The bronze crabs of Galway bay
Nikon D700, 105mm macro lens, iso 400
Crab shell at Galway bay
Nature photography, Kilkenny photographer : Nigel Borrington
I came across these grab shells on a beach at the far end of Galway bay last year and there were hundreds of them, crabs molt their shells every time they have out grown them, some people think that this is at the turn of a new moon.
A Poem :
A Green Crab’s Shell
by Mark Doty
Not, exactly, green:
closer to bronze
preserved in kind brine,
something retrieved
from a Greco-Roman wreck,
patinated and oddly
muscular. We cannot
know what his fantastic
legs were like–
though evidence
suggests eight
complexly folded
scuttling works
of armament, crowned
by the foreclaws’
gesture of menace
and power. A gull’s
gobbled the center,
leaving this chamber
–size of a demitasse–
open to reveal
a shocking, Giotto blue.
Though it smells
of seaweed and ruin,
this little traveling case
comes with such lavish lining!
Imagine breathing
surrounded by
the brilliant rinse
of summer’s firmament.
What color is
the underside of skin?
Not so bad, to die,
if we could be opened
into this–
if the smallest chambers
of ourselves,
similarly,
revealed some sky.
Nikon D700, 105mm macro lens, iso 400
Crab shell at Galway bay
Nature photography : Nigel Borrington
Adult Tanner crab mating
Crabs (and other crustaceans) cannot grow in a linear fashion like most animals. Because they have a hard outer shell (the exoskeleton) that does not grow, they must shed their shells, a process called molting. Just as we outgrow our clothing, crabs outgrow their shells. Prior to molting, a crab reabsorbs some of the calcium carbonate from the old exoskeleton, then secretes enzymes to separate the old shell from the underlying skin (or epidermis). Then, the epidermis secretes a new, soft, paper-like shell beneath the old one. This process can take several weeks.
A car boot sale camera – sigma dp1
I found this little camera at the kilkenny car boot sale a couple of weekends ago, it just looked up at me from one of the tables and had a price tag of €50 with the Voigtlander viewfinder.
Its the original 2009 sigma DP1 , (follow the link for details). The stall it was on was a charity stall collecting for Africa so I felt I just had to put my hand in my pockets and hand over the €50.
I had always wanted to try out one of these little cameras but when new they cost a good €800, the reviews never put it in great light but I always had a feeling that it was a little better then the reviewers reported them to be. The somewhat bad reviews have left the second hand prices low.
Last week I put the camera in my bag along with some other of my kit and on the way home stopped off at a local tourist venue. The images below are three images from about fifty I took just as a test of this little camera. I have to say just like the reviews always said its a little old fashioned to use and the poor LCD screen ( in the sun ) makes you use the external viewfinder a lot but it still felt very good to use, a little like using a good film compact camera. The focus is good and the controls and functions are simple to find and quick to change if your use to any high end compact system.
Image quality
So what about the results, well the big reason I had to try this camera was for its sensor, ( A Foveon X3 sensor ) You can read all the details from the link, its the only sensor on the market that captures pure colour at each and everyone of its mega-pixels. All other sensors are monochrome only, with a filter that cuts out (Red, green and blue in turn) for each of a set of three mega-pixel locations in a row, repeated. Thus they do not record colour but only a signal that some colour has come through a filter to them.
The sigma sensor however records pure colour in full and at the intensity at which it reaches the pixel point. This system is as close to film as it comes.
The images below show the results and I have to say I am very impressed, quality wise they are sharp and the colour is wonderful but it was when I did a colour conversion to black and white my eyes were truly opened, if you have done any black and white conversion from raw digital files you will know the work you need to do to get some true film like monochrome contrast back into your images. Not here. The images even at default setting are just wonderful.
I have started each of the below image pairs with the black and white conversion from the original colour image.
Sigma Dp1, iso50
The contrast is just wonderful here, yet nothing is lost between the black of the trees and the sun on the grass…
Sigma Dp1, iso50
The green in the sun-lit grass, along with its detail is fully retained, yet the sky behind the trees has retained a light blue colour and not just overexposed into white.
Sigma Dp1, iso50
Again just look at the contrast in this black and white image, the dynamic range is just amazing, the shadows have just the right detail for a good image, yet the bright areas are not over exposed. This was a very sunny and thus contrast filled day.
