In September of last year, I flew to Ireland to meet up with Irish photographer friends John Dunne and Brian Fitzpatrick to shoot Irish coastal landscapes. I enjoyed all of it big time … the (way too) hearty breakfasts, the sunny weather (ahum), the beautiful Irish countryside and the people. I also enjoyed driving on the WRONG side of (way too narrow) roads, the pubs and yes even the “beer”. And ow yes John and Brian were fun company as well! Look them up if you don’t know them yet. You will like them, and they are very talented photographers to boot!! 🙂
In the Distance
An Irish coastal landscape in black & white showing the rugged cliffs of Greystones Beach and a freight ship in the Irish Sea near Wicklow, Ireland.
Shooting abroad to work with different scenery is quite refreshing and inspiring. Therefore, I will surely do that more in the coming years and will be going back to Ireland. I was there for a few days only but already managed to come home with quite a few nice images. This one is the first one that I added to the Irish Landscape Photography portfolio. It features the rocky coastline of the Irish Sea near Greystones (Wicklow) and is titled In the Distance.
I don’t get to shoot rocky coastlines in Switzerland, so had a lot of fun trying to find the right angles … without slipping. Unfortunately, the colourful sunrise that John and Brian promised did not happen. I had to bribe the captain of that freight ship on the horizon to anchor there for at least 5 minutes to allow me to complete my long exposure. I think it was worth it and I hope you like how this image came out!?
I shot this Irish coastal landscape with my Nikon D800E with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. 13 stops of neutral density plus a 2 stop graduated ND filter pushed the exposure time to 5 minutes.
Cheers, Johan 🙂
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The landscape photograph above is part of our Irish Landscape Photography portfolio, which also includes:
Please also consider visiting our Black and White Photography portfolio to see more fine art photographs like this Irish coastal landscape.
Wonderful capture Johan, I love it 🙂
Many thanks Meg ! 🙂
Heart I shudder to see the results of your work is so good
thank you! 🙂
A wonderful bw work Johan
Many thanks Markus. Have a great week 🙂
What a beauty Johan!
Re: het wijntje was lekker 😉
Thanks Aline van Weert! Mooi zo 🙂
great fine work , Johan !
Danke dir Peter Paul 🙂
great b/w Johan..very sharp shot too.
Many thanks Nora 🙂
😀 ~~
Thanks Annette 🙂
A beautiful long exposure image Johan
Thank you Tuan 🙂
Great B&W composition !!!
Thanks Kamil :)
@Shawn: thanks Shawn! How is Nova Scotia for photography?
@Bjarte: It took only one Guinness Bjarte 😉 Glad you like the image!
@Ian: many thanks Ian! Too short, but it definitely was fun 🙂
Oh, sorry for reading your message Johan regarding Nova Scotia. I am going there for my Holidays in the beginning of April for 2 weeks. I am really excited. Any
I can imagine the excitement Ronald 🙂 Chances are that I will end up in Canada as well again this year 🙂
I think you might get one or two shots Johan ! April is very unpredictable here,you may have spring or winter depending on the day my friend! Peggy’s Cove and the south shore are great for coastal shooting. In Cape Breton,we have Highlands National Park,the Cabot Trail and Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. Of course,Halifax should be good for urban shooting as well.
Hey Shawn, I will be in Nova Scotia for the beginning of April. I am really excited about this trip. I have always dreamed visiting this place and taking lots of pictures. I love
Thanks for the input and feedback. Will check you tips out 🙂
Excellent LE seascape Johan and the tanker finishes it off nicely. Sounds like a fun trip!
Very nice result Johan. Looks like the captain was happy with the bribe, as the tanker seemingly didn’t move at all. Must have been expensive 😀
Wonderful shot Johan ! Happy you had a great trip!
Great landscape
Thanks 🙂
Like it Johan , enjoy your Weekend.
Thanks. Have a great weekend as well Markus!
Wow, gorgeous one!:)
Thanks Betty ! Have a nice weekend!
Have a nice weekend yourself Johan !
Always beautiful!
Thank you very much Yasmin 😀
Nice Blog…. stunning b/w image and love the boat far a way….
Thank you very much Leyla 😀
Yesss
is dat zo? 😉
Ik ben voorzichtig met mezelf, maar hou wel van humor
mooi zo 🙂
Very nice Johan…love the long exposure images you do!
Thanks for the compliment Dick. Glad you do. Is the tour filling up already?
Johan…thanks for asking…yes the trip is almost to the point of finalizing and set to go!
Ah, thought you announced it already Dick?
I did… just meant that it was getting to the point of filling up.
Ah cool! Congrats Dick! Website still ok?
Yes….you worked on it…so I know it’s OK. Still need to convert over as you suggested.
