Capturing the world with Photography, Painting and Drawing

Solo images

A cottage in the Irish Mountains

cottage in kerry
Canon G1x
Cottage in the Irish landscape
Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington


Sunday evening in the mountains

Sunday on the Mountains
Mountain views of Country Kerry
Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington

In My Dreams I was traveling, Probably in my car, through the hills of Kerry, little valleys where everyday life is lived, A voice reproached me for squandering my time on trifles , instead of writing about the essence of life, which is such a so-ness.

Probably all my voyages in dreams have a model in one, very real, by car from cork to Kerry, A boggy road with ruts, always either up or down, stubble fields on the hills in the rain, here and there a spruce grove, then alders by streams,huts,well-sweeps.

Taken from : Czeslaw Milosz


Fethard on Sea, county Wexford

Fethard-on-Sea 1

Fethard on Sea, Wexford

Ireland has many small fishing village’s around its coast-line, Fethard on Sea, Wexford being just one of them. There is nothing special or different about it, compared to any one of the others. Yet when you visit you will feel at home very quickly with this small town and it’s people.

The fishing Harbour is just wonderful and the relaxed feeling of the people who live and work here comes across very quickly.

I took these two images of some of the fishing boats near the harbour last year, on a weekends visit.

Fethard-on-Sea 2


Canon G1x

Canon G1x

Canon G1 x

Twelve Months with a Canon G1x (Comments and Gallery)

It is just over a years since I purchased a reconditioned (Canon G1x) from Canon in the Irish republic.

I posted a personal review of the camera at the start of March here: “Canon G1x review“, so to avoid myself doing a repeat here you can read what I felt about the camera back then from this link.

I have taken about four thousand images with this camera in the first year and I have to say I just love it, before I decided to get it I was looking to replace a Contax G2 camera as I was finding it very hard to get film processed without posting it back to the UK. The idea of a compact system camera i.e. one that can work with extra items like a external flash gun, had been something I was very interested in.

For many years compact digital camera’s have not been of a good enough quality to consider purchasing and using if you intend to produce marketable images, I.e. anything from stock photography to commissioned work. The sensors where just to small to produce clean and detailed enough images.

From the moment I took collection of this camera I have to say it’s impressed me, I have most often used Film or Digital slr equipment apart from the Contax G2 that I had for many years. The camera is of good enough size a weight to feel like a good pro level compact and it is built to last that’s for sure. The body is equipped with every feature that an advanced user could need and is identical to a Digital slr.

I was looking for a camera that I could keep in a bag as a backup to my slr’s and this camera has been that, however I have found myself looking at what it is I need to do before I go out and deciding what type of Camera I need with me. I feel that If I have been booked to do some work then a customer needs to see an slr and the results are of a higher quality, but not by much. How and ever for personal work like this blog or books, holidays and events then this camera is perfect. I have produced double A3 wide prints from its images and they look as good as my Nikon pro equipment. It has all the needed quality, is fast to use acts exactly like I need it to and produces great results.

I was looking for a compact camera that didn’t make me feel like I wished I had packed an slr and this Canon camera is it, it has always filled me with confidence and been a pleasure to use.

Canon G1x Gallery

Canon G1x landscape 1

Canon G1x landscape 2

Canon G1x landscape 3

Canon G1x landscape 4

Canon G1x landscape 5

Canon G1x landscape 6

Canon G1x landscape 7

Canon G1x landscape 8


It’s the weekend so …….

Blackwater river at Youghal
Nikon d700, 18-200mm vr lens, iso 100
Black water river at Youghal, county cork.
Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington

It’s the weekend so why not find a coast line to walk along, look at the views and relax yourself.

Stay for the evening and watch the sun go down.


Thank you !

Some flowers to say thank you
Some flowers to say Thank you.

I just wanted to say thank you, since I started posting again on this blog back in February I have got to know some great people, received some wonderful and very welcomed comments and increased the size of my own world. Seeing images and talking to people from almost every corner of the planet.

