Moonshine by Melanie
Click on Photograph for a larger version.
By PTR Team Members Melanie and Bill
Why go to Ireland?
1. It is a fantastic place, filled with breathtaking landscapes. It is remote and unspoiled.
2. It is a travel bargain. One can rent a well-appointed cottage for far less than other places in the world.
3. Its people are friendly and accommodating. There is nothing better than Irish hospitality.
4. It is easy to get to. Fly into Belfast or Dublin. Rent a car. Explore.
Where to visit?
Ulster and Donegal. Located on the North of the Emerald Isle. Incredible natural setting, unspoiled, real, and peaceful.
Where to stay?
Best to rent a self-catering cottage or house. Far less expensive than a hotel. You then have the luxury of coming and going as you please, ready access to laundry facilites and room to spread out all camera gear, chargers, laptops etc.
What will it cost?
Self catering cottages of high caliber can be rented for about $1,000 per week. Far less than one would pay for a hotel or a bed and breakfast.
Equipment
All photographs in this article were done with the Canon 1Ds Mark III and the Canon Powershot G10.
Things to know before you go.
The currency in the Republic of Ireland is the Euro with the exchange rate at the time of this visit making purchasing items in Donegal more expensive for UK visitors than usual. Petrol was a little less expensive but most food items, with alcohol in particular, far more costly.
Roads can be narrow and winding, take this into account when timing your arrival at a destination. Distances too can be more than you might expect.
Best Maps were the Ordnance Survey Ireland Discovery Series, good for picking out details that might be of interest.
Be prepared for the weather and make sure you have the means to access a decent weather forecast. If you plan to spend much time at the coast tide times can be downloaded in advance for a small price. This is especially useful for planning ahead.
Equipment: Lenses covering the range from 16mm to 200mm were used. The range of contrast between sky and land necessitates the use of graduated filters, unless you are going to resort to post- processing to merge different exposures. We use Lee filters. A sturdy tripod will be well used, both for keeping images sharp in the low light levels but also for use with long exposures. Kitchen paper is invaluable for cleaning filters of sea spray!
So, the PTR Team set about to visit Ireland.
On September 26, 2009, PTR Team members Melanie and Bill journeyed to Ireland, actually two separate countries, Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland. It was an opportunity for them to explore the Northern coast of the island, hoping to find elusive, good light and to meet photographers with whom they had corresponded for several months.
On their arrival they were met by Ross Mckelvey a barrister who practices law in Belfast, who is also a member of the Royal Photographic Society. Ross was kind enough to show them the way along the beautiful and changing coastline from Larne to Bushmills. He had previously contacted others in Ireland who love photography and invited them to join the team for a afternoon photographing the Giant’s Causeway. Melanie and Bill met both Stephen Dickey and Cathal Donnelly, at Bushmills and late in the afternoon ventured to the Causeway, a landmark site for photographers worldwide.
The Giant’s Causeway by Bill
Click on photograph for a larger version.
Melanie:
Giant’s Causeway had a real pull for me, especially after reading Claire’s experience at this location. I knew that the conditions were going to be difficult, with strong winds and crashing waves. I found shooting towards the setting sun an impossible battle against the seaspray. The waves were unpredicatable. Ross was engulfed by one such wave, he did well to stand his ground and apart from a soaking both he and camera came away unscathed. Nor was I prepared for the number of people out there, despite the late hour. After waiting for some length of time for the light to fall right, a shadow appeared across my foreground with the owner holding out his own camera for me to take a picture of himself and his companion 
Giant’s Causeway by Melanie
Later we hoped to meet Bill’s colleague Peter McCabe a fellow moderator at Nature Scapes and Andy McInroy, who just published a new book about photography in Ireland, and is famous for his cave photographs. Unfortunately both were busy with business matters. Peter had been extremely helpful to us in planning the itinerary.