Yep, written that down somewhere Dick 😉
Splendid LE Johan. The contrast in tone and textures between the smooth water and sky and the rugged rocks is really nice.
Thanks for the compliment Tim ! 🙂
@Athena: thank you 🙂 And you were absolutely right. Looking forward to going back later this year 🙂
@Kurt: many thanks Kurt! 🙂
@Thomas: many thanks for the kind words Thomas and nice to meet you! Yes, Ireland is a nice place to be … in general and definitely for photography 🙂
Waanzinnig mooie foto Johan!
Dank je wel Paul! 🙂 Alles goed met jou?
I would say it was well worth the ticket just for this one image Johan. Sounds like you had a great time.
Gorgeous work Johan!
Cool comp Johan. Told you you’d like Ireland. ;)
Late to this nice piece 🙂 Looks fantastic Johan, as usual 😀
You had a the preview already Anette 🙂 Thanks. Glad you like it :)
Wooww this is fantastic Johan ! love it !
Hey thanks Enrique ! :)
@George: thanks George! Yes, looks like it had two anchors. I didn’t expect the boat to come out so sharp as this either 🙂
@Michael: many thanks Michael!
Perfect tonality on this one, very nice!
This looks terrific Johan! That boat must have dual anchor chains out to be that still for 5 minutes.
Wonderful b&w picture !!
thank you 🙂
Wow, I could work in a short nap for that time Johan. :D
why do you think I love long exposures Tom? And I need to double the time to let LE NR do its thing. So that is 20 minutes of dreamtime 🙂
Hahah…now I must look into using in-camera NR Johan. 20 min is perfect! :P
😀
@Paul: thanks for the fun feedback and compliment Paul! 🙂
@Mark: many thanks Mark!
@Nathan: thanks for the kind words! Would you move the boat to the right Nathan?
Well … if you did move the boat it would certainly fit the direction the eyes naturally go due to the the rest of the composition … but I think it is equally interesting where it currently sits. I also see a lovely square composition here as well … but, as you know, I tend to see the world in squares. :-)
Thanks for the input Nathan and that square one is in the works already 🙂
@John: pfjew glad you like it. I was nervous about that 😉 No hardships John. Enjoyed it a lot. In all aspects!
@Stephen: you would love it in Ireland Stephen! Thanks 🙂
@markus: danke dir!
@Shelly: that’s a great place to be. thanks 🙂
@John: many thanks John!
@andi: you are very welcome. Thanks for the compliment and for sharing!
@Patricia: nice to hear Patricia. Thank you !
@Tom: and sometimes it is even 10 🙂 Thanks!
@Yasmin: ow I did Yasmin! Thanks 🙂
@Andreas: 🙂 Thanks Andreas !
@E.E. Giorgi: thank you Elena 🙂
@amal: thank you!
@David: thanks for the compliment David! Hope all is well with you!?
@George: thanks!
@Shelly: thanks Shelly 🙂
@Christa: wow you are up late 😉 Thank you!
@Kevin: thank you Kevin and you are of course welcome 🙂
@Jim: thanks for the compliment Jim!
@David Shield: thanks or the great feedback David 🙂
@David Heath Williams: thank you! Despite of the changes, it was stil great. You live in a gorgeous country and will be coming back this year for sure!
Lovely composition that invites one to look out to the horizon.
This is as stunning an image as always Johan! Such a dreamy shot! Great work my friend!
A reasonable replacement of the sun with this tanker. Your good connections “Vitamin B” to the captain is awesome Johan 😀 (I should travel with you) The seascape looks great as well!
I AM IN CLONTARF AT PRESENT…LUV THE PIC…XXX…
Exzellente Image!
Especially nice to travel abroad and have locals meet you, feed you, then take you to the good spots. Sounds like a great trip with fine hosts. Glad that you had fun Johan. I wonder where the next photo destination will be?
Easy to see why you were inspired to shoot here. Looks great.
At last :p
I was really fascinated to see how you would interpret a location I have visited over and over again. Really beautiful work Johan, makes me want to get back over there today.
Oh and I am so sorry for the hardships you faced while visiting last time. I’ll try harder for your next visit :-)
A wonderful composition and great capture, Johan!
Yep, I’m with Yasmin: sound you had a great journey :)
Beautiful, beautiful! as always dear Johan.
Sounds like you had great time in Ireland :)
5min! Wowwee.
The sharp details in your images are always outstanding Johan. Glad to hear you enjoyed the trip and met up with nice folks – always a big plus. :)
As always, simply stunning!
What a gorgeous shot Johan. Lovely long exposure effects and amazing scene.
superb
You have the whole range of greys in that lovely image, thanks for mentioning how you got it :)
I like how it came out a lot! Lovely!
