Pictured is Ronan Nangle owner of Nangle and Nielsen Tree nurseries in West Cork, photographed for the Irish Examiner after Storm Ophelia passed across the southern and west tip of Ireland, causing devastation in its wake. Ronan was left with around 300 thousand euro's worth of damage to his trees alone  Many nurtured from small seedlings and up to twenty years old.  He emphasised that here is a human cost as it is his, his workers and families livelyhoods at risk. However Ronan was stoical in his response and is determined with his staff to recover and put the storm behind him moving forward. 

  Sports photography is not for everyone.
  It's a genre of photography that covers all types of sports and is a branch of photojournalism for the professional.  Sports photography  is not restricted to all others and many of us enjoy photographing our children and friends on the pitches at weekends and to some degree at the sports events we go to. I did too.  I guess, when it comes to my photography it is the fact that I was bitten by the bug many years ago and have not managed to shake it off !    Todays technology with the ability to send images from the event itself to picture desks , whether from an iPhone or a professional camera  is amazing.  The image is uploaded and out there within seconds.    Photographers at these big sporting events need accreditation from a publication to shoot at the match well prior to the event. A press card just won't cut it...  Arriving early is always an advantage and so obtaining a good spot to work - ( at limited positions around the ground ) is all important.
​             There is a great, well equipped press/media  office at Croke Park  for photographers to file their images and many do use this facility.  Others- choose to do it live partially from the side of the pitch with a laptop in all weathers with a big brolly to keep dry, (and I take my hat off to them). Press agencies like Press 22, Sportsfile and others have an urgency to file images during the game for their publications..  I choose the comfort of the warm and dry press office , should I be required to send them in for a deadline in rare cases. But holding a large monopod with a large lens and Camera(s), and umbrella whilst trying not to miss the action  and uploading images to a Laptop, and sending them in same time, is,  and art and skill.. ! A laptop with a good connection is essential and I use this method from various locations ie, GAA sport, soccer and rugby from various locations.... 
           For the budding photographer, who wants to be a sports photographer, a route I would recommend is via their local newspaper.  Initially they should send in their best work from attending local games, Sunday leagues and the like.  Having a reasonable camera and lens is of course important especially when you reach a professional level, but again a consumer camera is where most people start, with the kit lens although again for shooting in low light and all weathers for publications a professional body' a fast lens is essential. 

      It's raining today......    grey and not particularly inviting to the landscape photographer .
      The light is flat and although I could force myself out the door with Camera and tripod, I just don't have the inclination to..  So time to update the blog and where better to start than a picture..   The image above was taken last summer here in Cork... in the garden on a better day !  Mid summer the garden is alive with interesting subjects and flowers.  If I remember it was in the middle of the day and the light was harsh , ( not ideal for landscape photography ).  The hover fly in the image is tiny. They are smaller than wasps and very active, so photographing them takes patience and a bit of luck.... well maybe a lot of luck in my case..:-) Focus is the issue  with such subjects, as there is little room for error.  Using a macro lens, ( which is  a specialist lens that allows the lens to get really close and with a  1:1 ratio , thats life size) is the only real way to get this type of shot. The actual image is very large and one can see the detail on the head of the fly. However in this version, it is scaled down for the web and proof marked.   So, how was the shot obtained.. ?  Camera was a Canon 5DsR, which is a 50mp, full frame sensor which produces ridiculously large image files.. too large in fact, but ideal for this type of work and favoured by the Stock Photo agencies.  I used a diffusor panel to camera right and high  to shield from the suns harsh rays.. the result is a softer light and well diffused . The  next bit is the harder bit.. Basically lying down on the grass beside the flower bed and the plant in question.. The camera is in manual focus mode to prevent the lens from " hunting" around for focus. So, the focal point is locked and focus is achieved by very small movements back and forth  in the area of where the hover fly is, or will be.  Its a bit like the hobby of Fishing..basically waiting for the prey to come into your area..The camera's shutter is in burst' mode, which is firing several shots per second, depending on the camera's ability to do so.  The 5Dsr only has a  burst rate of about 5 images per second, which is not really that fast in today's technology.. To be fair the camera is not intended for sports or high speed shooting and is more a studio camera or Landscape camera with the ultra high resolution, allowing images to be blown up to billboard size if needs be.   So, at that rate, the hit' rate can be low and it could take some time to get a really sharp, spot on image of the subject.. I believe that I was down in the prone position for about 15 minutes to get this shot, but it can take longer and frequently no success at all ...!   But, it is so satisfying when it does work out.. you have an image that looks great in print and is saleable..but mostly the enjoyment of looking at the image first time on the screen in detail is the reward..  I can recommend Macro photography  .. it's great fun and addictive so,   be careful !! 