It is always a great joy to meet people with whom we have corresponded through the Internet. Ross, Stephen, and Cathal were wonderful hosts. It was great to to be in the company of people so enthusiastic about their countries, and to discuss our mutual joy for photography. Hopefully, in the coming weeks, the photographers we have mentioned here will be writing articles to be published at PTR. It is our plan to feature Ireland in the near future and we would welcome articles from any photography enthusiasts who might have knowledge and experience to share of the countries. To put it simply, Ireland is a dream location for travel and photography, offering bargain prices for self-catering cottages, and more importantly, endless places to explore with majestic and rugged coastlines, small villages, and incredibly warm and interesting people to meet.
From Bushmills we travelled to Cruit Island, on the western coast of Donegal. We were optimistic, our journey west through the changing light was heartening. Unfortunately as the week progressed we became more and more despondent due to persistent low cloud and a lack of ‘illumination’. Our accommodation for this week was pretty basic, but set in a dramatic location, perched on granite boulders looking down over a red sand beach.
Donegal Thatched Cottages, Cruit Island
Despite the weather, the area offered wonderful subjects.
Returning to the Sea by Bill
Click on photograph for a larger version.
St John’s Point by Melanie
Beauty and the Beast
Melanie:
After seeing images of The Poisoned Glen, in particular those of Gary McParland the spot was a must to visit. Sadly, despite two visits the light was not playing. On the other hand a friendly collie dog was.
The Guide to The Glen, By Melanie
He/she found us out on our first visit leading us round the old church at Dunlewy after crawling in beneath the gate. On our second trip he took the lead down the glen, doubling back when he saw us with our cameras poised, then sitting patiently and waiting. I spotted a collection of interesting stones and bless his heart, he posed in the middle, taking in the view.
The Lord Of The Ring, by Melanie
He may have been a little more than disgruntled when we got back to the car when all I had to give him was a couple of McVities Mini Cheese Cheddars! He made the day, unlike the day before when we encountered the Beast of Cruit Island – - – -
Bill:
While at Cruit Island, despite a windy and wet day, our team grew tired of sitting in the cottages awaiting a turn in the weather, so we set out for a long walk from the Thatched Cottages to the end of the island. Along the way we met a pony and Melanie could not resist the opportunity to pet the animal. BIG MISTAKE!
Melanie and The Beast of Cruit Island
Long story, short version. The Pony bites. Yep, it bites hard. And it follows you, and keeps following you, and it keeps biting. To think, Melanie has done photography of lions, leopards, and other wild animals all over the world, and this was the first time she had been attacked by an animal, and a Pony of all things!
It must of been the red jacket she was wearing. Obviously, to the pony the jacket was a big apple. 
True to form, the light changed the day we left Cruit Island. It was blowing up a storm, making it impossible to stand up without the shelter of a wall and making an image was but a dream. The conditions abated some for the journey east towards the Fanad Peninsula where the light greeted us with fantastic opportunities for photography.
Melanie Considers the Morning Light by Bill
Click on photograph for a larger version.
Arrival by Melanie
The rugged coastline of Ireland is simply breath taking. What a joy it was to find this place just a short walk from our holiday house at Doagh Beg to our private beach.
The Gateway by Bill
Click on photograph for a larger version.
Perhaps our favorite place, while visiting Ireland was at Fanad Head. Long story, short version: to get to the spot where these photographs were made, one must walk along a wall on a footpath that is about two feet wide. Simple, except for the fact that the two foot wide walkway drops off about 50 feet into a water filled crevasse. In other words, if you are like us, it is best not to look down. 
Fanad Head Lighthouse at Moon Rise by Bill
Click on photograph for a larger version.
Melanie:
Bill loves to exaggerate. It was a bit freaky on the fist trip we had to the lighthouse as the wind was gusting up to 60mph. It made for exhilarating conditions with the waves crashing high onto the cliffs and the wind whipping up the sea foam. How magical it was when, in amongst the noise and drama of the wind and waves, a full moon rose serenely out of the cloud to turn the evening into something extraordinary.