Wonderful!
My friend this is excellent, I understand what you mean by shooting somewhere different, I need that. You have a terrific day my friend, love this image !!
Uncovered world always appeal to us, well done.
Wow, fantastic work Johan !!
Stunning long exposure! On rocks that I know so well! The scenery on this stretch has changed dramatically as heavier than normal storms have dumped tens of thousands of tons of sand covering much of the south beach 🙂
You picked a nice composition Johan. Both exposure and processing work are top quality!
Just a gorgeous long exposure. Beautiful image my friend!!
Wonderful work Johan!
I was hoping to see one of your photographic gems show up and this beauty does not disappoint! The distant ship is, for me, the dot on the bottom of this visual exclamation point. :-)
it was time again Jerry 😉 Glad you like what I did with this scene !
Many thanks Rodolfo, Sairam and Suzie 🙂
Wonderful shot!
Beautiful image
Beautiful dreamy B&W Johan , it’s gorgeous! :)
Pure beauty, great works!
Merci beaucoup Enzo !
Cette image est parfaite. j’aime beaucoup le sujet, la composition et les nuances de gris!
Great to see you work in my part of the world Johan, the results are lovely and the ship adds a great detail. I really have to get out and explore local seascapes soon, this location is quite near me.
Glad you like my interpretation Dermot 🙂 Would definitely check this part of Ireland out. I git back with quite a few nice ones :)
Wow, what a beautiful soothing photo, nice composition too!
thanks for the compliment 🙂
Super mooi Johan!
Dank je wel Kaatje ! :)
What a gorgeous long exposure!
thank you 🙂
Thanks for the compliment Joan 🙂
@K Garzer: thank you 🙂
Very beautiful shot.
Your stories are as great and just as fascination as your photography. A perfect match I’d say Johan
How was it to leave your beloved mountains Johan? I’m it was refreshing to study new subjects.
Great shot, love the clouds and the rocks!
Inspiring and refreshing Michael! I have been focussing on Switzerland and a bit of The Netherlands the past few years. It is nice to shoot something else for a change … although I still have enough to shoot over here as well 🙂 Thanks!
Very nice!!!
thank you Didier! 🙂
Looks like you’ve benefit the time spend there very well. Marvelous work!
and had some Guinness?
For sure Dominique and yes of course. T’is heel wat anders als een Belgisch pintje, maar ook niet verkeerd :)
Zeeeeeker niet verkeerd :-)
Ik wist haast zeker dat je het ermee eens zou zijn Dominique 😉
Beautiful B&W !!! 🙂 Regards
Hey thanks Kamil 🙂 Cheers
Looks really good
I will be in Ireland in may so hopefully i can get some great images
Have fun Steve and you probably will get some nice opportunities. Ireland is great for photography 🙂
@Louisa: glad you like it Louisa 🙂
@Annick: thank you Annick 🙂 Wish we had coastlines like this in CH! 🙂 And yes that boat was a nice extra bonus.
I know, it is so nice to see the horizon with a nice coast line sometime.
🙂
I’m sure you will go back…
yep, will be going back this year for sure 🙂
Ooooh! What a wonderful image …
Perfect, nice horizon line, my eyes just go there after viewing the crispy details of the rocks! The liitle boat out there… extra bonus!
Beautifully processed Johan !
The Irish east coast has never looked so inviting Johan, wonderful work!
This is most magical, Johan!
Thanks for the kind words Deborah :)
Awesome capture :D
Many thanks Elizabeth :D
Really good work. like the horizon with the ship.
Well-spotted Karl. Thank you!
Dank jullie wel Jonathan en Catharina :)
Ruig landschap
Gaaf!
Fantastic atmosphere so beautiful!
many thanks Mikko! 🙂
Prachtig hoor
dank je wel 🙂
Bn je al eens in turkije geweest ? Ook prachtig. Ik woon er namelijk D:
yep. Meerdere keren 🙂
@Marie-Chantal: thank you!
@Grzegorz: thanks for the compliment Grzegorz! Plan to go back this year and to Scotland as well. Will let you know when timing gets a bit clearer 🙂
Great, would be nice to meet you and go into wild landscapes together 😀
looking forward to it ! 😀
I know your Swiss coastlines are different and nice to see your work from Ireland ;-). I have seen many great landscapes from this beautiful country and they are on my list “to capture” 🙂 Wonderful work Johan, very mystical mood here and superb b&w processing :-)
beautiful
@Victor: many thanks Victor! Pitty we don’t have these types of coastlines in NL and CH …
@Günter: I am not spoiled here either Günter, but who knows. Maybe we will get some winter in March 🙂
Everything is all right Johan! When the weather is constant and have time I’ll make winter shots from the region of Graubünden (which we were not spoiled this year) :)
Very nice contrasts along that coastline.. it zens my mind .. Johan :)
@Dalibor: Lol I might do that one day 🙂 Thanks!
