In the corridors of Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, the specter of day (and freedom) seems to wash in around every corner.
Still, the array of colors found in the drab, gray walls. Would that have given any comfort to the people imprisoned here?
Tag: travel
Roof of St. Canice’s
Views high above beautiful countrysides are more commonly the results of a drone in 2024, but I captured this shot of Kilkenny, Ireland the old-fashioned way: climbing the worn ladders of an old round tower to reach its windy pinnacle.
Skies Over Kilkenny
A big sky and a tiny village make for a borderline-cliché Irish setting.
Faithful Symmetry
For all of the mirror symmetry imparted by St. Canice’s architecture, the sunlight entering through windows (or not) shows that the external world is always ready to break some symmetry.
Hidden Platforms
In the cracks between the glacier-carved cliffs above Lake Mohonk, hidden platforms make the perfect spot to read a good book on a truly relaxing afternoon.
Low Water in the Lake
A clifftop view of Mohonk Mountain House’s swimming hole shows the impact of last summer’s drought: sections of beach that would be deep underwater are instead showing green sprouts of grasses. Even with that minor asterisk, the setting is idyllic and captures the late-summer pleasures of a little escape well.
A Return Trip to Brazil
New adventures in color grading have brought me back, much as I did with images from Spring 2012, to my Fall 2012 trip to Florianopolis, Brazil. Big changes in how I tackle challenging raw images have produced a drastically different outcome to my photoprocessing.
The dark rocks and chaotic waves come through in a whole different way.
So, too, does this sculpture stretched over the water—the purpose of which, if there is one, I’ve still not ascertained.
There’s a sense of texture and place that a dark ocean and bright beach convey together.
I can still remember wandering back to my room at the end of the evening, feeling like I was a visitor to an alien world.
Warm Wood of the Gazebo
From one Mohonk framing to another, we arrive one of Mohonk’s signature gazebos (but during the day this time.) After a gentle hike, a charming view is a perfect way to cap off the summer season.
Fishing Frame
A quiet morning between father and son, fishing from a rowboat on a placid mountain lake: does it get more classically summer than this?
Mohonk Nightwall
Warm, welcoming, and… monolithic? Though Mohonk is a huge, castle-esque structure, the hotel nonetheless feels deeply cozy in the evening. Perhaps it’s the sense of life about it. Zoom all the way in and people are visible, enjoying the warm air on the many balconies.
Irish Balcony
Bright end-of-the-day sunlight adds some brightness to a damp November evening in Dublin.
Dublin Street Corner
Dublin in late autumn has a damp energy that I found unquestionably intriguing; the optical artifacts from shooting into the setting sun do a fair job of approximating the feeling that every bit of asphalt and brick have some eerie effect taking place beneath them.
And a bonus Piper shot from just about the same moment as we explored the city.
Tree Outlier
A cliff face may not seem the optimal spot for a tree, but there will always be specimens that go against the grain. (I couldn’t help myself.) The lights of the granary barbecue across the lake almost makes me think that this particular tree is pining (again, I’m sorry) to pick up its roots and go join the party.
Forest Fortress
Rather than a fortress in a forest, this is a fortress composed of forest—or at least, it feels that way. While the far-off mountains and the lights of Palm Springs may be visible from the air, the ground-level setting is far more constrained and cozy.
P.S. Can you spot your humble photographer in this shot?
From the Beaches of Florianopolis, Brazil
The beach pictures from La Jolla Shores inspired me to revisit some of my other past beach shots—but these are from a bit farther away: Florianopolis, Brazil.
Applying the same low-contrast processing really revealed a lot more of the details on the clifftop figures. I’m amazed when I compare these shots with similar ones I processed years ago. It’s amazing what a decade of practice can do!
Decaseconds 