Nocturnes

I've spent more years than I care to count standing in the dark, waiting. Night photography in Ireland demands patience and a certain tolerance for cold, damp conditions, but the rewards are remarkable. From the Milky Way arching over the Skellig Islands to the aurora borealis lighting up the Donegal coast, these images represent some of my most memorable nights in the field.

Living in rural West Cork gives me access to genuinely dark skies, which is increasingly rare. Many of these nocturne photographs were made within an hour of home. Others brought me further afield, to the volcanic coastlines of Iceland, the frozen stillness of Svalbard, and the vast ice of Greenland. Each one involved planning, failed attempts, and eventually the right combination of clear skies and luck.

There's something about being out there alone in the dark, waiting for something to happen. These are the photographs that came from that waiting.