Monthly Archives: January 2014

Shoot at Youghal on 26/1/14

Posted on by

ECCG shoot Youghal-8230With a Code Orange weather warning in place for most of the West and South of the country for Sunday 26/1/14, it was touch and go whether another ECCG shoot would succumb to the wintry weather conditions of 2014 so far. However, following early morning consultations with various weather forecasters it was felt that Youghal might have a chance of a reasonably good day so the shoot was 'on'.

Seven members turned out at the Walter Raleigh Hotel, Youghal in a windy but dry morning and with high tide due at 12.48pm and a 50kph wind blowing, the sea was already raging against the rocky shoreline - a sure draw for eager photographers.

FOS Youghal. 097-3

Finbarr O'Shea

Following the short walk to the lighthouse, we descended the many steps to the 'diving rocks' where it seemed someone had taken the time to construct ideal photography platforms for us and, with the tide surging only feet away, it was a photo-fest indeed.

Having worked our way around to the front strand by 1pm, we regrouped at the Old Imperial Hotel, North Main Street, for lunch which felt well overdue due to the appetite inducing, fresh sea air.

After this welcome break in proceedings it was back to the shoot with a visit to the nearby St. Mary's Collegiate Church, a national monument of Ireland and which is the oldest church in continuous use since its foundation in Ireland and whose roof timbers have been carbon dated to the year 1170. The extensive graveyard is surrounded by the original town walls, complete with walkways and viewing points and they are thought to be the best preserved medieval town walls in Ireland.

Unfortunately, it was about this time when the weather took a turn for the worst and cut our visit short, but Youghal and the jewel that is St. Mary's are certainly on the cards for a return visit.

Thanks to Michael Hegarty for his assistance in organising the shoot.

Photos above by Bill Sisk, Finbarr O'Shea, Lorna O'Dwyer, Joseph Keniry and Denis Barry.

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter
FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Morning Shoot at Guileen – 19/1/2014

Posted on by

_DSC5768thIt was a hardy crew that turned up early at the slip at Guileen on Sunday 19/1/2014. Having been already cancelled one week previously due to bad weather, the members were keen for this shoot to yield even one decent image.

086_2

The morning began with the remnants of a hard frost but by 7.45am clouds had already filled the sky giving a sign that perhaps, before long, rain would make its presence felt. High tide was just after 7am and, in the absence of a sunrise, the swell presented the best photo opportunity as the waves broke on the rocks. Given the overcast conditions, slow shutter speeds could be achieved without the need for ND filters.

144_4

As expected, a light squall greeted the group at around 9am but it was short-lived and, following a valiant but failed attempt by the sun to break through the cloud, it was time to wrap up and move on to Day's shop in Whitegate for a welcome brew. A return visit to Guileen is a must however.

Group photo by Mervyn Daly. Other images above by Anthony O'Connor.

 

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter
FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Sensor Cleaning with Finbarr O’Shea

Posted on by
photo

Finbarr O'Shea demonstrates Camera Sensor Cleaning

The very thought of personally cleaning the sensor of a digital camera is enough to send some camera owners into a state of shock and physical sickness such is the fear of causing lasting damage to this delicate and vital part of the photographic process. Not so for ECCG member, Finbarr O'Shea, who always cleans his own cameras' sensors using both wet and dry methods.

Finbarr tried to dispel the fear by giving a demonstration of how he goes about the process at the first Group meeting of 2014 at the Midleton Park Hotel on Tuesday 7/1/14.

Using surprisingly little kit, Finbarr went through the various steps of the process from using a blower brush to dislodge dust and free debris from the mirror box and sensor to using swabs, perfectly matched to the size of the camera's sensor, along with a few drops of cleaning fluid to perform a wet clean for more stubborn dirt.

It was indeed a revelation as to how simple an operation it can be. However, a word of warning: this is not for the faint-hearted and should not be attempted by those unsure or not proficient in the process as lasting damage could be caused to the camera which could require a costly repair.

Members click here for more details.

 

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter
FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Lisgoold Point to Point – 5/1/14

Posted on by

While the ECCG shoot at Lisgoold Point to Point on Sunday 5/1/14 was cancelled due to the atrocious weather conditions, one member of the group wasn't as easily deterred.

Denis O'Flynn, never one to let a sporting occasion pass without aiming his cameras at it, braved the elements and came away with some images. Check them out below:

Mouse over the image above to see the slide show controls.

See more of Denis's images here.

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter
FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail