Slyne Head, Co. Galway

I made this from an Irish Lights helicopter in 2013, during a storm damage survey along the western coast. We were working our way down through Connemara, and Slyne Head was one of the scheduled stops. The pilot held position while engineers assessed structural damage, and I worked fast from an open door. You don't get to ask for a second pass very often!

What strikes me is how violent the sea looks here. Waves piling into those dark jagged rocks with real force, white water visible from hundreds of feet up. And yet by the standards of what this station endures during a proper winter storm, this was a relatively calm day. An ordinary Tuesday for the lighthouse.

The twin towers sit on the only piece of ground with any vegetation. A small patch of green surrounded by a long chain of reef that barely breaks the surface in places. You can see immediately why this was such a critical navigational point. Ships approaching from the west would have had very little warning before they were on top of those rocks. The lighthouse has been saving lives here since 1836.

The overcast light suited the mood. The mountains of Connemara are just visible through the haze, but the real subject is those small white buildings and the ocean that surrounds them. Everything about Slyne Head speaks of exposure and endurance, and from this angle, a perspective very few people will ever have, I think that comes through.