Week 4 on the Lough... Saturday 21 January 2012

Several years ago I took a fantastic picture of Carlingford Lough from a local amenity area called the Flagstaff (apparently they used to fly flags from this part of the mountain to guide ships and boats up the Newry/Clanrye River and into the Newry Ship Canal). The photograph was successful because I was in the right place... at the right time... This was not achieved through planning - but through luck. It remains one of my favourite photos with a dreamy quality and some fantastic lens flare that adds to the soft warm glow of an early morning sunrise:

Sunrise over Carlingford Lough from Flagstaff

Sunrise over Carlingford Lough from Flagstaff (2)

The photographs were taken with my Pentax K100D Super and the standard Pentax’s 18-55mm f3.5/5.6 AL not filters nor post processing were required - It was a FLUKE - Despite several attempts to re-shoot the location with my new equipment to achieve better results - I've never managed to do so. My plan for today was to get to the Flagstaff and wait for the sun....

I arrived around 8am and set up my tripod where I could capture this wonderful vista. Once again I waited.... and waited.... and waited.... A thick blanket of cloud filled the sky with a milky bland wash with only occasional glints of interest. Despite sitting in temperatures below zero with strong cold cross winds for about two hours I could only salvage two or three shots. While they didn't match my originals they have their own appeal and character... I sense that you can see the more hostile weather in these photographs which is why I've kept them.

Excuse me while I kiss the sky.... Golden haze over Carlingford Lough

Break on through... The sun fights to break through thick cloud on the Lough

The wonderful warm lens flare from the original Pentax K100D photos have been replaced by a more harsh green flare - characteristic of the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC Macro. Like many previous occasions I left the hillside slightly disappointed.

As I neared home I decided to stop at one of my other photographic locations to see if there was any possibility of a decent picture. I grabbed a few of Narrow Water Castle from the pier at Ferry Hill which I was pleased with... and finally before I got in the car to go home and grab my lunch I grabbed a few frames of an old corrugated iron hut on a promontory in the river - I'm not sure what the function of the building is but it's location and bright red colour definitely attracted my attention.

Narrow Water Castle from Ferry Hill

Lord there's a red house over yonder