Old images of Cork from LIFE magazine via Donncha

Flooding in the SouthEast via the Big Picture.

Oops. Paudie’s lost his GoPro. I want one of those, I think.

Words fail me for the brilliance.

Also: Submission for the Red Bull Illume Extreme Sports [...]]]> Superb surf photography from – I think – Carolina – Matt Lusk – via Bryan Elkus

Old images of Cork from LIFE magazine via Donncha

Flooding in the SouthEast via the Big Picture.

Oops. Paudie’s lost his GoPro. I want one of those, I think.

Words fail me for the brilliance.

Also: Submission for the Red Bull Illume Extreme Sports photography contest starts tomorrow. Your deadline (and mine) is Jan 31st. When I get back from Sligo this weekend I will start working on this.

Photograph for today, from the snowy season earlier this year.

And finally, do you ever really want to blog the story behind a photograph but can’t out of consideration for other people touched by that photograph? It’s not this photograph; but another one which…maybe at the end of the year will appear on the Photographs of the year 2009.

I’m also looking at putting a POD calendar together. Details to follow the week after next (hopefully).

Yes, well this is from one of the trips to the Botanic Garden to effectively utilise the macro lens that was bought to create fantastic shell photographs. It hasn’t quite worked out that way.

I’ve other plans for the lens though and will be looking for volunteers willing to model their eyes. I did some of [...]]]>

Yes, well this is from one of the trips to the Botanic Garden to effectively utilise the macro lens that was bought to create fantastic shell photographs. It hasn’t quite worked out that way.

I’ve other plans for the lens though and will be looking for volunteers willing to model their eyes. I did some of that around six months ago, must get back to it.

I’ve other plans on the go as well – I have a few small notebooks which are going to get pressed into use for creating these things.But until the shots are done…I may not discuss them

Okay. Linklist for today:

Timelapse from Tom at Timescapes.

Timelapse from Philip Bloom at Philip Bloom

80 Inspiring Highspeed photos from the crew at Tutsplus

Whoosh by Dannie O’Brien – he rocks. Really.

Frankfurt Town Square by Louise Barnewall

__________________________

I have no idea what the plant above is.

You know, it’s a great feeling when someone comes to you and tells you they absolutely love a photograph you’ve taken.

If I had to pick out two photographs which have caused the greatest reaction from people, this would be second best. The other one I [...]]]> There are actually a couple of prints of this in existence.

You know, it’s a great feeling when someone comes to you and tells you they absolutely love a photograph you’ve taken.

If I had to pick out two photographs which have caused the greatest reaction from people, this would be second best. The other one I will post about some other time. I am not in this for the money because when I am taking photographs I can’t get my head around money, but I am in it for the reactions I get from people to the things I make, the scenes I create.

Anyway.

A couple of links:

Perseid Meteors penetrating circumpolar startrails. I am not good at this kind of photography.

Couple of great surf and wake shots from Bryan Elkus. I am envious.

And something completely different to normal here – Chase Jarvis.

Francois Colussi of Pure Magic Kitesurfing flies over Keel Lake (no – I swear that’s where he was – I was there too) last Sunday at the freestyle session following the nowind/competition the day before.

I bought a 10-20mm Sigma wide angle more than 2 years ago to do shots like this. Finally got the conditions [...]]]>

Francois Colussi of Pure Magic Kitesurfing flies over Keel Lake (no – I swear that’s where he was – I was there too) last Sunday at the freestyle session following the nowind/competition the day before.

I bought a 10-20mm Sigma wide angle more than 2 years ago to do shots like this. Finally got the conditions and opportunitie to do them. This is one of my favourites of all time.

Okay, because I’ve been quiet, I’ve a load of links to provide for today.

Donncha: Fountainstown Sunset.

Donncha again: Kitesurfer.

Darren Webb: Stars.

Jonathan Grimes: Ha’penny Bridge Dublin.

Ryan: Brooklyn Bridge.

Tommie Lehane: Roman Ruins.

A few fantastic photographs there I think.

Also interesting from an historical point of view: Paris in the 1800s.

Some fun stuff with light from Photojojo.

War photography – the ethics – with the New York Times Lens Blog.

