to Dublin Bay where we photographed the bright sunrise sky.

The morning's forecast was meant to be for good weather and it didn't disappoint, the pinks and oranges shine across the cloud-filled sky and reflect off the surface of the calm Irish Sea.

Setting up our tripods, we waited as the light changed from darkness through the blue hour, golden hour and into daylight - photographing all the while.

This is one of my favourite images of 2017 taken at Dublin's famous Forty Foot swimming spot.

To join me on a photography tour of Dublin and its bay contact me.

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.

A recent photography tour in the west of Ireland encompassed several sunrises but of these this was the most impressive.