All photographers will recognise this: that itch you get to go out and capture a photograph. The feeling you get when you haven’t taken a shot in a while – a shot you really enjoyed shooting!
It’s not really the photograph itself that matters. It’s the act of “taking” it. Measured from the minute you decide to go out with your camera, to when you return home.
Packing your kit into the car, batteries fully charged, lenses cleaned – don’t forget the boots … and that spare pair of socks.
I drove through Westport and past Louisburgh to Devlin, or is it Bunlough? Who cares? It didn’t matter – I was in the zone. Devlin is a beautiful location, with both a small sandy beach and a rocky beach. I prefer the rocky side – it’s got a little more “personality”! 🙂
Although you guys view, and maybe even like the above photograph, for me this image was an experience – one that lasted a few hours. With this shot, I have tried to give a sense of the process of taking a picture, of “getting lost in the moment”.
I hope this image portrays that personal experience.
While the scene itself appears calm and peaceful, in actuality that evening at Devlin, it was blowing a gale – I was concerned that my tripod/camera may even fall over and get lost in the briny Atlantic. It was freezing and it rained, albeit intermittently. I was constantly drying off the camera lens. (I forgot to mention that other essential for the seascape photographer – a kitchen towel) My feet got wet and I may have lost a camera filter. Thankfully, I didn’t slip off the wet rocks and into the ocean! 🙂
But in my mind, I had arrived at a place that many photographers do. I was lost in the moment … of taking a photograph. So … there I was … perched on top of a rocky outcrop … the stiff northerly wind blowing in from the Atlantic … lost in the moment … I should have brought my wellies … is the tripod safe there … the sun is setting fast behind that cloud … there would be no colour tonight … F22 … oblivious … gonna have to really push the exposure time out … did I turn the oven off … rambles on in Paul Durkan-like monologue … damn … it’s cold … 20 second exposure and the image is still quite dark … is that a dolphin … or a seal … or … should I just go straight to 60 seconds … where’s my phone … remove the ND grad … seeing in colour … dreaming in black and white … heh, 45 seconds looks quite good … maybe I’ll push the ISO to 250 … Federico Fellini … I think I prefer his earlier films … losing the light … switch to manual focus … ♩♫♪ Hey boy, Hey girls, superstar DJ’s, here we go! ♬♪♫ … la, la, la … I’ve always liked this location … I’ve always liked The Chemical Brothers … that pointed rock is pretty big when the tide is out … the island, Inisturk in the distance … wow, it’s got pretty dark … and cold … and windy … and my feet are wet … go home John … la,la,la …
Does anyone recognise this … or … is it just me? 🙂 Thanks, if you’ve read this far.
