This photograph is the triumph of perseverance and optimism in the face of pessimism and the Irish weather!

The Small Skellig is a dramatic rock thrust out of the Atlantic off the coast of Kerry. The smaller sibling to Skellig Michael, featured in the recent Star Wars movies, it's every bit as dramatic, if not more so. During winter storms, the entire island has been known to be overtopped by huge waves.

I'd long wanted to produce a photograph giving some hint of that drama, and found the opportunity on a late summer's day a few years ago. The only way to get the angle I wanted was from a boat, so I needed a willing skipper to take me out on a suitable day - one where most people would be happy to stay home on dry land!

On this day, the fog was thick along the coast and the waves were high enough to make the trip an unpleasant one. My friend was hesitant to go out - he wanted to save me the charter money as he was certain I wouldn't get anything worthwhile out of it. However, on the satellite imagery for the area I saw there were one or two thinner spots of fog scattered about. If one of those coincided with the Small Skellig, I knew it would look incredible. If it didn't, then the trip would be a wasted one!

So much in photography depends on going out in marginal conditions - you'll either come back with something spectacular or you'll come back empty handed. There's rarely a middle ground on those days.

I convinced him to go out, and for most of the journey you couldn't see more than 30 yards in any direction. However, as we got closer to the Small Skellig, the fog began to thin out, and sure enough it ended up being exactly what I hoped - not so clear that the island was just set against a gray background, but exactly thick enough to show the layers of  rock receding into the distance, and emphasise the drama and ruggedness of this incredible rock.

Capturing the image on a small boat while it was pitching and rolling was difficult - especially as I'm prone to sea sickness (despite spending a lot of time on the water for my coastal work)! It's made all the worse when the camera decides to have a tantrum and refuses to work properly at the critical moment! However, between my friend's expert boat handling and my loud curses at the camera, and suppression of my rebellious stomach while I carefully framed and exposed the image, I was able to achieve my goal and I couldn't be happier with this image.

My own copy hanging on my wall at home brings me a lot of joy and I know yours will too!

The Black Valley is not a million miles from the bustling town of Killarney. However, due to the geography of the area, it's one of the more remote parts of Ireland, surrounded by craggy mountains on all sides.
This house is located at the very heart of the valley and couldn't present a more Irish scene if it tried. A classic view of the valley, it epitomises wild Ireland for me.

Inch Beach is beloved of anyone who's holidayed there - and indeed many families return year after year.
I've long wanted a photograph of it, but it had always eluded me until this one. I chose an elevated viewpoint so you can see the shape of the beach itself and the matching shapes of the waves as they advance in from Dingle Bay.
In a large print, you can see individual surfers in the water, as well as people enjoying their time on the beach on this early Spring day.

Skellig Michael (Sceilig Mhichíl) is one of the jewels of Ireland's landscape and heritage. Seen here from a helicopter, the Small Skellig and Lemon Rock are also visible. Puffin Island, Valentia and Portmagee are all visible in the distance.
A double-pyramid of rock soaring up from the surface of the Atlantic, it houses two lighthouses (one decommissioned), a 6th century monastery and a hermitage from the same era.

Rossbeigh Beach on a fine spring day

The Conor Pass is the highest mountain pass in Ireland and offers the most dramatic way to enter the western part of the Dingle peninsula.
On the eastern side, an incredible narrow and winding road clings to the cliff face making it interesting for the unwary when meeting traffic coming the other way!
Once at the top of the pass, the views are quite literally breathtaking. This image was made as the sun was rising on a Summer's morning. Brandon Mountain (Cnoc Bréanainn) shows off its rugged eastern face across the Owenmore (An Abha Mhór) valley. The lakes visible are, from left to right, An Loch Geal, Loch Uí Fiannachta and Loch Neil Phádraig. Loch Cruite is just visible nestling at the base of the mountain. Brandon Bay can be seen in the right of frame in the distance.
It's from Brandon Creek on the western side of the mountain that St. Brendan is said to have begun his legendary voyage to America around the year 512 AD.

The famous Skellig islands, Skellig Michael (on the left) and the Small Skellig are seen on a calm evening near the Vernal Equinox at sunset.

Ross Castle is one of Killarney's most popular tourist attractions. Probably built around the 15th century, it was restored in 1979 and is open to the public.
Seen here from Rien Pier by the Workmen's Rowing Club boathouse on a fine summer's morning, it's easy to see why it's such a popular place to visit.