So thank you to everyone who has been here and I have truly enjoyed seeing your own blogs !


Sunday evenings – without angels, a poem by – Mario Rossi

Images from the road the landscape 2
Sigma sd15, 15-30mm lens, iso 50
A view of slievenamon, from the red gate
Landscape images from : Nigel Borrington

Sunday evening and the last light of the weekend is fading once more, I love this time of the week. Everything that happened last week is in the past and we have a new start for our week ahead.

So then a Poem :

Evening Without Angels

—Mario Rossi

the great interests of man: air and light,
the joy of having a body, the voluptuousness
of looking.

Why seraphim are arranged
Above the trees?

Air is air,
Its vacancy glitters round us everywhere.
Its sounds are not angelic syllables
But our unfashioned spirits realized
More sharply in more furious selves.

And light
That fosters seraphim and is to them
Coiffeur of haloes, fecund jeweller—
Was the sun concoct for angels or for men?
Sad men made angels of the sun, and of
The moon they made their own attendant ghosts,
Which led them back to angels, after death.

Let this be clear that we are men of sun
And men of day and never of pointed night,
Men that repeat antiquest sounds of air
In an accord of repetitions. Yet,
If we repeat, it is because the wind
Encircling us, speaks always with our speech.

Light, too, encrusts us making visible
The motions of the mind and giving form
To moodiest nothings, as, desire for day
Accomplished in the immensely flashing East,
Desire for rest, in that descending sea
Of dark, which in its very darkening
Is rest and silence spreading into sleep.

…Evening, when the measure skips a beat
And then another, one by one, and all
To a seething minor swiftly modulate.
Bare night is best. Bare earth is best. Bare, bare,
Except for our own houses, huddled low
Beneath the arches and their spangled air,
Beneath the rhapsodies of fire and fire,
Where the voice that is in us makes a true response,
Where the voice that is great within us rises up,
As we stand gazing at the rounded moon.

Images from the road the landscape 1
Sigma sd15, 15-30mm lens, iso 50
A view of slievenamon, from the red gate
Landscape images from : Nigel Borrington

Images from the road the gate
Sigma sd15, 15-30mm lens, iso 50
The red gate with a view of Slievenamon
Landscape images from : Nigel Borrington


Its the weekend so……

its the weekend so find a river bank
Sigma SD15, 15-30mm lens, iso 50
Fishing Boats on the River Suir, County Waterford
Landscape Photography : Nigel Borrington

Its the weekend so why not find a river bank to sit on and let time pass you by …….


Images for a summers day – Water Lilies

Water Lilies 1
Fujifilm X100, 35mm lens, iso L100
Water Lilies at the butler house gardens, county kilkenny
Irish landscape photography : Nigel Borrington

Two more images to help cool down a little on what is going to be a very warm day here in Kilkenny, these images are taken in the Butler house gardens, county kilkenny. I will post fully at some point very soon on this wonderful location but just for now here are these very cooling water lilies.

Water Lilies 2
Fujifilm X100, 35mm lens, iso L100
Water Lilies at the butler house gardens, county kilkenny
Irish landscape photography : Nigel Borrington


Fishing boats at Castletownbere

Fishing boats castletownbere
Nikon D700, 18-200mm vr 2 lens, iso 100
Fishing boats at Castletownbere, west cork
Irish landscape photography : Nigel Borrington

Fishing boats at Castletownbere and a cool Sea Breeze

Another very warm morning here in Ireland it’s already 24’oc and it was warm over night, sleeping with all the bedroom windows open.

I thought I would find an image to post that at least created a cooler feeling, so here we are, these two fishing boats at the harbour of Castletownbere, West cork. I took this image a little time back while I sat on the wall of the quays in the town and watched the boats coming and going for the afternoon. From what I can remember the temperature was about the same as today.


Sunday evenings, time for some sunset thinking.

