The Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Co. Kerry

I nearly missed this one. The flight over Kerry was supposed to be finished, but the pilot agreed to one more pass as the sun dropped towards the Atlantic. I'm glad he did!

It was a September evening and the Reeks looked enormous. The summits were dark, almost black against the last of the light, with cloud spilling over the tops and pouring down into the valleys. I've always been fascinated by the way cloud moves over mountains when the conditions are right. Not drifting, but flowing, filling the gaps between ridges like something with purpose. From a few thousand feet up it's remarkable to watch.

Warm light was breaking through on the right side of the frame while Carrauntoohil and the higher peaks stayed buried in dense grey to the left. The winding road through the valley floor is what gives it scale. Without it, you'd have no real sense of how big the MacGillycuddy's Reeks actually are. With it, the whole scene shifts.

Aerial work is unforgiving. The aircraft is moving, the light is changing, and you get what you get. I was firing frames as fast as I could manage while trying not to drop a lens into someone's field below. Not my most dignified few minutes. But this frame had everything. That dark, brooding quality the range carries in the right conditions, cloud moving with real energy, and just enough warmth to lift the whole thing. Probably my favourite photograph from Kerry.