photography

The Cliffs of Moher, Ireland’s best

Towering 700 feet above the Atlantic the Cliffs of Moher is one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring tourist attractions in Ireland. And a tourist friendly too. If you are fit and experienced you can take a two hour cliff walk from Doolin to the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center. The trail is remote and exposed. In some places there is very little space between the path and abyss: it could be a challenge in bad weather. You can learn more about the trail and guided tours on http://www.seaview-doolin.ie/news/. You can take a shorter and easier walk from the Visitor Center to Hags Head, two hours return, yet it is not suitable for little children, especially in bad weather. If you are not fit, traveling with a baby or simply have no time, do what I did: just walk up to O’Brien’s tower from the Visitor center and enjoy the view on your way. All your questions about the Cliffs are answered here: http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/

The view from O’Brien’s tower is magnificent, but you are getting a better sense of scale looking up rather than down. We took a boat trip from Doolin, one hour both ways, to get closer to the Cliffs and to see how high they really are.

One of the caves was featured in Harry Potter movie:)

Branaunmore sea stack, a nesting place to a variety of sea birds.

If you have more than one lens it makes sense to take another camera with you on a boat trip. The scenery and lighting are changing rapidly while on a boat, and you can miss good shots, as I did…

Doolin is a spectacular village worth to visit. All the travel guides mention Gus O’Connor’s Pub, and it is a great and very atmospheric place well known for its traditional Irish music sessions (they say that Doolin is a capital of traditional music). If you only want to get some today’s catch fish and some chips and a quiet place to enjoy your lunch, go to Fitz’s Bar: it is as good as O’Connors, and their food is excellent!

I have been visiting the Cliffs of Moher more than once. There are a few pictures taken in 2004 and 2005. Not always the weather was as welcoming as this time…

The Cliffs of Moher are 300 million years old, but they don’t look the same now as they did then. Coastal erosion undermines the base of the bluffs causing the upper parts of the cliff to collapse. In fact, people walking on the top of the Cliffs are risking their lives without realizing it. They can slip, they can get blown off by wind and they can go down with a collapsing piece of path, at any time. To stay safe, we have to be respectful to Nature, and never reckless or disruptive. This is the way that balances the world.

Photography tip of the day: To take pictures from a boat use a very fast shutter speed ( or “sport” setting), stand with your legs spread and your knees slightly bended.

Have a great day!

Narrow roads and pink mountains

Last week I visited a friend in Burncourt, Co Tipperary. I chose a narrow country road for fun and delightful drive. Didn’t know it would be that narrow… When I startled a pheasant sleeping in the middle of the road and he lazily walked away, I thought I got lost… I didn’t take any pictures, but this one ( shared on Facebook) gives you an idea:)

After the visit I thought I might better go up the mountains on my way home. My initial plan was to stop by the ruins of Shanbally castle barbarically demolished in 1960, but I changed this plan in favor of driving South towards my favorite Old Clonmel-Cork Road.

This area lies in the Galtee-Vee Valley (Golden Vale) with the Galtee Mountains to the north and the Knockmealdown Mountains to the south. I love the rolling hills and open pastures with the breathtaking hilltop views, and I love the gradual transition from the green sunlit Knockmealdowns to the dark and lonesome Comeraghs.

In Clogheen I turned to the Vee.

The Vee Pass in Knockmealdown mountains (refers to the V-shaped turn) is a beautiful place to visit all around the year because of its stunning panoramic views, but in June the wild rhododendrons bloom in the hills, and it is the view you will never forget.

In the picture above you can see the Galtees framing the valley from the North.

The blossoms are of the color of frothy foam on the top of boiling raspberry jam. I imagine a gigantic cauldron in the hills above the Bay Lough, and the jam overflowing the cauldron and making its way down through the woods, dripping from the rocks and making puddles in the hollows. A waterfall of pink. I am overwhelmed by this breathtaking beauty.

The Bay Lough lake.

Biological function of a flower is reproduction. Mother Nature made it beautiful.

On my way down the mountain I took a few shots to make this crooked panorama:). Didn’t bother to set a tripod: I was afraid to shy away that young couple. Love is beautiful!

Photography tip of the day: to make a panorama take as many pictures as you need to have a 40-50% overlap. Use portrait format. And a tripod:)

Have a wonderful weekend!

