Hore Abbey
Hey...I didn't name it!
Located near the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, surreal place, shot a long exposure + HDR.
...
Read more
Hey...I didn't name it!
Located near the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, surreal place, shot a long exposure + HDR.
Read less
Located near the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, surreal place, shot a long exposure + HDR.
Read less
Mar, 2016Views
216
Likes
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Superior Skill
All Star
Top Ranks
Top 20 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Located in a farmer's field - complete with wandering cows - this monastery I've photographed is located in Co. Tipperary, Munster province, Republic of Ireland. These ancient (circa 1266) ruins are lesser known and only a short hike away from the popular Rock of Cashel. The building in this photo is known as 'An Mhainistir Liath' in Gaelic and 'Hore Abbey' in English. This place is amazingly beautiful, peaceful and incredible to walk through if you have a love of history, ancient architecture, or just enjoy old ruins.Time
I made this trip to Ireland (my ancestor's homeland) on a whim! It was June of 2011 and I had just been laid off from my job. I needed a break, work had been stressful to the very end, and being laid off was somewhat of a relief. I came home on my last day and sat down in front of the computer thinking about what to do next when I had this crazy thought...I should go to Ireland...so I did! I didn't give myself any time to second guess my idea, and booked the trip online. Two days later, i was stepping off a plane onto Irish soil. At 3:30 in the afternoon on a Thursday, during a typical Irish cloudy/sunny/rainy/clear day, I found myself all alone inside this fantastic location for roughly two hours. I had the entire run of the place as it is quite literally out in the middle of a field, and as such I was able to take time and experiment with some long exposure techniques that I had read about but never had the opportunity to try out!Lighting
I have always been amazed by dreamy long exposure shots and read so much about them, how to do them, the best time to attempt to shoot them, and all that information based on the appropriate lighting. Well, all that went out the window and I got lucky. I wish I could say I planned out every minute of the exposure I made, and that I used a light meter, and some application like 'The Photographer's Ephemeris' but...I can't, it truly was luck, with a bit of knowledge and some experimentation! I mean I wasn't going to shoot into direct sunlight or anything, so of course I was paying attention to sun position, shadows and the like, but, the major player in the lighting this day was the weather. Irish weather changes almost minute to minute. One second its bright and sunny, the next its a sudden downpour of rain from seemingly out of nowhere. Your lighting situation in Ireland can change drastically every few moments so really, you need to be prepared for just about any condition, sunny, cloudy, dark, bright. Have an idea in mind of the type of image you want to capture, and if you can, pre-plan by looking at previous weather patterns for the times you are thinking of shooting. I have a tendency to lean towards a darker style of photo rather than bright sunlit ones, so in this case, when the wind picked up, the clouds began to roll over and the sky darkened, that was my moment to photograph this long exposure.Equipment
I had some pretty basic equipment back in 2011 as I was just beginning to get serious in my photographic journey. When I look at that photo now, I think...ah man, if only I'd had 'this' or 'that' would have been so much better if I had 'that' at the time, and when I go back to Ireland again, you better believe I will be taking 'this' and 'that'! I've upgraded since then, and am much better prepared both in equipment and knowledge! On that day I was shooting with a Nikon D80 crop frame (APS-C) body with a Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 lens set at 11mm at f/18, ISO 100 for a 30 second exposure. The camera was on manual and i was using Matrix metering. I was using a remote shutter release as well. On the front of the lens I had a B+W F-Pro 10 stop ND filter. I had the camera mounted on a Manfroto 055XPROB tripod with a Manfroto 488RC2 ball head and quick release plate. Its a heavy tripod, but its darn sturdy and has lasted through salt water, snow, river water, you name it, its been there! One day I'll get a Really Right Stuff pod and head, but until then...this Manfroto is serving me well.Inspiration