I had the privilege to meet Kay Curtin when I was assigned by the Irish Independent recently, to photograph her for an upcoming article. .
Kay is an advocate for Melanoma awareness, being a stage 4 patient herself.  I photographed her at her home in Burncourt, County Tipperary on a beautiful autumn day, (  one of those days that you feel good to be alive but, sometimes take for granted)
At the age of 32 Kay was to discover that she had a melanoma, a  mole that had changed its appearance.  The mole was excised and she was told that the melanoma had only  a 35pc chance of re-occuring  Kay agreed to take part in a clinical trial , also grasping the chance of helping and indeed improving her chances of the condition not re-appearing. Over the next two years Kay received numerous injections with various side effects which she describes as " unpleasant",  causing swelling and temperatures. However the trial was stopped suddenly and she was told that the treatment had proved ineffective . Kay though was confident that her condition would not return and continued to have regular checks on her moles which were mapped at Cork University Hospital.  She continued to get on with her life being a positive person until ten years later she was diagnosed again with stage four cancer, with no options for surgery . Subsequent findings on the drug trail revealed that if patients on the drug trial relapsed , in some cases their condition progressed faster. This explained the sudden halt to the trials.   Kay has continued to be an advocate for patient trials and has been receiving regular treatment as her particular mutation allows some medical intervention. This treatment has, Kay says " kept me alive" and she has been travelling to various countries including the U.S. and Europe attending conferences and speaking about the condition. She is also part of  of a programme of educating patients together with UCD and other organisations . She works with doctors, researchers and companies helping them to understand  patient needs from treatment to living beyond cancer.
  Kay say's " I am doing this because I'd like the time that I have left to have purpose " She does though say that she is " on borrowed time ".  Kay is now 46. She is very active on social media and blogs about her condition openly and honestly. She has inspired many others to face cancer with a positive attitude having been educated or informed by such activity understanding treatment options available. It was indeed a privilege to meet Kay .

The area around Cobh , County Cork is rich in opportunities for the photographer. You may have realised that this is a favourite haunt of mine, being about twenty minutes from my home and easily accessible  . The upper picture was taken about 30 minutes before sunset at East Ferry, Cork. This is one of the places I revisit at varying times of day and the light is always different.  I find the vicinity enchanting .  In this image the light was fast going down to the left of the picture, with some higher ground just extinguishing the suns light, prematurely.  The weeds and grass was for a moment lit by these fading rays of sunshine enhancing their colours,  and I had to act quickly to grab this image. Taken with a Canon 5d Mk3 and a 24-105mm lens, exposure about 15/th of a second.  Thus a tripod was need and a low angle for the shot to include the foreground vegetation.  Minutes after this shot the light disappeared, the ground no longer magically lit by the evening sun....
        Second image is of an old gatehouse, in the area of the townland of Waltertown .  I do not know the history of this old Gatehouse, but of course relates to an entrance to land and an estate of  long ago.. The spot is beautiful and if you look at the picture you can see flowers at the lower window. It is obviously a place treasured by those living nearby. The shot was taken late afternoon and again within minutes the light disappeared behind trees ,.  This image is actually a blend of three images. It is as the eye percieves the scene, but the camera and its sensor is unable to record the full range of highlights and shadows in the image..So, taking three images - one just underexposed to retain the cloud detail in the sky,  one correctly exposed to shoot the scene and one slightly over exposed to record the shadow details... It is a technique called  High Dynamic Range photography , or  HDR' as it is referred to by photographers.   When the image is combined and special software in Photoshop, the image comes to life as the eye saw is at the time.  The human eye is a wonderful thing and has a wide ability to perceive light and shadow.. Who ever made us, was a clever one..... !

It's something that I do from time to time. The storage of images and files on hard drives can sometimes trick us into  believing that we have already shown the world what is worthy of sharing.  There are tens of thousands of images from my work and travels that sit as bits and bytes in a digital form on hard drives that precariously spin around whenever the computer is started up, forgotten and lost among all the other stuff' . There must have been a reason at the time of taking the image for, taking the image. But, we now shoot in a way that minimises the image's status.  As a digital file, we tend to overshoot and never end up examining the fruit of the shutter.   The image above is an example.  Taken in Tenerife on a cloudy day whilst wandering around a small town near the coast.. Having stumbled over the picture on a review of storage space on one of my drives,I found the image and remembered what I had seen in my minds eye at the time.   There is a little dodging and burning of the image to bring detail back in the shadows and highlights - nothing more that would have been done in the days of analogue black and white photography in darkroom, the practice of holding back exposure onto the paper and burning' in parts of the projected image  before placing the image in the developer bath.. then the magic as the latent image appears whilst still in the chemicals of the developer' tray.  The process that I learnt in the seventies.. of last century as a young man having stumbled over the hobby photography. I can vividly remember the first image that I put through this process to this day..  a magic experience.... From that negative a little magic happened. The slow methodical art in the dark room was to me a consuming experience. One that perhaps today the instant gratification of the image appearing on the back of the Camera,or Phone has replaced.. most people of younger years wouldn't know what a film canister was, and the method and skill in  bringing the print into being.  Even practiced photographers of the digital age, rarely print' an image to display on their wall. It remains on a hard drive somewhere waiting to be born..    The shoe box in the loft full of old prints and memories has preserved time and allowed the pictures to breath again..  Not so for the digital file, that is a risk from birth of being deleted either accidentally or just to make space for the next snap. !!!!

