Sigma
Lit Up Valley
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Yosemite Valley, December 2019
Yosemite Panorama
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Yosemite National Park, December 2019
Tunnel View
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Yosemite National Park, December 2019
Devils Glen Waterfall
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The Devils Glen waterfall this afternoon – a truly breathtaking place in the Wicklow Mountains I didn’t know about until discovering it on Saturday in a magazine pullout of the Irish Times weekend edition.
So off I went today right away. An hours drive from Naas, Devils Glen is easily to reach, parking onsite and two excellent looped walks waiting to be explored. Easy enough terrain, nothing extreme.
Unfortunately it was an overcast day which means the light wasn’t quite as I would have liked it. Surely I’ll be back in autumn when it must be such a colourful place.
I got a 25 second long-exposure at the foot of the waterfall – a beautiful scene that may have been enhanced by some sun rays shining through the trees. It’s an image I quite like nonetheless.
Magical Lough Bray
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Magical panoramic view as far as the eye can see over Lower- and Upper Lough Bray in the Wicklow Mountains.
Nikon D7100, Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM – ISO 100, f/9, 1/500 sec; 8mm
Lisbon at Night
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Does this bridge look familiar? It certainly did to me the first time I saw the Ponte 25 de Abril… it appears to be strikingly similar to the world famous Golden Gate Bridge!
Well, as it turns out these two bridges have things in common: they are red in colour and belong to the category of the suspension bridges.
However, even though a taxi driver told me a tale of the same architect who constructed both bridges, the truth is Lisbon’s Ponte 25 de Abril has been built by the American Bridge Company – the same company that built the other massive bridge connecting the Bay Area: the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge.
That doesn’t make the Ponte 25 de Abril less imposing. As the longest suspension bridge in Europe this is quite an enormous construction, connecting Lisbon with Almada on the other side of the Tagus River.
Wicklow Panorama
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8mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/100s – Nikon D7100, Sigma 8-16mm
It looked simple enough on the map. The reality was steep. And windy. At least not rainy. That was for later. Hiking up to the Djouce Mountain in the Wicklow’s isn’t a big deal, though the last bit is steep enough for untrained legs.
Add some high winds and it makes for a stern test on a weekend’s afternoon. It was too windy up there and the looming rain clouds made sure I only stayed for a brief period until making my way down again.
Light was sparse, though the shapes of the different mountains, hills, the wide panoramic view of the Irish coastline makes for an image where you can’t do much wrong.
The wonderful 8-16mm from Sigma in the back delivered once more. I wanted to capture the atmosphere felt on the mountain in a wide panorama to show the contrasts of the scene. It’s not the most special image I’ve ever taken. Still, It was worth to get out there and take it.
Fairy Pools
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8mm, ISO 100, f/11, 1/25sec – Nikon D7100, Sigma 8-16mm f4.5-5-6 DC HSM,
The Fairy Pools are one of THE highlights on the Isle of Skye. Everyone has heard about them, everyone wants to see them and everyone has most likely seen these dreamy, colourful, long exposed images of the pools and waterfalls.
When I was there it was crowded and the light was little to non-existent. That’s a shame. You can wait and you can come back, but things did not really pan out for me during my stay on Skye if it comes to the Fairy Pools.
That doesn’t mean I’m unhappy with the end result. In fact I do love the image. The colours of the grass, the most beautiful blue in the water – all there. Though a bit of proper light, a bit of sun shining into the pools…. it would have been too nice.
Shoot It Now 