I am always in awe of photographers who make those serene, moving, and incredible shots of silky waterfalls, streaming clouds and oceans that appear to be either not moving at all, or have waves that have turned into a fog. I always wondered how those photographs had been taken, the tricks to how it was done, and I always wanted to attempt my own and create my own art with a theme that I found pleasing. I had never used that ND filter before I went to Ireland, but I took it with me just in case, I had thought at some point I'd be by the Atlantic ocean, in an ancient land, it all seemed so magical. Then as I began travelling around I began to see so many other opportunites to try that filter, so with visions of so many skilled photographer's photos running through my mind, I was determined to come back home to my country with at the very least one shot that I could be proud of.Editing
For the vision I had in my mind, and the way I wanted to remember this location, I knew there were a few things I wanted to change in post-processing. The only problem was (and still is in many ways)...I'm limited in my post-processing knowledge!! My best friend for that information has always been You Tube. Hello You Tube, how do I darken an over exposed area? How do I sharpen this or that and not make it look over sharpened? How do I learn post-processing!!?? Then of course I would view videos of those whom I admire... Scott Kelby, Trey Ratcliff, Joe McNally, Manny Librodo and so many others. The main things I ended up changing in this photo were, of course, the colour to black and white conversion, tweaking it in Silver Efex Pro, I did a lens correction, fixing the vertical and horizontal perspectives as well as leveling out the base. I did an overall sharpening with a technique I picked up from Manny Librodo that he generally uses for portraits, but I've found so many uses for it elsewhere as well! Thanks Manny! :-) Once the perspectives were corrected I did a slight crop to balance the entire image out and a little tonal adjustment as well for a little extra pop.In my camera bag
My camera bag used to weigh a ton. I would carry everything 'cause I just didn't know when I would need what. I'd have two bodies, a zoom lens, a portrait lens, a short fixed lens, extra batteries, extra memory cards, etc etc etc.... then my back started complaining especially the further I walked/climbed or crawled. I've since learned that while its great to have all those things, you really really don't need them all at once! Now, I carry a much lighter pack. I carry a Nikon D3 with a Nikkor 24-70 f2.8 lens attached to it. If I am going to be doing portraits, I will also place my Nikkor 105 f/2.8VR lens in the bag...most amazing lens I've ever used for portraits!! The 24-70 is a fantastic, amazing SHARP lens. Its perfect as a walkaround lens once you get used to it. I love it and now I have a tough time going between the 105 and the 24-70, they are both freaking amazing. I shoot primarily natural light photographs thanks in a major way to one of my favourite photographers...Manny Librodo. He is an incredible artist and can find light in a pitch black room and I'm not even exaggerating! As a result I rarely ever carry a flash. On occasion when I have to I will pop one in there, but I'm not a fan. I've been very lucky over the years to be able to play with and experiment with many different pieces of equipment, and I have found that yes, while there may be a higher price tag on higher end gear, it does truly make a difference. I am a firm believer in quality, and as such I am very pleased with my Nikon gear. Just my opinion of course, Canon is great as well. The best piece of equipment however, is the person who stands behind the glass. In the end it doesn't matter as much what you have in the bag as long as you have the knowledge on how to work the light.Feedback
Patience, practice, don't be in a rush. Remember you are doing this photography thing for a reason...you love it, so enjoy it. Take a deep breath, imagine what you want to capture, or just raise that little window to your eye and let go. Use the 'photographic force' :-) I've found just being in the moment, not worrying too much about all the technical details, and shooting by 'feel' seems to work best for me. To capture something along the lines of the photo I lucked into, look for a nice stormy day, one where the clouds are really moving through the sky. Learn how to work and/or stack ND filters on your lens. Learn your exposure times and F-stops and what they do. Shoot at the lowest ISO possible. Don't hurry through the shot. Use a sturdy tripod that won't move for 30 seconds or 3 minutes! Invest in a shutter release so you don't have to touch the camera at all. Cover the eyepiece to avoid any stray light entering your exposure. Most of all, go out there, explore and enjoy the world through and outside the lens.
