Tall Ships 2011 – Waterford.

Philippe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:06:12 +0000

What a day i had,

A perfect day, sunny weather, about fifty tall ships, a camera, and a boat to go from one ship to the other in order to get the best shots possible.

this is only a quick preview of some of the pictures i captured on the day, but it will probably take me a few days to go through them all.

These boats are majestic , they are like nothing else we build today , and i hope that the pictures will convey that impression.

Soon enough the best of those pictures will be available for purchase as frame prints from the website or the gallery.

A big thank you to Paul and the lads for a great day out, and making it possible for me to take these shots from the best seat in the house.

Cheers.

Fabulous Doolin:

Philippe — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:24:10 +0000

There is no question about it, Doolin is a special place.

it is slowly becoming a favourite of mine as a good photography spot. So , the other day, after shooting for about an hour at the top of the cliffs of Moher, i headed for Doolin, where i spent a while on the edge of another cliff in a magical spot.

the great outdoors:

Philippe — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:15:14 +0000

i was dying to get out with my gear, and try to get a few nice shots.
I am lucky to live in the surroundings of the great cliffs of Moher,

At 170 metres, they are definitively an impressive spot, and it has always been a bit dauting for me to confront the cliffs and try to take a decent picture of it. ( and i don’t even mention my fear of heights…)
so here it is. Soon available for purchase in the Gallery.

Website Launch,

Philippe — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:10:04 +0000

Here it is! the new website is launched!

I have been working on it for a few weeks, it is now almost ready, and its main portfolios will be in place within the next couple of days.

My aim is to have on the website, the same pictures that you could see during a visit to our gallery in lahinch, this will alow customers to review and pick pictures they liked or discover new ones.

It will take about a week before I have all the tools (like online shopping) in place, so please bare with me…

In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact me by email if you have any inquiry at info.westcoastphoto@gmail.com .

The story behind the picture,

Philippe — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:12:10 +0000

This will be a new feature, every so often, i’ll pick a picture and write a few words about how, why where, and when a picture was taken.

I’ll also try to explain why the picture has a special place in my collection.

Today i’ll talk about a picture that i took in 2009, in Kilshanny, county Clare. I call it ‘Familly Portrait’.

That day i had just got delivery of a brand new canon DSLR , the EOS 450D.

With 12.5 megapixels, it is a good little camera, it was fitted with canons 18/55 mm lens, wich is the standard lens on that camera.

Looking for something to take a picture of, i spotted the horses in the field, at the back of my garden. It was literally a case of point and shoot (it sometimes work), no tricks involved , no extra gear. the light was just right, and the horses even looked like they were posing for me, that ‘s why i call it ‘familly portrait’.

About a month later, a competition held by the ‘Photoplus’ magasine UK edition, seemed like a great oportunity to see what other people would think about it. I was very surprised to see that it got selected and published as the monthly winner.

My Camera,

Philippe — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:03:47 +0000

I currently use a Canon 5D mk II…………

Why using a tripod?

Philippe — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 14:59:04 +0000

A tripod is an essential piece of kit for any Landscape or nature Photographer.

Firstly, it allows you to set up and compose your shot in advance. It gives you the time to look at every element of your picture, and make sure there is no unwanted element in the frame.

It allows you to make sur your main elements are in focus, and that your compiosition is right.

It also lets you wait for the right light, you might be in the right spot, have the camera, and composition spot on, but light can make an average picture into something with the “wouah!” factor, the tripod lets you wait for that without disturbing your setup.

Secondly, it allows for long exposures to remain sharp , avoiding any movement of the camera during the shooting process.

Finally, using a tripod makes you a different photographer, it makes you work at a different pace, stops you from jumping from one frame to the other, forces you to think your photograph through, it brings you closer to the artist in front of the blank canvas.

I personally own and use two tripods:

A heavy-duty one with sturdy legs, great for shooting in the middle of a river , or on windy days. But it is very heavy , and is not really suitable when a lot of hiking or travelling is involved.

That’s why i also have a lighter one , not as sturdy but much lighter, i can fix it to my camera bag, or fit it in a suitcase when necessary.

Both of them are fitted with a quick removable plate at the top, allowing for your camera to be quickly fixed and removed. They also have built-in bubble levels to help you get your horizon straight.

Photos to follow soon….

What gear do i use?

Philippe — Sun, 29 May 2011 11:59:54 +0000

A question often asked, as sometimes we can feel that it can be difficult to get great pictures with an everyday compact camera.

There is no secrets or magic formula though. Good gear can help , of course, but what matters is what you do with it.

Here is what i carry in my camera bag :

Camera body : Canon 5D mk II
with over 21 megapixels, it is a great camera , and will allow for photographs to be printed very big if necessary.

Lenses: Your camera is only ever as good as the lens you put on it .
Canon 17/ 40 mm L lens – a great wide angle lens that will allow for impressive vistas.
Canon 24 / 105 mm is L lens – a very sharp multi – purpose lens with built in anti-vibration mecanism.
Canon 70 / 200 mm F4 L lens – a very sharp zoom lens ( soon to be replaced by a canon 100 / 400 mm L lens for better reach on a full frame camera)

Remote shutter release – for vibrations free shots

Filters: A set of Cokin and Lee filters , Neutral density, graduated neutral density, polariser and uv filters ( more about filters in a specific post soon)

Tripods : i have two SLIK tripods , one heavy duty , very good in windy conditions or when standing in water but cumbersome . and a lighter version great when you travel.

1910 Kodak Jr

What can we find in the Gallery?

Philippe — Sat, 28 May 2011 16:40:20 +0000

On display in the gallery a wide range of landscape photography from Ireland .

A good number of photographs from the picturesque conemara, alongside shots taken in kinvara,

county Galway, and all over county Clare, from Ballyvaughan to Loop Head.

All prints are available mounted or framed.

All mounts, frames and prints are made in Ireland using the best quality mounts, papers,inks, and frames moulds.

The Gallery : opening day.

Philippe — Sat, 28 May 2011 16:08:48 +0000

The west coast gallery’s opening day went really well.

I had a good few visitors, and they all seemed to like the pictures and the simple layout of the gallery.
Of course, it is only the first day, and i can’t even say that everything was ready for it!

I am still waiting for business cards, flyers, and outdoor display signs and banners, in order to let people know about the gallery.

But things will fall into place.

At almost 40 i have finally realised a lifelong dream : setting up my own photography gallery…

the most difficult remains to be done : making it work!