Sigma Dp1, iso50
Just look how the colours really pop out of the image, this is as good as landscape slide film was without any photoshop colour post processing. All I did was set what I felt to be the correct exposure in the camera itself. Again and unlike slide film none of the image detail is lost due to the high contrast of this sunny afternoon.
Sigma Dp1, iso50
Sigma Dp1, iso50
Again none of the detail is lost in the above two images and a full range of tones and colours has been recorded.
Image print size
One issue is the actual image size out of the camera, this only being some 5 mega-pixels, but as with many peoples comments on mega-pixel size, more does not equal good quality big prints if the sensor is not recording enough detail, this sensors pixels are recording both sharp images (with as much details that the lens holds) and full direct colour detail. I feel very confident that these images could be printed at least A3 in size and beyond, all you need to print landscape books or books that record a holiday or family event for example.
All in all not a bad find for €50, one I don’t think I will be finding every weekend 🙂
Monday morning
Nikon D700, iso 100
Monday Morning sky over kilkenny
Nigel Borrington
Monday morning and well its a slow one in my mind anyway, empty of plans and reasons to get going and I don’t truly know why.
So maybe its time to go hunting for a poem or two and have a Monday morning coffee :
Monday Morning Coffee
Most people don’t look forward to Monday mornings…
I do.
It’s the start of something new…
It’s a clean slate
I like my Monday morning ritual
I wake up extra early.
Well,
It’s early for me.
I get ready for work.
Nikon D700, iso 100
Monday Morning sky over kilkenny
Nigel Borrington
Hopeful,
That it will be a pretty good week.
I don’t even have to ask anymore
An extra large coffee waits for me
And a
Perfect
Cloud
Melt in your mouth
Beautiful in it’s simplicity
Glazed Doughnut
Friendly faces and a delicious treat
It’s a great way for me to start my week..
My Monday morning
Look forward to it treat.
Sunday afternoon walks, river Borrow, co.Kilkenny
Fuji film x100, iso 200
Swans on the River Barrow
Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington
Sunday afternoon walk along the river Borrow, Co Kilkenny and I came across this family of swans. It was just wonderful to spend sometime with them and get some photo’s along the way….
A morning walk for Molly
I love this time of year, we get up early and go for a walk in the woods….
The paths have turned so green and full of life…..
The Hawthorn flowers are all out and looking their best…
Its so warm already, I have to go slower than in the winter. This gives me time however to look at so much….
The clover
All the new leafs
Even the seed heads…
Finally a slow walk up the hill…
I was 10 last weekend, so I really enjoy a sit down and a long look at the view.
Thank you for sharing my morning with me.
Surfing at Bunmahon beach, county waterford
Canon G1x
Surfing at Bunmahon beach, county Waterford
photographer : Nigel Borrington
An evenings walk and one of the best evenings during the summer so far, walking along Bunmahon beach we came across these surfers.
I spent sometime photographing them as they had some great fun in the waves, as did ourselves watching them ….
Sleivenamon (Mountain of the women)
Nikon d7000, 300mm focus length, iso 100
Slievenamon, county tipperary
Irish landscape photography, kilkenny photographer : Nigel Borrington
Slievenamon
The origin of the mountain’s name is explained in Irish mythology. According to the tale, Fionn mac Cumhaill was sought after by many young women, but he said that he could have only one partner. His partner would be whichever woman won a footrace to the top of the mountain. Fionn stood on the cairn atop the mountain and gave a signal to start the race. The winner was Gráinne
Getting on-top of slievenamon
Canon g1x, iso 100
Slievenamon, county Tipperary
Irish landscape photography : Nigel borrington
Slievenanom, county Tipperary is our closest mountain about a 15min drive, I would love to begin including it into my posts much more than I have to date, I walked up this mountain a few times last year and although its hard going it is more that possible for most people.
The most interesting thing to me about the mountain is at the very top and it is the burial Cairn you can see in the last of these pictures. No one appears to know anything about it yet its mystery must call someone to find out more….
This articular was published in 2008 in the “Tipperary star news paper”
The Story of Slievenamon
Published on 03/11/2008
Since our Tipperary Star travels all over the world, especially on the Internet our emigrants will surely be interested in the story behind the Tipperary’s anthem Slievenamon. It was printed in the Irish Daily Mail in September and all Tipperary people good and true would surely be in the better of knowing all about it.
