Monthly Archives: June 2016

Scavenger Hunt – 21/06/2016

Scavenger Hunt 2016 -1

On the longest day of the year, we turned out on yet another balmy summer evening, outside the courthouse in Midleton for the third annual ECCG Scavenger Hunt.

With five teams of three created, the LearnPhoto365 App randomly generated the themes for the shoot which were: Short, Artistic and Faithful. Following the obligatory group photo and with the Pike Man pointing the way, it was off around the town at 7pm to harvest the images.

At 8.30pm the teams were back in the Midleton Park Hotel and with the images selected and uploaded, the competition was on. After two viewings, points were awarded and the results accumulated as follows:

Scavenger Hunt 2016 -6

In third place were: Group A comprising Cliona Murphy, Kevin Day and Eoin Murphy

Scavenger Hunt 2016 -5

In second place were: Group C comprising Jim O’Neill, Trevor O’Connell and Proinsias O’Tuama.

Scavenger Hunt 2016 -4

And the Winners were: Group E comprising Eileen Upton, Keith Johnson and Fidelma Read.

Scavenger Hunt 2016 Cake

The winners (and everyone else) received a beautiful ECCG-themed cake created by Days Eurospar, Whitegate for their efforts. Well done everyone!

Click here to see a full gallery of images from the shoot. Enjoy!

 

Cork Harbour and the “Morgenster”

Cork Harbour EUpton-11

The arrival of the Dutch Tall Ship, the “Morgenster”, to Cork on 9th June as part of the Ocean to Sea – Cork Harbour Festival was a photo opportunity not to be missed by our members.

Cork Harbour Jim Curtin-5The “Morgenster”  is a brig,  a two masted,  filly square rigged sailing ship. Her rigging is based on the American clippers from the Eighteenth Century. She is a stunning and elegant ship and has been sailing as a clipperbrik since 2008 when her restoration was finished. Its mission is to preserve a historical heritage of seafaring and to help further develop all persons on board. During Tall Ship races she can always be found in the leading group and is always a feared competitor. Her rigging is said to be dated to 1840. As a training ship she is allowed to sail around the world with up to 36 trainees and a crew of 10. Her young apprentices take sail training voyages supported by the Cork Sail Training  Bursary Scheme.

Spec:
Shipping type – Brig
Built in 1919 and restored in 2008
Crew  6 – 10
Length: 48m, Beam: 6.64m, Draught: 2.40m, Sail: 600 m2, Mast Height: 29m, Engine Capacity: 430hp, Speed under sail: 12 knots, Speed under engine: 9 knots.

Cork Harbour Kevin Day-3

We photographed the ship while it was docked on Albert  Quay, when  passing  Blackrock Castle on her way to Cobh and also on the Quayside in Cobh.

In order to capture photos of her from a  different angle Kevin kindly volunteered his services and that of his boat for members who wanted to try out their sea legs. With Kevin as Captain and Fergus as First Mate, only two crew members, Finbarr and I, jumped aboard in Cobh  at 5pm and our adventure began.

We managed to capture some great shots of the ship with Cobh as a backdrop before we sped off up the Harbour for a quick salute to Haulbowline before we headed off on our mystery tour.

Cork Harbour EUpton-13We passed by the Irish Lights vessel, ILV Granuaile, anchored securely in the Harbour. She stood majestically above us as we ventured close to her. Her size would have been no match for us had she decided to move!!

We then passed beside the iconic Spitbank Lighthouse located to the south of Cobh set at the end of the long mud bank, marking a 90 degree turn in the shipping channel. It marks the boundary of compulsory pilotage for large vessels entering the Port of Cork. Its peculiar form and design make it a striking addition to our maritime heritage as it differs from the more traditional stone built lighthouses along the coast. The Platform was designed by Alexander
Mitchell, inspired by the domestic Cork Harbour Fergus Kenneally-7corkscrew  –   a cast iron support system that enabled construction in deep water on mud and sandbanks. The Lighthouse itself was designed by George Halpin and was first lit in 1853 and remains a working light to this day. It has a focal plane of  10 metres and white and red lenses depending on direction of approach.

Cork Harbour Kevin Day2-11It was then time for Finbarr and me to hold on as Kevin turned up the throttle and we sped in the direction of Crosshaven. We passed beneath Camden Fort Meagher looking out protectively across the Harbour. We then slowed again as we were now entering into the Owenabue Estuary and the Sunday daytrippers were out in their boats. Crosshaven is home to The Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest Yacht Club in the world. We  cruised by the magnificent yachts, standing stately on the still waters. We went up the estuary towards Curabinny Wood and then turned back again. The day was very overcast and unfortunately the sky was not lending itself to showing any colour at all. It would definitely be a place to revisit with a blue sky overhead.

