St Finian´s Bay on New Year´s Day 2012

It is a short and still lovely walk from the beach in St. Finian´s Bay, along the lower road to the pier and back.
The fast moving clouds provided a spectactular background and the swell of the sea was quite dramatic. The seagulls were all excited about something, probably their food churned up and tossed about by the waves and the wind.

New Year´s day in our garden

Daffodils on New years´s Day

Robin, well fed

First geraniums in bloom

Spring seems to be on its way, the daffodils are out quite early, in fact they started showing their yellow heads after Christmas. I dont know is it a good sign, or is the climate change upon us...
they are still very much appeciated as a sign of new life in nature.

Winter Solstice in Eightercua, Waterville

For the first time since we have been living here we went to see the sun go down on the shortest day in the year. The place to go to for sunset on Winter Solstice is Eightercua near Waterville. The ancient Stone row here leads towards the spot where the sun is setting, which I thought would be into the sea, but she rolled slowly down I think Hogshead, and a beautiful sight it was...
I feel spring coming already, the days will be getting longer anyway...
But before that A Happy Christmas to you all!!!

Winterlight over Inny Strand

Pictures taken on a wintry morning on Inny Strand near Waterville
with Olympus E520,14-42 mm, most f/8

A photo walk on the shores of Waterville Lake

Even on a dull day in late November there are lovely colours to be found along Waterville Lake. I was set to try taking photos of flowing water under one of the bridges but found a lot more interesting subjects along the winding road.
All the recent rain creates lovely little waterfalls from the mountains, it does not have to be a trip to torc waterfall to practise taking photos.
Also I was thinking of starting taking photos of mountains or pictures related to mountains for the forthcoming exhibition in February.

Lily Bay at Waterville Lake 1

Lily Bay at Waterville Lake 2

Lily Bay at Waterville Lake 3

road along waterville lake

who is the photographer in the bottom right corner

late autumn colours at waterville lake

Here are my first ever attempts to slow down flowing water with long shutterspeeds.
I would have thought to choose the shutterspeed priority setting, but Michael told me to just go for the highest possible number in aperture ( in aperture priority), which is the smallest aperture ( I always have to "translate" that for myself).  As the day was quite dark I got quite long shutterspeed as a result.
And I admit without a tripod this would not have been possible.

Winter in South West Kerry

First signs of winter in South Kerry. the mountain photo was taken yesterday near Glenbeigh, the other photos right outside my place in Ballinskelligs. get a birdfeeder now and start taking pictures of the birds in your garden.

Derrynane Park