In May 2024, Ireland was treated to a spectacular show of the Northern Lights. Amazingly, it was also a clear night! This is one of my favourite scenes in Killarney - looking out over the peaceful waters of Lough Leane at Purple and Tomies Mountains.

Seeing this vista under the spectacular purples and greens of the Aurora was an experience I'll never forget.

Inis Tuaisceart (Inishtooskert) is the northernmost of the Blasket Islands off the tip of the Dingle peninsula in Kerry. From the shore, it looks like a giant lying on its back, hence its popular name of 'The Sleeping Giant'. In Irish, it's known as 'An Fear Marbh', which translates as 'The Dead Man'.

It's rarely photographed from the water, and early in 2020 I ventured out to do just that. Its northern tip has some of the most dramatic island scenery anywhere in Ireland, and I was delighted to work with it under brooding overcast skies - perfectly matching the moody menace of the cliffs.

Bray Head looms at the viewer on a beautiful spring evening. The cloudless sky contrasts with the surf pounding against the base of the cliffs.

Rarely seen, the hermitage clings to the narrow South Peak of Skellig Michael with a 700 foot drop on either side. The main monastery can be seen on the North Peak in the middle distance, and the Small Skellig and the Kerry coast lie beyond.

The Gap of Dunloe is perhaps the most iconic of the landscapes around Killarney. A dramatic, steep-sided valley with a narrow road winding torturously through it, it's endlessly scenic.
This photograph was made at sunset on a particularly beautiful November evening.

A sheep greets the sunset at Ireland's most westerly point with the Blasket Islands in the distance.

On December 21, 2010 there was a total lunar eclipse which was visible from Ireland as the moon was setting just before sunrise.
That December was a brutally cold one in Ireland with virtually the entire country covered in snow - a rare occurrence. Braving the -15 degree (centigrade) temperatures I made this exposure from the driveway of our house. It pays to live in an area of natural beauty!

In it, the eclipse is nearing totality with only a small sliver of the moon in sunlight. The rest is a red colour as it has passed into the shadow of the earth.

One of the advantages of living in a remote area is that often you don't need to go much further than your front door to get some wonderful images.
I was working on some projects in my home office when I looked out the window as the sun was setting. A beautiful crescent moon was low in the western sky, so I grabbed my tripod and camera and went outside.
The wonderfully subtle tones in the sky and the gradual transition from bright to dark, combined with the fact that the dark side of the moon is visible (due to earthshine) make this an image I'm very happy with.

This image is an example of needing to work quickly in landscape photography. While photographing the lake with a workshop group, I noticed that the fog on the far bank was highlighting a lone tree. Without the fog behind it, the tree is virtually invisible as it blends seamlessly with the trees behind it.
It was a mesmerizing scene, particularly with the wisps of cloud on the hillside beyond.

Cromwell Point is the location of the lighthouse on Valentia Island. it guards the channel between Valentia and Beginish Island. It was built on the site of a 16th century fortification, the outline of which is still apparent.

The Upper Lake, one of the famous Lakes of Killarney, is probably the most scenic. This is a classic view, looking out over the Macgillycuddy's Reeks from a location used by the lake's boatmen to tie up at the end of the day. Snow rests on the mountains on a fresh winter's day.

The Black Valley is not a million miles from the bustling town of Killarney. However, due to the geography of the area, it's one of the more remote parts of Ireland, surrounded by craggy mountains on all sides.
This house is located at the very heart of the valley and couldn't present a more Irish scene if it tried. A classic view of the valley, it epitomises wild Ireland for me.

A rarely seen angle on Skellig Michael, looking from the northeast. The monastery is just behind the ridge of the leftmost peak, while the lone hermitage clings to the slopes just under the summit of the right peak.

The first rays of sunlight glance the top of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks with Lough Leane in the foreground. Inishfallen island with its monastery is the the left of the frame.

Rossbeigh Beach on a fine spring day

Morning mist rises over the lake by Ballingeary, with mountains beyond.