@Michael: ow yes I enjoyed it Michael. Will be going back to scout for a workshop soon 🙂
To attend or to hold a workshop Johan?. If you are going to hold one in ireland, let me know when and if it fits we might show up :-)
Hold one Michael, if I can get it together. Will be scouting the Southwest next time 🙂 Will keep you in mind. Would be cool to meet!
Another neat one Johan :-) And its nice to know you enjoyed a trip to Ireland enough to go back :-)
Great capture my friend!
you could come here its much cheaper ;)
Definitely looks like I have to go to Ireland one day. Oh well, it will be Cornwall and Wales in May :)
Thanks Philipp! Yes you should and bring your bike 🙂 Cornwall and Wales doesn’t sound like punishment either btw :)
I will go with the bike Johan :)
Sounds like fun Philipp !!
@Rebecca: thank you 🙂
@Günter: thank a lot Günter 😀 How are things in Lenzerheide?
Wonderful vacation memories Johan!:). Definitely it is worth a second visit.
Magnificent image Johan!!
This is very nice Johan! Firstly I appreciated the overall image and then I noticed the small boat in the background, a great addition to the image!
Thank you and well spotted! That is a special treat for people who view the image full screen 😉 I was debating a bit if I needed to add more contrast and up the whites just touch but kept going back to this version 🙂
Hehe I am not that old not to be able to see it in the thumbnail image Johan ;-)
Lol Dominique! Swiss chocolate keeps you young! :o)
Thanks for the compliments Aamir and Anatoliy ! :)
Excellent work!
Beautiful landscape Johan
Een leven zonder PS is voor mij ondenkbaar naast LR en Nik 🙂 Ben er zeker van dat jij ook dit zo zal ervaren …
Een aantal dingen zullen zeker wat sneller gaan 🙂 Ik lukt me nog steeds mijn visie voor elkaar te krijgen met de meeste foto’s, maar ik heb er inmiddels redelijk wat klaar staan die wat meer nodig hebben. Binnenkort mezelf maar eens maandje opsluiten. Als de sneeuw hier smelt valt er toch even niet veel te fotograferen 🙂
Je gaat allicht het smeltseizoen goed gebruiken om met PS te werken maar eens je er mee werkt ga je LR enkel nog gebruiken voor de algemene RAW aanpassingen en PS + Nik om je visie door te drukken…
ik vermoed dat je gelijk hebt Gittan 🙂 En als ik vragen heb weet ik je te vinden 😉
Als ik je kan helpen, heel graag, dus aarzel zeker niet om het te vragen 🙂
A beautiful capture Johan, and a great monochrome!
Many thanks Hallie 🙂
Nice shot. Thank you
thank you Ronald!
Amazing art work!
Many thanks Ana ! 🙂
Superb work! amazing shot! Magnifique histoire Johan:)
Many thanks Jany 😀
I love the rich contrast and that wonderful soft water!! Beautiful!
… and glad you like it Margaret! 🙂 Is all well with you?
Yes, all is well!!
Good to hear Margaret! 🙂
Great shot Johan
many thanks Gemma!
Striking photo Johan … looking forward to see some more photo’s from Ireland! You certainly did a great job here…
Thanks Gittan 🙂 There are definitely a few others in the pipeline 🙂
Very confident of it 🙂 echt meesterwerk Johan!!
😀 Dank je wel! Ik weet nog niet zeker of ik helemaal klaar ben met deze …
Hi Johan, ben echt verbaasd tot welk resultaat je komt met enkel LR an Nik…echt knap …en ik meen het dat ik dit een meesterwerkje vind.
nogmaals dank je wel voor het compliment! Ik zit wel op de grens van wat ik met LR en Nik kan, dus binnenkort duik ik maar eens in PS. Geen ontkomen aan 😉
Pure beauty! Driving on the left side of the road is not that easy…..
Thanks Anna! Nope it isn’t and I was stupid enough to hire a car with manual gear … 🙂
I was keep touching the door to change the gear… Will be waiting for more your stunning work! Have a great evening!:)
Yep, that sounds familiar. And glad you are patient. Everytime I post I think I will post again in a week or so … but then life butts in 😉
Cool LE Johan is this in Switzerland too?
Thanks Nikola! Nope this is in Ireland 🙂
It helps to read more ;-))
Wonderful shot Johan :)
Glad you think so Gemma 🙂 Thanks!
you’re welcome :)