We had a few days break recently and traveled to county Kerry. I’d never been to this side of the country before so was looking forward to seeing what it had to offer. Kerry did not disappoint. For photographers especially, there are unlimited opportunities to get your camera out.
The weather wasn’t the best but like all photographers, I just had to work with what Mother nature threw at us. Still as many of you know, the bleak and overcast conditions are what I often favour. It’s also ideal weather to start thinking in black and white.
There’s a few things I want to pass on about shooing in mono – things I have picked up along the way. They work for me and my style, but you may have your own methods. Please feel free to share your tips in the comments.
You may find it helpful if you put your camera intro monochrome mode. This shows a black and white preview of your image on the lcd screen. If you’re shooting in raw, then your picture will actually be captured in colour. This is just a simple way to review where the light and dark tones are, when shooting for black and white.
Use a neutral density graduated filter. Yea, I know you can do this in post processing later but it will help to achieve those dramatic skies and you will be able to see the effect immediately on the lcd screen. It’s also one less job to do when editing. 
Lastly, I find it helpful to slightly close my eyes, so the scene in front of me appears a little blurred and simplified. It shows me where the bright light and where the main focal elements are in the scene. It sounds strange but try it and see if it works for you.
The photo at the top is of Little Samphire Island lighthouse in Fenit, county Kerry. It can be bought from my webshop from as little as €20.
The next shot was taken as we drove over the Conor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula. Although the weather wasn’t the greatest, there is always light somewhere. That can be bought here.
The last shot is of my son. It was taken on top of the short climb at the end of the pier at Fenit. Thanks for reading this far and feel free to share the post.
