Yesterday, I had to be up at the ungodly hour of 5.30. Business was conducted and afterward, I wandered out into the foggy morn. I stopped once or twice on the way home to take a photo but nothing quite worked out. I then decided to take a drive to a nearby location I hadn’t been to for some time.
The Windy Gap is a few miles outside Castlebar and is mostly desolate, uninhabited and very beautiful, especially in the right weather. The right weather being rain, wind or fog. Whatever the time of the year, The Windy Gap seems to be in a state of perpetual Autumness. There’s always a rustic colour palette to be found. I only visit a few times each year but there’s always a photo opportunity when I’m there.
You’ll know by now that I usually favour mundane simplicity over awesome sunsets or sunrises in my landscape photography and these pics are no exception. Despite the fact that I’m suffering from that cough/cold/flu that we all in the west of Ireland seem to get for the month of January, I really enjoyed the ninety minutes I spend driving around here.
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The only thing missing from some of these photos is I think the presence of a person – maybe someone walking along the road. I think this would have added to the sense of loneliness that I often get from this place. But then again, you’ll know I’m also a sucker for people in my shots. These sheep kindly offered to pose for me but I don’t think they have the same impact as a human! 🙂
You’ll notice these are all mostly road shots – again a firm favourite of mine. But in my defense, that’s what The Windy gap is – a long winding road between Castlebar and Bofeenaun. Photographers, remember to always take a portrait format shot as well as the landscape – this will often show the location in a different light – and yea, it will double your hit rate. The landscape purists will surely berate me for including the telegraph poles – apparently a big no-no in the genre – apparently!
One thing I noticed while looking through the images in Lightroom later was that there was at least one piece of litter in most of the photos. Plastic bags, bottles, everyday stuff like that. I cloned them out. I felt guilty for not picking it up and bringing it home to dispose of properly.
So, one of my new year resolutions is to pick up some of the litter I see while out shooting this beautiful land. I urge you all to do the same. Have a wonderful year.
My landscape workshops will be starting very soon. They will be advertised on my Facebook page and my website. I can also design a workshop to suit whatever date you prefer. Feel free to contact me with any queries or leave a comment below.