The stirring strains of that great Tipperary anthem Slievenamon are guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye of many exiles. On first glance Slievenamon which is not far from Clonmel in South Tipperary and rises to 719 metres seems rather unprepossessing. But rocks and its valleys contain many hidden gems such as a prehistoric cairn which may contain a passage grave but remains unexcavated.
Slievenamon, which means mountain of the women in Irish deprives it’s name from the fairy women of Feidhlinn.
Legend has it that the celtic warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill chose his bride Grainne from a group of maidens who raced to meet him near the top of the mountain. Slievenamon is also steeped in the national struggle. A group of United Irishmen were betrayed and slaughtered on the mountain during the 1798 rebellion.
Tipp. people are rightly proud of the mountain and guard it jealously, five years ago when an entrepreneur planned to build a wind farm in its slopes there was such public outrage that the scheme was dropped.
The song Slievenamon which began life as the Maid of Slievenamon was written by the Fenian author and journalist Charles J. Kickham who was born in Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary in 1828. The Irish version was attributed to Michel Og Langain. Kickham, the son of a draper wrote many more ballads while his novel Knocknagow first published in 1873 was the great nationalist novel of late 19th century Ireland. It was reprinted many times and also turned into one of the earliest feature firms in 1917.
Whichever version of Slievenamon you prefer, English or Irish, anyone with Tipp. blood in their veins will stand proud when they hear their county anthem.
And what about the time when the Thurles Cathedral Choir sang it on the steps of St. Peter’s in Rome. The many people who accompanied the choir on that very special occasion said they will never forget it, not to mind the choir itself which poured heart and soul into their rendering of such a beautiful melody. Traffic streaming by, mostly motor bikes made a recording, a true recording, an impossibility but anybody on foot – pedestrians – certainly watched and listened in joy and amazement and why not – a once in a life time occasion especially for the choir. Sadly some have gone to their reward and great it must be. We remember them especially.
The information was sent in by G. Brown of Dublin – Gratias Gerry. It will be enjoyed by the Tipp. people all over the world – yes – we are everywhere, and their families. Some Tipp. parents feel very proud when their children sing it at concerts and parties in the U.S. and indeed receive many requests for repeat performances. One young boy with beautiful tenor voice is in great demand and there is a promising future ahead of him – his parents emigrated from Cashel and enjoy a wide social circle of people who want to hear the boy with the beautiful voice – Slievenamon is always included. So be proud of your anthem and of your county too wherever you are.
I am very much drawn towards the Mountain that towers above the local landscape in which we live, I am going to spend more time posting this summer and recording its landscape and finding out as much as I can about its history.
A Dad I Didn’t Even Get To Meet
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm vr2 lens, iso 100
A chair for the dad I did’t even get to meet
Nigel Borrington
A Poem by : Brandy poole
I never even knew you
but deep inside I knew
you were out there waiting
for me to find you
days and months past
years flew by too
till that day
I finally found you
the grass was so green
the dirt so rich
there stood your headstone
with your name engraved in it
I couldn’t believe
to my surprise
you lay to rest
oh dear, oh my!!
my father so dear
I’m too late
God has taken you
to heaven above
I cried so softly
for my dad I never knew
oh why oh why
please tell me what to do
so many questions not answered
the things wanted to say
please God tell me
why did you take my daddy away
…
A sense of place – our old family farm
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm VR2 lens
Images of the old farm, County Tipperary
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
I have introduced the old family farm before but I just wanted to post some images that fill in some for impressions of the place. The farm has been worked on for many generations. Sadly its no longer lived in any more but we do our best to visit and keep the old place going….
Gallery of Burnchurch farm, County Tipperary
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm VR2 lens
Images of the old farm, County Tipperary
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm VR2 lens
Images of the old farm, County Tipperary
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm VR2 lens
Images of the old farm, County Tipperary
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm VR2 lens
Images of the old farm, County Tipperary
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm VR2 lens
Images of the old farm, County Tipperary
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm VR2 lens
Images of the old farm, County Tipperary
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
In my Mothers Kitchen
Poem by : Susan Lower
My mother’s kitchen was worn with age.
In the old farm house,
where we lived and played.