My Harry Potter trip : bold and beautiful Edinburgh

There are three categories of people : Mega fans of Harry Potter books and movies; people who enjoy or simply like them, and people who have heard about them. It is why I am writing this post without fear to be accused of catering to a small clique:)

There is a profound work done before me, and I especially like these two articles: Places in Harry Potter and Hogwarts. An image of Glenfinnan viaduct is sadly missing in both articles ( the idea for the book “came fully formed” into J.K. Rowling mind when she was on a train). It is why I started my post with this image of the famous viaduct taken by my daughter on their Scotland trip.

Visiting Edinburgh I had Harry Potter in mind most of the time. This is my brief report of possible sources of inspiration for the beloved books, and some remarkable features of the city. To be honest, I think that everything in this city contributed to Harry Potter books, as it did to many excellent examples of literature of all times.

Doesn’t it look familiar? This is George Heriot’s School, the private school for Edinburgh’s wealthy that was founded in 1628 and (officially) inspired the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:)

So, George Heriots’ or Hogwarts?:)

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence in Scotland of Her Majesty The Queen.

Their museum is amazing. They have a few things that belonged to Mary Stuart, and a lock of her hair.

The ruins of the ancient abbey in the Palace grounds.

Another remarkable structure is this magnificent gothic monument to Sir Walter Scott.

And this is Sir Walter himself.

Camera Obscura museum, collection of optical curiosities. May be I am making a mistake telling you that I spent half a day in this museum… These two mirrors face the street and anybody can amuse themselves at any time. I think that wizardry and illusions have lots in common.

Optical illusions. The other hand is also mine:)

The vortex bridge pictures taken without (1) and with flash (2). All the construction is spinning and makes you quite dizzy.

So it is what I was doing there: having fun. This is their page.

The best view is from the top floor of Camera Obscura building.

In the 16th century here the world ended and the Edinburgh began:)

Ghost hazard places. I bet that Greyfriars Kirkyard cemetery also added to J. K. Rowling’s inspiration. I took a ghost tour to fill up on adrenaline.

Andy the Guide is telling us the story about Mackenzie ghost …

Body snatching was very popular those days… This is a security system.

There is a story about poor Bobby. People still bring him toys and pieces of wood to play with.

Here is a statue of Bobby and the pub where I ate my first haggis, neeps&tatties:)

Walking the streets. Grassmarket.

This pub is situated just across from the former execution place. The Last Drop wasn’t the name dedicated to the Alcoholics Anonymous club…

‘Half Hangit’ Maggie Dickson was hanged but survived:)

You might hate checked stuff, but it is impossible to walk away without buying one:) Hurry up, gentlemen, kilts on sale!

Kilts! Take a closer look at the guy’s compromise kilt. His seriously equipped boss wouldn’t let him walk in pants:)

That guy with the lollypop looks fun:)

No way this man would look so determined if he had just a simple pair of trousers on him. A true warrior!

Love this sweet gentleman and his doggies:)

Some foreign tourists are trying to blend in:)

Princess street Park. They have an orchestra playing there.

And finally, this is the place!:) As the legend tells, J. K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter novel here.

Inside the Elephant House; I didn’t eat anything there, had no time. Didn’t write anything either:)

I hope you enjoyed this virtual visit.

Photography tip of the day: When going for a photography trip, check the map for the locations in interest: you will want to know where the sun is at a particular time of the day so you can plan your schedule.

Have a good week!

A Cry For The Last Child

In autumn 2008 I was feeling unwell and didn’t do any photography. That particular day I was limping across the bridge from the Plunkett train station in Waterford to catch a bus to the hospital, all soaked in drizzle and focused on my own misery. When I turned to The Quay I met the eyes of a giant girl looking at me from the Old Flour Mills over the river. I didn’t have any camera on me, neither was I planning to return to Waterford soon. I looked at the girl with regret and she looked at me with sorrow.

“I now see that sorrow, being a supreme emotion of which man is capable, is at once the type and test of all great art.”

De Profundis by Oscar WIlde

Image courtesy of www.helnwein.com

Controversial, as some people say, artist Gottfried Helnwein was born in 1948 in war-torn Vienna, Austria. You can read his biography on his website ( all the links open in separate windows), and not only the biography. I have read his interviews and quotes, and also translated some from German, for good measure, and I advise you to do so to know all by yourself who he is, what he is trying to tell, and why.

