ECCG Shoot at The Custom House, Cork – 10/02/19

Posted on 15/04/2019 by admin

On 10th February, we at East Cork Camera Group were fortunate to gain access to The Custom House, Cork. The Custom House was designed by William Hargrave in 1818 and built at Custom House Street between the North and South Channels of the River Lee. In 1904 it became the headquarters of The Cork Harbour Commissioners, now known as the Port of Cork Company. We visited the ornate boardroom designed by William Price in 1906 and also the Committee Room with its pale cream and
gold wallpaper and delicately patterned ceiling.

The Boardroom and Committee Room house a collection of maritime artwork owned by the Port of Cork Company. We strolled down the quay by the bonded warehouses in the Custom House yard The Warehouses were built by prison labour in 1820 to hold imported goods until duty was paid. The warehouses were built from rubble sandstone with squared and cut limestone. They were built on a trapezoidal plan having canopies to ground floor level. Vaulted stores to ground floor and stone spiral stairs within external semi-circular towers.

Having completed our visit to this landmark building within Cork City we were in time to capture the sunset over the River Lee. A truly memorable experience was had by everyone.

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

- Eileen Upton

ECCG Shoot in Youghal, Co. Cork – 13/01/2019

Posted on 13/04/2019 by admin

On Sunday, 13th January, East Cork Camera Group paid a visit to Youghal. We met at Green Park and divided into groups in order to cover the entire town. The Clock Gate Tower was our first stop and is the most visible landmark in the centre of the town. Although built in 1777 as a gaol, its story spans 700 years of history. It is divided into four floors. Each floor depicts a different era in time and includes a medieval merchant's dwelling, 18th Century Gaol, a "time-keeping floor" and a former family home.

There was a commanding view from the top of the building. The only sound to be heard was the clicking of cameras until the Clock struck "3" and then we descended with the sound of the bells ringing in our ears. An absolutely fascinating place to visit and we could have spent hours there.

Our next stop was St Marys Collegiate Church, nestled under the protective arms of Youghal's Town Walls in the Raleigh Quarter, which can claim to be the oldest church in Ireland with continuous worship since the 13th Century. The trusses of the stunning nave roof have been carbon dated to the late 12th century. There we photographed plaques and effigies and in particular the magnificent stained glass
windows.

One of Ireland's oldest cinemas, the Regal Cinema reopened its doors in 2018 following a year-long renovation. The cinema was built in 1936 and many of its original architectural features have been meticulously restored making a visit a truly nostalgic experience.

We then headed to Youghal Lighthouse which has a unique history beginning in 1190 when a light tower stood on the site of the present tower. The Tower as we know it was built in 1848. Its location is unique in that it is almost in the centre of the town.

We could not leave Youghal without paying a visit to the beach. We all headed down to the front strand to capture the setting sun. As the sun set, we headed for home after a very enjoyable day spent in one of the towns of Ireland's Ancient East.

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

- Eileen Upton

How I Took That Shot – Noel O’Keeffe

Posted on 11/04/2019 by admin

The image above took first place in Grade B for new ECCG member, Noel O'Keeffe in our recent 'Seascape' competition. This is how it came about:

We were on a family trip to Mail Head last year. I took a good few pics around the area.

It was taken on Nikon D7200, using my very used 17-55 lens. Manual, ISO 125 35mm F10 & 1/250 sec.

There was very little post-production done on the image.

- Noel O'Keeffe

How I Took That Shot – Finbarr O’Shea

Posted on 09/04/2019 by admin

The image above, by Finbarr O'Shea LIPF' took first place in Grade A in our recent 'Black and White' competition. This is how he made the shot:

I took my picture at Coumeenoole on the Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry, a location I
visit a few times a year. I think it's best to photograph this beach
when the tide is on its way out at sunset. I converted the file from
colour to b&w with Nik silver efex which is a free download.

My camera settings for the picture were: ISO100, F16, 1 Sec, with a 6 Stop
ND Filter. 16/35 lens at 20mm Focal length, on a full frame camera.

- Finbarr O'Shea

How I Took That Shot – Andrew Corkbeg

Posted on 07/04/2019 by admin

The image above took first place in Grade A in our recent 'Seascape' competition. This is how it was made:

I knew about the sea view printed competition I decided to take a photo that will be both normal photography and my favourite style digital composition.

For the photoshoot organised by ECCG with the theme seascape I invited one of my models. The photoshoot took place in Ballycotton at the time of the sunrise. I got the idea to put a tornado in the background at the same time she doesn't look back just calmly looking into the future hoping for a better time. Then two days later and 20 layers on photoshop and you saw the final result.

- Andrew Corkbeg