Black and White Seascapes - About the Photographs


The most exciting pictures of the sea are often the Black and White ones. They are best for capturing the danger and excitement of the ocean. Most of the pictures in this series were taken in places that can be seen in the Seascape Photography album.


MS1 Late Afternoon Lissadell - Sligo


A hot afternoon with light appearing sporadically through the clouds. There is a lighthouse in the distance and steam is seen rising from the ocean. Just to the left of the scene is an area of the bay where sacks of fresh cockles are man-handled into trailers pulled by tractors. There are migrating birds and a hide nearby at the edge of a forest providing an excellent location for nature photography.


MS2 View South - Mullaghmore - Sligo


Taken on a morning when the swell at Mullaghmore was surging in front of a strong south westerly. The rocks were covered in froth that would have been blown off the incoming rollers. The sky above was dark and angry but the light from the bay and the distant sky provided plenty of contrast.


MS3 Low Water - Strandhill - Sligo


The tide at Strandhill is well out and the speed of the receding tide can be deduced from looking at the water marks still fresh in the sand.


MS4 Falling Tide - Strandhill - Sligo


There are often days when the weather is so still that the ocean and clouds are very slow moving. The clouds often appear to have been dabbed across the sky as if they had come from the brush of an oil painter.


MS5 Classiebawn Castle - Mullaghmore


I wanted to capture two elements in this scene - the sun lighting the grass to the left of the castle and the timing had to be right to catch the water spilling over the rocks in the foreground. Two for the price of one on this stormy afternoon


MS6 Pebble Beach - Mullaghmore


The pebbles on the beach are soaked with seawater and they catch the sun as it starts to come out over Mullaghmore.


MS7 Coastal Path - Mullaghmore


The swell can be see rising to the right of the scene and on the left the path is dotted with clumps of wild flowers.


MS8 Harbour Ware - Galleyhouse Strand


It looks like these old bits of fishing gear have been abandoned on Galleyhouse Strand. The water to the right is usually full of salmon making their way upstream to Ballysadare. They don't stop and you won't catch one with a rod and bait however in Ballysadare they are often caught with fly rods.


MS9 The Promenade - Strandhill - Sligo


This was a fresh day and white clouds were moving in fast from the ocean. The scene is pulled together using the strong diagonal lines of the promenade and clouds.


MS10 Atlantic Light - Mullaghmore


There are often times when the sky performs a light show over the ocean. In this picture there are sun rays shining from behind the clouds and the abandoned Inishmurray Island can be seen in the background.


MS11 Light Bursts - Ballysadare Bay


There is myth that you should stand with your back to the sun when taking photographs. Really? I couldn't have been listening.


MS12 Sand Dunes - Strandhill - Sligo


These dunes at Strandhill form a barrier against the elements. In the old days the little fishing village used to rely on the dunes for protection from the elements. The next time I visit this scene I hope there are no footprints in the sand.