Cork Harbour FOShea-1We then decided to head for East Ferry. White knuckled, Finbarr and I held on as we sped  off. As we neared East Ferry, looking east across the Owenacurra River to the mainland we could see the Bell Tower of the Holy Trinity Church. It was built in 1867 of red brick and limestone banding and its Bell Tower stands 75ft high. We slowed as we neared the church sitting at the foot of a wooded hill. This was a rare opportunity to photograph this church in such a tranquil setting. Only the noise of the cameras clicking could be heard over the peace and quiet of the birds singing in the evening.

Leaving the Marlogue Woods on the south east edge of the Great Island behind us we decided that it was time to head for home as the evening was not going to lend itself to a sunset shoot this time so, with Fergus at the wheel, we headed back for Cobh just before the rain started.  A great day was had by all despite the grey skies and some beautiful photographs were taken.  A special thanks to Kevin for giving of his time and providing his boat for the evening.

Click here to see a full gallery of images from the shoot. Enjoy!

 – Eileen Upton

 

The Emerald Isle Explorer – 18/06/2016

Emerald Isle Explorer FOShea-2

sd_posterIt was with a sense of excitement that we heard during the week that a Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, steam-hauled train would visit Cork City on Friday and Saturday as part of a six-day private charter tour, The Emerald Isle Explorer.

Saturday 18th June promised be the best day to view and photograph the train in the Cork area as the locomotive, WT Class 2-6-4T No.4 Tank Engine, would haul the 09.35hrs train from Kent station to Killarney. She would run, boiler first, to Mallow where, after taking on water, would proceed bunker first to Killarney. A recce of prospective vantage points was hurriedly done on Friday in preparation for the run for which the weather forecast was looking very favourable.

Emerald Isle Explorer DB-2By 8.30am on Saturday, the locomotive was already well in preparation for the run as it sat, puffing silently, alongside two modern siblings in the sidings of Kent station. The coaches were also in preparation with staff attending to the final details.

Shortly after 9am, a diesel shunted the coaches into position alongside the mainline platform in the station while the locomotive ran around the outside of the station building, into the tunnel and reversed back to be coupled to them. Right on time and to the accompaniment of huge volumes of steam, smoke and a loud whistle, the train departed into the tunnel leaving many wide eyed children (and adults) behind who were only too glad to have caught a glimpse of times gone by.

Emerald Isle Explorer DB-20

See a gallery of images from the shoot here. Enjoy!

 

How I Took that Shot – Keith Johnson

Keith Johnson came first in Grade B in our recent ‘Transport’ competition with the image of the Sunbeam shipwreck below. This is how he made it:

15 keith johnson - Transport - Sunbeam

This was a shot I took in early 2013, some of you will know where it was taken but for those who do not it is a picture of the schooner, Sunbeam, which was wrecked on Rossbeigh Beach, Glenbeigh, Co. Kerry, I think in January 1904 when it was driven ashore in a gale off the Kerry Coast while on its way from Kinvara to Cork. Luckily no lives were lost, and it has lain on the beach ever since .

Anybody who walked the beach would have taken a picture of it in all conditions, sometimes covered with sand it would disappear for weeks at a time and the next high tide it would reappear, another time it would be completely empty of sand and you could get pictures of it at all times with the tide in or out .

I guess it is sadly missed by most people who walked the beach regularly, because in a January 2014 storm it was broken up and displaced from its resting place although it lay on the beach after the storm and the powers that be had the opportunity to salvage most of the Oak timbers and preserve them but unfortunately did not think it was worth it.

For a schooner built in 1860 in Exmouth Devon UK by John Walters from local oak timbers as a sailing coaster, it would have carried around 80 tonnes.It was sold and reregistered in Dublin in 1874.

It is a sad ending as it had always been a photogenic attraction for many photographers over the years.

– Keith Johnson

See also:
How I took that Shot – Finbarr O’Shea
How I took that Shot – Karina Leeson
Competition Gallery
Competition Results and 2016 League Table

How I Took that Shot – Finbarr O’Shea

Recording his second win in a row, recent LIPF awardee, Finbarr O’Shea took first place in Grade A in our recent ‘Transport’ competition. This is how he did it:

I recently took a spin to Cobh train station with this picture in mind for our transport compitition.

After setting up the camera I took a few test shots and decided a 3 second exposure would do the job. The train was an important part of the competition but I also wanted to feature the nice ironwork on the stations canopy.

With the camera locked in position, I just had to wait a few minutes for the train to arrive to take the shot.

Later in Lightroom I had to do a bit of work on the image that I picked, this was mainly to balance the light which I ddid with the dodge & burn tool.

I used a Canon 5DII 16-35L canon lens ISO100, F10, 3 Seconds.

– Finbarr O’Shea

See also:
How I took that Shot – Keith Johnson
How I took that Shot – Karina Leeson
Competition Gallery
Competition Results and 2016 League Table