Ireland

On December 21, 2010 there was a total lunar eclipse which was visible from Ireland as the moon was setting just before sunrise.
That December was a brutally cold one in Ireland with virtually the entire country covered in snow - a rare occurrence. Braving the -15 degree (centigrade) temperatures I made this exposure from the driveway of our house. It pays to live in an area of natural beauty!

In it, the eclipse is nearing totality with only a small sliver of the moon in sunlight. The rest is a red colour as it has passed into the shadow of the earth.

The Upper Lake, one of the famous Lakes of Killarney, is probably the most scenic. This is a classic view, looking out over the Macgillycuddy's Reeks from a location used by the lake's boatmen to tie up at the end of the day. Snow rests on the mountains on a fresh winter's day.

The Black Valley is one of the most isolated places in Ireland. Surrounded on all sides by Ireland's tallest mountains, it's a place of serene beauty - and never more so than after a snowfall.
This image of Cummeenduff Lough looks west to the peak of Broaghnabinne (Bruach na Binne), an outlier of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks.

An aerial view of the Owenroe River flowing towards the Macgillycuddy's Reeks and the Bridia Valley.

An aerial view of Croagh Patrick with Clare Island in the distance. Snow dusts the peak.

In Ireland, we don't normally get snowy winters - if there is a fall, it usually melts within the day. These last two years (2009 and 2010) have seen an unusually high snowfall coupled with unusually low temperatures which allow it to stick around for a while.
While many around the country curse after a few days of snow, I love it. Despite the inconvenience, what it does to the landscape is truly wonderful. On this morning, just about two weeks after the birth of my son, I was able to sneak away for a dawn shoot after the second major snowfall of the year (the first being around the time Liam was born - so no photography for me then!).
This was a fine morning - almost too fine for photography. The cloud on the left of this image vanished entirely shortly afterwards leaving clear blue skies and rather flat light. Here I've used the shadow of the mountain behind me to create some interesting geometric divisions in the image, and the wonderful dawn light turns the snow a vibrant orange-yellow.
Below is a short time lapse showing the processing of this image for those with an interest.

A night view of the Gap of Dunloe, illuminated by moonlight. Snow sits on the mountains as the winter weather of 2010 retreats at last

The Upper Lake, one of the famous Lakes of Killarney, is probably the most scenic. This is a classic view, looking out over the Macgillycuddy's Reeks from a location used by the lake's boatmen to tie up at the end of the day. Snow rests on the mountains on a fresh winter's day.

Seen from Lough Acoose in Glencar, the snow-covered Macgillycuddy's Reeks rise up to the stars.

Lough Leane is the largest of the famed Lakes of Killarney. Seen here on a snowy winter's morning, the Purple Mountain group (Shehy, Tomies and Purple Mountain itself) appear out of the fog above the mirror-like lake.