The National Geographic Archive – again, the New York Times Lens Blog

This is just a general note for the benefit of the people in charge of the Irish Times, Irish Independent and Irish Examiner. I will do a photo journalism blog for you if you let me. I would love to do it. When you see stuff like Lens, Like The Big Picture, Like Big Shots, like The Frame, and then look at the Picture of the Day sappery that comes from the Irish Times….as a photography blogger it’s very disappointing.

On the subject of BigShots, well worth a look from 18 September. Also worth checking out is this one from a day or two earlier.

On the subject of The Big Picture, the dust storms in Australia. And from The Frame, completely different, and dust free, Festival of the Wind, Bondi.

Taking photographs when the sand is blowing like this is kinda of difficult.

Okay, a couple of things to run down at the moment.

Red Bull Illume is running again. I am under severe pressure for it because I did not realise it was coming up, need to check deadlines and select photographs. I can think of [...]]]>

Taking photographs when the sand is blowing like this is kinda of difficult.

Okay, a couple of things to run down at the moment.

Red Bull Illume is running again. I am under severe pressure for it because I did not realise it was coming up, need to check deadlines and select photographs. I can think of just two photographs so far that suit any particular category for that competition. I can enter up to 50, 5 per category.

I don’t enter very many photography competitions – I am not competitive by nature but Red Bull Illume is specialised for extreme sports and it is the one competition I will enter any time I get a change. Photographs must be taken after 1 July 2007. Bork. The last two summers have been horrible for me.

If you are interested in extreme sports photographs and have a portfolio in that area, it might be worth a look.

While we’re on the subject of Red Bull Illume, this story is worth a look. Having looked at the clip I have to say I am very interested in the whole concept of the shoot, I’m just slightly underwhelmed by the photographs that came out of it. However, a few of my friends see it differently, so…people’s tastes vary.

Have to add that I’m intrigued by their use of FaceBook and Twitter this time round.

Last night I went and visited Offshoot Photographic Society. If you’re in south Dublin, it’s a very good photography society to get involved with as they have a very interesting collection of talks coming up and they are also very web savvy. Doing a lot of things right in my opinion. I am tempted to join them as I like what they are up to. Last night, they had Peter Cox come and give a talk.

On balance, I found the talk interesting, although in different ways. Peter Cox takes some wonderful photographs – there is no doubt about this – but the overwhelming impression I walked away with was “I can do that”. I spend a lot of time having doubts about myself and the photographs I take but following last night, I have some feelings that some of those doubts may be misplaced and that confidence is what I need to trash around with.

Strangely enough, twitter is helping on that front.:-) He’s one of the best kite photographers I’ve come across.

Back with last night’s talk, there was some discussion of it on twitter after the fact with some disappointment that some of the photographs lacked that wow factor. I have to confess that I’d agree to some extent with that sentiment while recognising the view that consistency is important.

In part, I think it’s because I think the consistency should be wow all the time. Take a look at guys like David Noton and Charlie Waite for example. Even in Irish terms, I would have preferred the colour work of Liam Blake and Peter Zoller for example.

Offshoot are also on twitter if you are interested.

Schedule for the weekend – kitesurfing in Mayo. Winds are light so that may convert into landscape photography in Mayo.

Flickr versus Picasa and all I am thinking is DUH.

Stephen has been in London.

Danny has been in County Down.

Okay I think that’s it for the moment.

Another shot from yesterday’s early morning trek to Killiney.

I’m slightly under time pressure so some useful links that I have open in tabs first.

Time lapse kite flying in Phoenix Park Dublin, yesterday.

Sunday morning coffee art. This reminds me I was supposed to look into doing sand drawings. This weekend would have been ideal.

Another time lapse, [...]]]>

Another shot from yesterday’s early morning trek to Killiney.

I’m slightly under time pressure so some useful links that I have open in tabs first.

Time lapse kite flying in Phoenix Park Dublin, yesterday.

Sunday morning coffee art. This reminds me I was supposed to look into doing sand drawings. This weekend would have been ideal.

Another time lapse, this time of a San Francisco Bridge closure

Stephen Baldwin was up early and in Glendalough this morning.

Darren Carr was up early but didn’t leave his house. Sligo for anyone interested.

If I ever get married, I want this guy doing my wedding shots and I will be kitesurfing in my wedding dress.

Some Photoshop tutorials I don’t want to lose – I must get the digital art blog up and running, really.

Mastering wide angle photography. – well worth a look.

