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

Youghal Queen of the Seas – 15/07/2018

Posted on 11/08/2018 by admin

On Sunday 15th July, the Youghal Queen of the Sea festival concluded with a spectacular fireworks display. The suggested viewpoint for photography was Ferrypoint in Co. Waterford with a panoramic view across the Blackwater River towards the town of Youghal. Walking around the shore at Ferrypoint provided views of the quays, the Clock Gate Tower overlooking the buildings, to Youghal Lighthouse, Capel Island and Knockadoon Head further south beyond Youghal Bay.

On arrival at Ferrypoint, they were plenty of people camped out with the Bee Gees Tribute band playing across the river and enjoying the fine evening. Before the main event, there was ample opportunity to set up the camera and make a few trial images. As darkness approached, beautiful reflections appeared in the channel to add to the scene. A good crowd gathered in anticipation of the fireworks including a group celebrating a birthday.

On conclusion of all the Bee Gees hits, the fireworks burst into the sky. There was plenty of variety in the bursts which gave me ample opportunity to test the Fireworks mode in the camera. With the backdrop of Youghal town, the spectators appreciated the show, although one baby did not share the same enthusiasm. The last few fireworks were fired high in the sky above us to bring the festival to an end - with a bang...

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

- Paul Stack

Youghal Fireworks – 09/07/2016

Posted on 22/07/2016 by admin

Firstly, thanks to Noelle for sending out a group text to the club members telling us about the fireworks.

Having never tried to take photos of fireworks before, I did a quiet Google for some tips. As with most things on the internet there are loads of different and sometimes conflicting opinions!

These are what I took from them and it worked for me.

Tripod
Wide Angle Zoom Lens (I used a 17-55mm APS-C)
Shot in Bulb mode
Aperture f/8
ISO 400 (I also tried ISO100 for longer exposures)

I picked the end of Ferry point to try and get Youghal town in the background, to add some depth to the photo and add some local interest. It also offered a wide view of the river as the fireworks were launched from a boat that was moving with the tide.

Shooting a moving target in the dark can be tricky but I’d prefocused the camera manually and because it was ~100m away at f/8 it would stay in focus. Good old Hyperfocal distance.

So with my tripod setup, camera ready and test shot taken, I waited for the fireworks to start…

… 45 mins later than planned, the ABBA tribute band (who sounded very good, even across the water) finally finished with Dancing Queen and we were off.

The extra 45 mins was a blessing as the sky went from twilight to night giving much more contrast to the fireworks.

The bulb mode worked well with the remote cable as I could watch the fireworks directly and just press and release as needed. I found multiple fireworks were too bright because the latter ones would illuminate the smoke from the first ones.

After checking the first few shots, I found 2 - 3 seconds would catch the launch and explosion without being too bright or losing detail.
This is where the remote cable is great. After the first few you get an idea of when to press it and then release, each firework is different.

The main trick is to keep shooting, you’ve no idea will the next firework be a huge dramatic explosion or several launched at once.

It was a very enjoyable spectacle, and thanks to the organisers of The Queen of the Sea festival for putting it on.

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

- Zane Llewellyn

Sunrise at Front Strand, Youghal – 23/01/2016

Posted on 24/01/2016 by admin

Sunrise YLFS FOS-4

With weather forecasts giving hope of a clear window in the midst of seemingly endless overcast and wet conditions, we struck for the front strand in Youghal on Saturday morning, 23/1/16, in search of the sunrise which was due at 8.25am.

With the tide running out fast, the sky in the east was indeed reasonably clear and yielded some great colour as sunrise approached. The groins played their part as usual providing the classic leading lines while the surf and rocks added to the scene.

The post mortem, over a welcome hot coffee, revealed a successful shoot with the hope that what appeared promising on the backs of the cameras would transfer intact to the bigger screens later in the morning.

You can see the results of the shoot here in the gallery. Enjoy!

If you have an interest in photography and would like to find out more about East Cork Camera Group, click the 'Contact Us' link above and leave us a message.

Sunrise at Pilmore – 10/01/2016

Posted on 10/01/2016 by admin

Sunrise Pilmore 10-01-16 F OShea-1

Following the last-minute cancellation of Lisgoold Point to Point due to the recent adverse weather, a sunrise shoot was hastily organised for 10th January at Pilmore beach near Youghal in east Cork.

With the recent monsoon season finally abated, the morning was crisp after a good overnight frost. We gathered at our destination shortly after 8am hoping for some decent sky colour around the 8.40am sunrise. High tide had been at around 5am and was running out fast which is not ideal around the multitude of timber groins that litter the beach and make for interesting features and leading lines.

Clouds filled the horizon as sunrise approached leaving just a hint of a warm glow as the sun struggled to peek through. With the tide well out, our time for shooting was over by 9.30am and, as the group photograph above was being taken, the sun finally burst through bathing the beach with a welcome warmth that immediately began to thaw the chill. A hot coffee afterwards in Youghal completed the thaw as we contemplated our next move against the conspiring elements.

Click here for a gallery of images from the shoot. Enjoy!

If you have an interest in photography and would like to find out more about East Cork Camera Group, click the 'Contact Us' link and leave us a message.