11 Nov Picture Postcard Ireland
There is nothing quite like packing the camera gear and heading off into the landscapes of Ireland on foot to photograph and too roam freely through this ever-giving green and texture-filled land. I have learned many tricks in fine art photography over the years, none more than not having any preconceived idea of what might present itself, relying more on the serendipities of life. I would usually go to the less well-known areas in search of something unique and not necessarily something reminiscent of iconic or nostalgic Ireland. The images that I am particularly interested in here in this blog are the images that jump out as being very definitely Irish in appearance and that, of course, are not always of the better-known areas, like the beautiful landscapes of Connemara in Galway or Killarney National Park in Kerry. One such image that would be certainly classed as Irish in essence but off the beaten track is titled The Road Less Travelled, which was made many years ago in west Cork. I have no idea where I made the picture, and that really does not matter as it is more about the feeling from the image rather than the destination elements. On the other hand, the image at the top of this blog is of a well-known area in the wilds of the Black Valley not far from the bustling town of Killarney and is arguably the most picture postcard scene from the collection of images on the website. I will place a link at the end of the blog to link you to the photography that shouts Ireland’s call to its loudest under this remit. That is at least from a landscape point of view, don’t forget the Irish rugby images available on this website!
As a landscape documentary photographer, the essence of any scene is what we are attempting to capture and to evoke something deep within. That is when photography has the desired effect in my estimation. I have also found that the degree to which I can feel timeless when photographing amongst the beautiful Irish landscape, photographic opportunities seem to flow to me more readily and that is where the secret of making pictures is found.
I am known as a black and white landscape and documentary photographer, but ever since starting to use digital have started to use more colour photography. Colour pictures can add an aesthetic level that can be desirable in landscape work, and in relation to the picture postcard collection I am presenting here, they feature prominently. But if I was to put it like this ‘colour seems to be more head driven’ and ‘black and white tend to be more heart driven’, and of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but ultimately the image should give you so much more than what the colour has to offer. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this collection, my friends.
Click here to views the images Picture Postcard Ireland