I’m mindful of the fact that the last few photographs have all had similar characteristics. Sun. happy, early morning. I will change subjects again shortly, just to keep the variety going.

This was done before I became a user of any sort of filters at all, by the way. No filter work.

Anyway, so to a few interesting links.

Drew Gurian, who is Joe McNally’s assistant gives us an insight into [...]]]> Another slightly older photograph, this taken at a KPWT kite gig in Portugal a couple of years ago.

This was done before I became a user of any sort of filters at all, by the way. No filter work.

Anyway, so to a few interesting links.

Drew Gurian, who is Joe McNally’s assistant gives us an insight into his job over on Scott Kelby’s blog.

Interesting list of stuff from Photo tuts that photographers should consider owning.

Bob Krist has an interesting little list of stuff too.

John Williams waxes on about how #Japfest happened.

New McLaren that I would love to photograph and drive. And own.

No news – yet – on what has happened with Annie Leibovitz’s loan case.

Hummingbirds from David Kay

I took this on my very first photowalk with “other” photographers about 3 years ago, in Kerry. It’s taken from Brandon Head as far as I remember.

I started going through old photographs last night to see what had changed in the way I look at photographs and noticed that the way I look at photographs, [...]]]>

I took this on my very first photowalk with “other” photographers about 3 years ago, in Kerry. It’s taken from Brandon Head as far as I remember.

I started going through old photographs last night to see what had changed in the way I look at photographs and noticed that the way I look at photographs, and their colours in particular.

This one is from Dollymount Strand:

I’ve taken such a lot of photographs over the past 4 years that sometimes it’s hard to remember them all. So this exercise in part is a way to discover old friends languishing on a hard drive and it’s also a way to remind myself what I used to do before the kitesurfing and the filters and the macro lens.

More links:

via Tim Turnbull – open source digital camera in the works from Stanford University.

via everyone I know on twitter, a few people known to myself get reviewed in the Irish Independent.

via Amazing Photos: Sacramento Bee on the earthquake in Java.

the Big Picture at boston.com on the wildfires in California

Nice little list of places to photograph in Dublin courtesy of AnCatDubh on boards.ie.

Like this one. And this one.

and somehow, another high key surf shot. I’m surprised by this [...]]]> I was supposed to go kitesurfing in Garretstown yesterday except the wind swung around NW and next stop Antarctica and all that…so it didn’t happen. I didn’t have much camera equipment with me either. But I took a few photographs.

Like this one. And this one.

and somehow, another high key surf shot. I’m surprised by this because to be honest, they are not very plannable per se – usually you manage to wash out everything.

I like the little bit of colour left in this one.

Anyway.

Joe McNally is running a lighthearted lighting rig competition over on his blog – if you can guess the lighting rig he used in a particular shot, there’s a book and stuff in it. The book looks to me like it could be quite interesting if you’re into lighting shots (it’s not my usual style).

Jeff Lynch is comparing the 7D, 50D and 5DII on his blog in a nice non-verbose manner.

John O’Connor has a stunning picture from the Sierra National Park in California.

Clive Rose of Getty Images has one hell of a surf shot from Newquay on this [month old] round up of sports pictures from Bigshots at boston.com.

EDIT: And if you want to see really good surf photography from here, Paudie is the man to go visit.

Let’s skip the details. The picture depicts Dublin’s twin towers, from Clontarf coastal walk. Very nice walk it is too. You get to look at Dublin Port through the mask of boats connected to Clontarf Yacht Club.

Anyway.

Some useful stuff:

Via boards.ie: Useful info for photographers. I like [...]]]> I think this made it onto dsl before dsl died.

Let’s skip the details. The picture depicts Dublin’s twin towers, from Clontarf coastal walk. Very nice walk it is too. You get to look at Dublin Port through the mask of boats connected to Clontarf Yacht Club.

Anyway.

Some useful stuff:

Via boards.ie: Useful info for photographers. I like this. Someone suggested laminating it and putting it in your camera bag, or some of it at least. It’s got all sorts of handy info, plus a cheat sheet if you use Canon Speedlites.

via glasseyalley: a nice picture of Inchydoney, one of my favourite places in the world

via Bob Christ: Burning man and photography rights.

via Kyle Tunney: timelapse of People’s Photography.

In other news, I was in Cork taking photographs yesterday so there will be a new photograph sometime this week.