She kept it nice and tidy.
The glasses always washed.
Not a plate out of place.
On the old red linoleum floors.
I did roller skate.
I learned to bake a cake.
Without a book, without any taste.
There I watched from the window,
my sisters kiss their dates.
My mother’s kitchen held a telephone.
Where my sisters stretched the cord,
and hid behind the next door.
Inside the wall of this place.
Comfort grew without the frills of lace.
Never were we late
when Mother called us in from the barn.
My mother’s kitchen is where I knew she’d be.
When I came racing home from school.
She always stood waiting for me.
A weekend in the wheat fields
Nikon d7000, 18-200mm vr2 lens
Wheat field in Tipperary
Irish landscape photography : Nigel Borrington
Just back from a brilliant weekend on the farm in Tipperary, I love it at the farm you get true downtime helping out and just walking among the fresh wheat fields….
Nikon d7000, 18-200mm vr2 lens
Wheat field in Tipperary
Irish landscape photography : Nigel Borrington
The old out buildings of the farm, house lots of swallows and I managed to capture one in this shot….
Nigel
Its the weekend so……
Fuji X100, 28mm lens, iso 100
County Kerry coast-line ,
Irish Landscape photography:Nigel Borrington
It’s the weekend so if you can find a place with a view and lose yourself in it…..
Kilkenny landscape photography
Its a great morning here in county Kilkenny….
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm vr lens
A kilkenny landscape
Nigel Borrington
I was Up early this morning, and took this shot of our local landscape as the very early sun broke through the clouds, just for a while. I am trying as hard a possible to fight that Friday feeling and get some plans going, we have a long weekend here with a bank holiday on Monday but must keep going, just one more day …..
Kilkenny Landscape Photography
Nikon D7000, 24mm lens, iso 100
River Barrow, Country kilkenny
Kilkenny landscape photography : Nigel Borrington
What a wonderful spring evening we are having in County Kilkenny, A walk with our dog Molly along the river Barrow was just a wonderful way to end the day…..
Just another ghost estate – Callan, co Kilkenny
Ireland Ghost estates
Yesterdays Lunch time walk was a little more attractive than today’s, at some point however I wanted to post about Ireland’s and Kilkenny’s ghost estates.
The country as a whole feels like its gone through the worst of the last years since 2007, however when you take a walk around these local ghost estates you may not think so.
I took the below photograph during the building of this new estate in Callan, during July 2007.
The Callan housing estate in these pictures was the last to be built in 2007, other estates in the town being built between around 2004 and 2008. None of the houses in this estate ever sold and I heard recently that the council are about to order its demolition.
The entire area around the estate is covered in broken glass, yet there is nothing to stops any Adult,child or dog walking around this location….
Number of Irish Ghost estates by counties Carlow (15), Cavan (21), Clare (9), Cork City (6), County Cork (90), Donegal (22), Dublin City (24), Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown (10), Fingal (17), Galway City (6), Galway County (20), Kerry (21), Kildare (25), Kilkenny (21), Laoighis (15), Leitrim (21), Limerick City (0), Limerick County (11), Longford (19), Louth (17), Mayo (21), Meath (19), Monaghan (18), Offaly (6), Roscommon (35), Sligo (24), South Dublin (7), Tipperary North (16), Tipperary South (17), Waterford City (6), Waterford County (9), Westmeath (18), Wexford (24), Wicklow (11).
More images…
Paragliding from Slievenamon
Nikon D7000, 50mm f1.8 lens, iso 100
Paragliding off Slievenamon, county Tipperary
Kilkenny based photographer : Nigel borrington
During the Summer last year, I was lucky enough to be walking up Slievenamon, county Tipperary while some Para-glider’s were taking off from the side of the mountain. I spent a good long time with these people and got some great photos during the afternoon, here are just two of the many I got….
Nigel
Nikon D7000, 50mm f1.8 lens, iso 100
Paragliding off Slievenamon, county Tipperary
Kilkenny based photographer : Nigel borrington
Kilkenny landscape photography
A Wednesday afternoon walk – an eight image gallery.
An afternoon walk, Burnchurch County Kilkenny
The towns-lands of Burnchurch, county kilkenny offer one on the most wonderful landscapes in county Kilkenny. The National ploughing match was held here some years back along with national sheep trials. I helped in submitting images for both events.
