Photo of the month: January 2025
As an incentive to keep getting out into the landscape I had planned this year to do a ‘photo of the month’ blog, telling the story of my favourite photos. So here I am, March already, just getting started. Ah well, better late than never.
The weather, as ever, has been a little upside down. January and February are supposed to be Winter months, while March heralds the start of Spring. Yet early March has proved much colder than most of our Winter.
The first contender for photo of the month was made on January 8th, on the beautiful strand at Portstewart, about six miles from our home. I had simply gone down to the coast for a walk, but the position of the winter sun and of the tide were just perfect for photographing the famous warning sign.
Sony A7RV, 24-70 at 68mm, f16, .5 sec, ISO 100, tripod and using a 3 stop ND filter to slow the shutter speed.
As the sign is at the steps leading to the cliff path, it was fun trying to time the photo to capture the wave movement, part of the reflection, the sun’s emergence from behind clouds while at the same time avoiding the many walkers who were on the strand that day. I was happy with the result, especially as it is one of our local icons, which will always remind Heather and me of long strolls together on the strand - and an occasional ice cream (for the grandkids, of course!)
One of the great things about coastal photography is that conditions are always changing. And so it was that later in January I witnessed the strand at its most serene.
Sony A7R5, 24-70, 24mm, f16, .8sec, ISO 80, tripod using 3 stop ND filter.
This is the first time I have seen lenticular clouds over the coast. The only thing that reminded me it wasn’t summer was the temperature! (Note the empty beach!) And of course the position of the sun. I slowed down the shutter speed to capture some of the wave action, standing far enough from the water’s edge to include cloud reflections amongst the ripples in the sand that this beach is famous for. And of course I wanted to include Mussenden Temple as a feature in the composition.
Sony A7RV, 24-70, 24mm, f11, ¼ sec, ISO 100, tripod, 3 stop ND
As usual I made more photos than I really needed! Perhaps it is that there is something very satisfying about pressing the shutter. This particular photo is really all about the lenticular clouds, which at this point were beginning to merge before disappearing. I loved the way one stretched across the horizon so decided it would look best in a panoramic format.
Normally either of the first two photos would have made it to number one for the month. Except that on one glorious day we had snow.
It depends, of course, on how you like snow. I love it for landscape photography. It simplifies everything, covering a multitude of sins. When it snows, which it rarely does here, I try my best to get out with the camera.
It so happened that the snow’s brief visit coincided with our weekly opportunity to look after grandchildren, so we set out earlier than usual to give time to explore some of the country roads in North Antrim along the way.
Sony A7RV, 24-70, 24mm, f11, 1/80 sec, ISO 400, handheld.
I love tree-lined roads, They remind me of the grandkids, who would always shout “tree tunnel” when they came across a scene like this. I also love the way beech leaves hang around until they are replaced in the Spring, providing a splash of gold in the scene. Most of all, I love the way the snow momentarily transforms the twigs and branches into white lace.
Sony A7RV, 24-70, 35mm, f8, 1/60, ISO 100
I don’t know the name of the road and I’m not even sure if I could find my way back here again. But the frozen clumps of snow covered grass, each blade sharp and distinct, graceful trees of white lace, against the dark backdrop of a snow laden sky, with a sudden life-giving ray of sunshine, were a compelling mixture. The building hiding in the background adds a bonus of mystery.
Again I would have been happy to choose one of these as my photo of the month, until later that same day.
As we drove over The Collin on our way to Ballyclare, I noticed heavy fog was flooding the valley, concealing Slemish Mountain from view. “Perhaps the fog will lift?” I wondered. “And perhaps the sun might appear before sunset?”
The kids dutifully collected, fed their assortment of Thursday treats and now under Heather’s watchful gaze as she supervised their homework, I slipped away (with her full agreement, of course!) and headed back up to the lay-by at top of The Collin.
On this (rare) occasion, my photographic daydreams came true.
Sony A7RV, Sigma 100-400, 194mm, f9.5, 1/350 sec, ISO800, handheld.
I have photographed Slemish many times. Indeed my first landscape photography shoot was of this mountain, on that occasion under a rainbow. I have also photographed it in the snow before. But I have never had such good conditions: fog, snow, sunset light and clouds.
This was not a hard photo to make. It required a little planning. But once on location, no hiking was involved. The only danger to life was from passing traffic as I photographed from the side of the road. But having to work hard for a photograph is not the only thing that makes a photograph meaningful.
I was brought up in County Armagh, as was Heather. This is not the landscape of my youth. But it is part of the landscape of our marriage, our family, our teaching careers and in the past 15 or so years my engagement in photography. I have driven here many times, walked its slopes, or simply sat in the car, thinking, preparing talks or just taking to sip coffee and be still, This small mountain, a volcanic plug, that stands proud of the surrounding farmland, is, according to legend, where St Patrick cared for sheep as he came to know the living God. Our history is entwined with it. We look for it each time we cross The Collin. It will always have a deep place in my heart. For these reasons, this is my photo of the month for January 2025. .