Ballymaloe Farm is the location for the yearly Malt and Music festival. The venue is located on the spacious grounds of Ballymaloe House near Shanagarry , Midleton, Co.Cork. The establishment is run by the Allen family and is associated with high class Irish Cuisine.  On my visit on the opening night of this years event, the highlight of the musical evening was performer Jerry Fish with his band - AKA Gerald Whelan .  Performing with him on stage was Foxy P. Cock who provided the Dance' for the performance.  ...................
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As the Festival name suggests,  (Malt and Music  ), there were many different kinds of Ciders, Beers and Spirits on hand.  Pictured here is Rubert  Atkinson with his selection .. Unfortunately I had planned very badly this evening and had arrived by car - with no spare driver..   Maybe next time. ? !

Fort Camden Meagher, Crosshaven, Cork. Birds of Prey exhibition . 

The display was put on by Animal Magic Wildlife Rescue recently at the site and was open to usual visitors - I being one of them.   Camden Fort Meagher is a coastal defence fortification very near to Crosshaven in County Cork, Ireland..  The fortification was built to provide defences at the mouth of Cork Harbour .  Originally built in the 16th century, the current site and structures of the 45 Acre site (65% of which is underground !! ) , dates back to the 1860's.  The fort was originally operated by the British Armed Forces, it was eventually handed over to the Irish Defence Forces in 1938.  An amazing place and highly recommended for a visit, either if you are local or on a vacation to Ireland. The place is run by volunteers who reclaimed it back from nature, as it was a ruins for years to its current glorying opening to visitors in 2014.  There is a wonderful Cafe with a veranda with seating looking over the Harbour mouth.  historical reenactments take place occasionally in the parade square, again well worth a visit. The volunteers who give up their time during weekends during the Summer months are so committed to the upkeep and running of Fort Camden Meagher and so helpful to its visitors. They are also very well informed on its history and will gladly chat to you about this intriguing  place..

Pictured at her Fund raiser  " Time for Tilara Fund "  with her family from Midleton , Cork.  Tilara is a six year old, who was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy at the age of 12 months . Suffering chronic pain daily, her family are attempting to raise funds to travel to America to undergo  life changing surgery, - SDR surgery.  This is a complex Spinal surgical procedure which could enable Tilara to live a pain free life, with possible improved mobility . The cost of this operation and subsequent rehabilitation amounts to €140,000. Her parents Natasha and Stephen are hopeful that they can raise the funds in order for this treatment to go ahead.  Having chatted to her family and indeed Tilara , a delightful child, together with her siblings, I wish them the best in their appeal and future for Tilara. 

The event was very well attended by sponsors from both local and further afield . 

Street photography is becoming more and more  a part of my photographic existence lately. . Even though I have been taking pictures since I was a teenager , I am finding the lure of street photography more and more a feature of my work. There is something that appeals about wandering the streets of a city with a camera, one lens and an empty page .
      I use a wide angle lens, which requires you to be close to your subject, upfront and honest.   There are techniques of covert capture of images and it can work. Shooting from the hip .. something sneaky in that I feel, although I have tried it and always come away feeling slightly guilty . But I do use it  ( ! ).  I prefer the second method of catching the eye of the subject and their approval before shooting the image.. or shooting and then getting approval after if it is a shot that you just have to get , in the moment. Rarely have I encountered resistance or disquiet about the method I use to get the picture  and very often spend time chatting to my subjects for some time. ( sounds very royal !! ) .But, it really is a social experience.  Like this gentleman above.  He really was a talented musician and a charming character.  He was playing some Classical music - very well and I found myself wondering how he came to be musically involved with the Violin.  His instrument was a strange contraption, without a body to produce the resonance and sound , but the rest of the thing was very much a Violin with a Scroll at the top, a neck with four strings, finger board and then......things became a bit different.   A kind of  trumpet contraption was attached parrallel to the violin and actually produced quite a good sound , though it wouldn't be easily confused with the sound of a Stradivarius Violin,!  I listened for a good few minutes.. little was said, He sensed that I was actually enjoying  his music and having spent my younger years studying the Piano from about 8 yrs of age to  16 years of age and working my way up the Grades , the two of us had much in Common ..... As his routine came to an end there was good applause from those who had gathered around. They vocalised their appreciation of his performance .  Then I took the shot. Not an award winner but the image encapsulates what I felt at the time and his character . A very rewarding experience and I walked away knowing that I had captured a good image.. And yes , he was rewarded for his performance.  Thank you my friend..