I took a couple of hours off this afternoon to walk Molly our Golden retriever and take some landscape photographs for my blog and website this time.
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm vr II lens, iso 100
Burnchurch, County Kilkenny
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm vr II lens, iso 100
Burnchurch, County Kilkenny
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm vr II lens, iso 100
Burnchurch, County Kilkenny
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm vr II lens, iso 100
Burnchurch, County Kilkenny
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm vr II lens, iso 100
Burnchurch, County Kilkenny
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm vr II lens, iso 100
Burnchurch, County Kilkenny
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm vr II lens, iso 100
Burnchurch, County Kilkenny
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington
This old gray tractor – Gallery images.
One day while walking we came across this little Gray tractor in the Lake District National Park, it was just sitting outside an old farmhouse that had also been converted into a tea shop. We had to stop and take in something to eat and to look at views along with this little Gray Tractor.
I was also able to have a good look around the farm and got some wonderful still life shots that I will post at some point but for now here is a gallery of images I took of this little old tractor.
I Just loved the oil and grim and the look of this old engine, of course the photos cannot get across the smells and the sounds this engine created….
Friends
A friend indeed! : Nandi Mhlongo
I have a friend, a friend in word & a friend indeed.
A friend who loves me with all friends being & I love friend too.
My friend rejuvenates me
A friend of my youth,
A friend indeed!
I have a friend in word, my friend reminds me of my purpose in life
I can exhale with my friend by my side
My friend is good to me
A friend indeed!
When my friend is gone, I miss my friend already
But my friend has gone home because I am home for now
But the truth is our home is in our friendship.
I have a friend, a friend indeed!
My friend in word is my friend indeed and my friend in need.
Friendship is all we need & we have.
I have a friend a friend indeed!
Nikon D700, 24mm focus length, iso 100
National Botanic Gardens, Dublin
Nigel Borrington
All images Taken at the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin 2012
Irish Boglands and Peatlands
Back In 2004 I attended an art exhibition held in our local friary hall. The exhibition titled Currents was being shown in many locations in the republic of Ireland and The North of Ireland during that year. I was taken by many of the artists ( I will come back to some of them in future posts) but for me one stood out above the others, this being Sam Mateer and his paintings of the Irish Bog-lands.
Over the last few years I have visited and photographed these areas of the country and aim to continue doing so.
Since the start of the year I have also been considering returning to some landscape painting and drawing, so what better subject areas can you find that these unique and magical places.
The set of images below are just some of the many photographs I have taken in order to start to get to grips of this project.
Fujifilm X100
Fujifilm X100
Fujifilm X100
Fujifilm X100
Fujifilm X100
Fujifilm X100
Fujifilm X100
The weekends fading light
Nikon D700, 50mm f1.4 lens, iso 200
Kilkenny sunset, South Kilkenny
Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington
Sunday evenings are my most favourite time of the week, the weekends light is fading fast and we have a new week ahead of us, new chances to grow and reach our aims.
Kilkenny landscape photography
Nikon D7000, 50mm f1.4 lens
Kilkenny Rapeseed fields
Landscape Photography : Nigel Borrington
I love this time of year all the fields in County Kilkenny are coming to life. The Rapeseed fields are just the most wonderful site of them all…..
Rapeseed
She buried the thought
seeds of long ago .
Spirit fields then did ignite
with rapeseed light.
By : Saiom Shriver
Nikon D7000, 50mm f1.4 lens
Kilkenny Rapeseed fields
Landscape Photography : Nigel Borrington
Nigel Borrington 
It’s a summers weekend, Molly’s early morning visit to Tramore beach
Canon G1x
A visit to Tramore strand
We don’t know what’s hit us here in Ireland, Sun all day for a week and temperatures in the high 60’s or even 70’s.
Just like Irish people do we had to go mad with it and got up very early this morning to head down to Tramore strand, co Waterford. The three of us had a wonderful June morning but molly loved it just that bit more let’s hope it lasts!
Canon G1x
A visit to Tramore strand
Canon G1x
A visit to Tramore strand
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June 8, 2013 | Categories: Comment, Gallery | Tags: Dogs, Golden retriever, Nigel Borrington, saturday at the beach, summer sun, weekend | 9 Comments