Moonshine by Melanie
The conditions and the beauty we experienced on the Fanad Peninsula more than made up for the disappointment of the previous week. There was more than enough to keep a person and a camera occupied for a week just in this small area alone. Endless permutations of light and tides meant there was something different to find as each hour passed.
Rainbow by Melanie
It was with more than a little regret that we left Doaghbeg and the Fanad Peninsula, but we had just a little more to see before we were to leave Ireland. We retraced our steps back to the north Antrim Coast, this time staying in Portrush. Here again we were drawn to the sea, how hard it is not to be in a place of such incredible, wild beauty. This time we avoided Giant’s Causeway and had a very enjoyable morning at Ballintoy and two evenings down on the beach at White Park Bay.
Having experienced just a small sample of what Ireland has to offer it will be difficult not to return. It was a wonderful trip, I can still feel the force of the wind, smell the sea and if I close my eyes the light plays again before me.
Ballintoy by Melanie
View our Slide Show of Ireland by Clicking the Image Above
The Slide Show will open in a new window. Enjoy!
Accommodation
An outstanding hotel with a wonderful pub and restaurant. Superb, luxurious rooms with attention to detail and amenities. Staff were at all times both helpful and discrete.
PTR Rating: Five Stars
A good hotel with inviting rooms. An agreeable pub and restaurant. Staff were all helpful. Room information needed a little updating.
PTR Rating: Four Stars
Set in a remote location on Cruit Island, the cottages form a cluster of several individual cottages. The rooms are small with the exception of the main living area. Furnishings while authentic were basic. Bathrooms were on the main floor and only accessible through the kitchen. One was tiny, so small it was hardly usable. Both bathrooms were dirty, with mildew growing throughout. Kitchen was tiny and not well equipped. Owners charge for electricity over and above cost for the cottage (added to which was that even when set the timer for the central heating would not switch off at the set time). Peat fires are nice but one has to pay for peat used. Cost was high considering what is offered. Had it been summer and you were with a young family it might have suited well.
PTR Rating: Two Stars (not recommended)
Imagine a modern well-equipped and meticulously well maintained house sitting above your own private beach!
The house is large with well appointed furniture. Splendid views of the coastline are available from the master bedroom, dining/kitchen, and living area on the first floor. There are three bedrooms upstairs with outstanding views.
Bathrooms are spacious, well appointed, clean and modern.
The kitchen is a delight. All equipment was in good working order with clear instructions for the user. Any possible kitchen implements can be found in the well appointed galley. Dishes, cups, silver ware, wine glasses, were all there together with coffee cups and coffee awaiting our arrival.
It is a short walk from the house to the beach below. The area is very private with magnificent views of the bay.
The price included everything. No extra charges for fuel or electricity.
PTR Rating: Five Stars. Actually Six Stars. This house is highly recommended by Photo Travel Review.
Great slideshow, you guys made the best of some tricky weather, how tempting was it to just stay in with a glass of Bushmills?
Shame about the bagpipes
Regards
Neil
Extremely useful article with some exceptional images.
Enjoyed the slideshow and the bagpipes!
Hoping to revist Ireland next year to try to go someway to completing a big gap in my journey/ website so this will be very helpful
Thanks
Derek
The first image loads and the music starts quietly, the quality of the light is immediately apparent, stormy Sky and thundering seas. The moon rises over the light house and a wonderful extravaganza of colour, light and drama fills the screen.
For any fan of travel or landscape photography this is a fine journey across the North of Ireland, for any Irish person living abroad or at home this must bring a tear of joy for the wonder and great beauty of their country.
The article is full of powerful images but is also very rich in detail about travelling to and where to stay when you arrive in this classic Irish countryside.
Dougie
A family tree can wither if nobody tends it’s roots
Brilliant blog posting. I found your post very interesting, I think you are a brilliant writer. I added your blog to my bookmarks and will return in the future.