Image courtesy of www.helnwein.com

Many people get confused when they encounter unfamiliar aspects of art; they tend to interpret the meaning based on their own culture, and get confused even more. They might even call this confusion “shock”. My daughter and I went to The Body World 3 exhibition in Salt Lake City a few years ago. The generosity of the donors’ last gift was humbling. Was this exhibition shocking? No. It was educational. Shock is something that locks, not opens. When one says that something is shocking, they stop thinking and learning right there.

Image courtesy of www.helnwein.com

My Father was a POW from 1941 to 1945. I only know from my Mother that he escaped, jumped in the sea and swam, but was reported by a local farmer and imprisoned again in a different camp. He would sit on the sofa with me to watch a cheesy war-related love story on TV, but start crying after a few minutes; he just wasn’t able to bear the mention of the war. What terror had he gone through? You think it will never come back? You think that Fascism is a ghost of the past? Think again.

Image courtesy of www.helnwein.com

“There are times when sorrow seems to me to be the only truth. Other things may be illusions of the eye or the appetite, made to blind the one and cloy the other, but out of sorrow have the worlds been built, and at the birth of a child or a star there is pain.”

De Profundis by Oscar Wilde

Why children?

There are some blood-chilling statistics for you to think about. In the wars during the 80s-90s more children were killed than soldiers.

School shootings. Did you hear about gun control in the 19th century? Yet from 1800 till 1900 there were only about 50 school shootings registered in the USA, mostly as revenge against the teachers, or accidental ; about 190 cases in 20th century and 145 cases from 2000-2013. Statistics include also dormitory and drive-by shootings near the school buildings, and this information is only for the United States. You can also check http://www.ijvs.org/ which goes for International Journal on Violence in Schools.

How about home violence, genocide, starvation, children sex tourism? How about the gruesome discovery in Tuam, Ireland? I can go on and on about all the children who came into this world to be betrayed. Do you still consider the paintings of Gottfried Helnwein “shocking”?

“I feel there is a strong bond between artists and children and all other sacred fools”

Gottfried Helnwein in an interview with Yuchi Konno for Yaso, Japan

When I think about Gottfried Helnwein’s personality, the only thing that truly matters to me is Family. He is a family man who raised his family well. Over fifteen years ago he bought a castle near where I live. Gurteen de la Poer castle. He resides there with his family, his children and grandkids. I wanted to know what their safe haven looks like; to see what the artist sees when he is with his own, away from the media and curious eyes. I contacted his son Cyril and asked if I could take some photos around the castle grounds.

Isn’t it beautiful? They even have some ducks there, one named Donald. If you read the biography you will know that it is symbolic.

I was invited inside. It is so delightful and homely there, with the afternoon sun beaming through the green vines covering the gothic windows. And you know what? I actually got to see all the images from that Waterford 2008 installation because Cyril kindly gave me a copy of the book The Last Child!

Having this peaceful home why would one bother crying warnings?

Any of us can make our home a castle: we can barricade ourselves from the world, protect our children from bad influences, home-teach, train in marital arts, life-coach them to be always on the safe side, you name it. And say you succeed when the rest of the world is falling apart. But let’s see it this way: do you want your child to be the last child on the planet?

Have a great weekend!

Clancy Brothers music festival in Carrick on Suir

What a great time to visit Ireland! This weekend Carrick on Suir, Tipperary, hosts the 7th annual Clancy Brothers Music and Arts Festival! The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were an influential Irish folk group in the 60s; they are loved and honored in their hometown and recognized by folk song lovers throughout the world. There are a few pictures of the shop windows decorated for the occasion.

A harvest time for street photography, but for me as a jet lag casualty it is impossible to see everything. I just walked Main Street to listen to the street performing, or busking, competitions, and went to the Ormond castle for a Family Day fun. I find it very fascinating to watch the street performers. Closeness to the art happening in front of your eyes gives you a false feeling of belonging, but when you look in their inspired face you realise how far away they are now, unreachable, deep in their work, focused and beautiful.

Ormond Castle welcomes families to enjoy the medieval experience.

Some people enjoy it even more than the others 🙂

The Falconry exhibition was grand but this 7-weeks old baby owl girl stole the show. It is exactly what we call a cuteness overflow. I wish you could hear the gentle sounds she made and see her cuddling in my lap.

There are so much more music and creative arts events, I wish I could be everywhere… Song writing workshop and competition, concerts of local and visiting performers and choirs, pub live music sessions all over the town, a river walk, children drama workshop and theatrical performances, visual art exhibitions…