The Sligo Landscape - Photographer's Commentary


Landscape Photography is a challenge for Irish photographers because the land does not have the same sense of line and order that can be seen in photographs of the great American plains or the gentle sweeping slopes of rural England. Instead you have to look hard to find patterns, shapes and textures that make little landscapes of their own. Great views are often ruined due to all the electric supply lines running overland on twenty foot high wooden poles. One day I will create an album of scenes in black and white that explores the use of line and shape using these man made objects. They form part of the landscape and they are part of the charm and character that makes the the Irish Countryside.


L1 Easkey Village - West Sligo


A quiet village near the Sligo border on the road west into County Mayo. The image contains elements of the landscape and there is also a river that flows under the spot where the picture was taken. This is what I think of when I talk about landscapes within the landscape. The weather was fine and sunny and the shot is underexposed by 1.5 stops. Further work gave the image the haunted look and the biggest problem encountered was control of the very bright highlights.


L2 Fisherman's Memorial - Rosses Point


This is the Fisherman's Memorial at Rosses Point about 4 miles from Sligo Town. This sculpture sits on a hill overlooking an old fishing harbour and it looks dramatic when the sun is setting. It reminds me of the "The Fields of Athenry".


L3 Evening Clouds - Ballysadare


Taken from Galleyhouse Strand across the bay from Knocknarea at the same spot as images C2 and C3 in the Coastal Scenes album.


L4 Sunset Over Knocknalongy Mountain


An evening shot taken at a favourite spot high in the Ox Mountains in West Sligo. The little road in the bottom left hand corner of the scene leads the eye up and into the hills beyond. The mist also adds atmosphere to the scene.


L5 Sea Cove - Knocknarea Mountain


This pretty small sea cove is tucked in at the foot of Knocknarea Mountain. The shot was taken in autumn and there was a watery afternoon sun to the right that gave a deep golden hue to the cloud reflection on the water.


L6 Beanfield Estuary - Ballysadare


A shot taken near home. The Estuary flows into Ballysadare Bay and the Ox Mountains are seen in the background looking directly south.


L7 Donegal Hills from Knocknalongy


This vista of Sligo Bay was taken from Knocknalongy Mountain in West Sligo and the view stretches north over the great bay to the distant hills of County Donegal. The patchwork quilt of the landscape in the foreground is dotted with little white houses and splashes of yellows and deep greens from the fresh summer fields. Another place to see rolling hills and patchwork fields is County Meath and the landscape there also has the potential for some great photography.


L8 Benbulben from Knocknalongy


Same viewpoint as the previous picture but looking 45 degrees right. This is a late summer view of Knocknarea and Benbulben. The view is looking East and the light is coming from the West at the left of the scene. The light came out at just the right time to light up the distant Knocknarea Mountain and the sand dunes at Strandhill. The foreground is full of browns and yellows with splashes of red from foxglove plants.


L9 Evening Light - Ballysadare


Pin sharp evening light lights up this fields of hay bales near Ballysadare. The challenge was to get the sunlit overhanging leaves exposed correctly. The overhanging tree and the positions of the bales give a nice feeling of depth to the view. The light and colours were dazzling and it was one of those days that linger in the mind for a long time after.


L10 Summer Colour - Lissadell


This shot was taken at a low viewpoint to get maximum colour. The blue sky brings colour harmony to the reds and yellows of the wild flowers growing in the foreground. Taken in July on an unusually hot afternoon in what was another poor Sligo summer :-(


L11 Potato Field - Strandhill


This shot was taken in a vegetable patch near home. I drive this road often and had noticed the vegetable patch weeks before. There were lots of poppies and sunflowers growing there that looked very out of place. I clambered down for a look and took this low viewpoint shot because the sky was just as beautiful as the flowers. A burst of fill in flash was used on the foreground because the poppies would otherwise have come out under-exposed and too dark.


L12 Evening Descent - Knocknarea Mountain


An evening descent from Knocknarea Mountain in late October. There was a full moon and a deep blue sky so fill in flash was used to light the foreground while the tree remains in silhouette.