The weekends fading light
Fujifilm x100, 35mm lens, iso 100
Lower Lake of Killarney, County Kerry
Irish Landscape Photography : Nigel Borrington

Sunday evenings are to myself the end of another week, they mark a time to clear your mind. To think about a new week and to define the end of the last, what-ever happened last week (good or bad) has gone.

It time for some ……..

Sunset Thinking

Do you ever watch the sunset
And just sit and think about things
Just you and the sky and darkness
Giving your thoughts some wings

Perhaps you’ve got some troubles
And don’t know what to do
Or you just plain need to get away
To spend a little time with you

Sunset beauty makes you feel as though
Your life has meaning after all
To see a sight so extraordinary
Makes you feel capable, strong and tall

It’s funny how flashes of color
Like a sunset or sunrise can inspire
It can calm your inner self a bit
It’s a scene you can never tire

The serenity gives you a chance
To put things in perspective
Life can be overwhelming at times
And a sunset can be reflective

So when the sky lights up next time
Let your gaze do some drinking
Soak up all the amazing sights
And do some sunset thinking!

Written by : Marilyn Lott


The weekends fading light

The Weekends faiding light
Nikon D7000, 18-200mm lens, iso 100
Sunday evening sunset over the Nire-valley
Landscape photography by : 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.


Our dog Molly, well she should have been an Otter!

Our dog Molly should have been an otter 1
All images using a Nikon D7000, 18-200mm lens, iso 200

Our dog Molly she should of been an Otter

Since she was a one year old our Golden retriever Molly just loved a swim in our local rivers, she is now ten and has had a good swim most days. She was diagnosed last year with arthritis and along with the medical products we get her a swim once a day is just about the best thing to keep her moving healthy and fit!

Molly’s Gallery

Our dog Molly should have been an otter 7

Our dog Molly should have been an otter 2

Our dog Molly should have been an otter 4

Our dog Molly should have been an otter 5

Our dog Molly should have been an otter 6

Our dog Molly should have been an otter 1

Arthritis in dogs

Spotting Arthritis in Dogs

Arthritis doesn’t discriminate. It affects not only people of all ages — including children — but also strikes our furry friends, too. If you’re a dog-owner, you make sure your buddy takes his heartworm medicine, eats well, looks bright-eyed and playful, and greets you as only a doggy can when you come home. You notice changes in mood and activity, so if your pet isn’t feeling his best you may suspect a cold or stomach virus – but it could be arthritis. In fact, arthritis affects one in every five adult dogs in the U.S. and is one of the most common sources of chronic pain that veterinarians treat.

Spot’s Pals Are Early Diagnosis and Treatment

How do you know if it’s arthritis? Your dog can’t explain what’s wrong with him, so it’s important to watch his non-verbal cues closely and take even subtle changes seriously.

Signs that your dog may have arthritis:

Favoring a limb
Difficulty sitting or standing
Sleeping more
Seeming to have stiff or sore joints
Hesitancy to jump, run or climb stairs
Weight gain
Decreased activity or less interest in play
Attitude or behavior changes
Being less alert

If your dog seems to have any of these symptoms for more than two weeks take him to your veterinarian for an arthritis evaluation, which will involve a physical exam and possibly X-rays. The best thing to do for your dog in managing his arthritis is to get a diagnosis and start a treatment plan as soon as possible. Treating canine arthritis is similar to that of human osteoarthritis.

Therapies may include:

Healthy diet and exercise to help maintain proper weight.
Working with your veterinarian to find a drug treatment that helps relieve the pain.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS): the most common form of pharmaceutical treatment for arthritis in dogs.
Over-the-counter pet treatments, such as pills or food containing either glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate or Omega fatty acids. Both have shown to help relieve the symptoms of arthritis in dogs.
A veterinarian-prescribed NSAID and an over-the-counter treatment that together may help decrease pain and disease progression.

Never give your dog human medication without checking first with your veterinarian. Certain medications can be toxic to dogs – particularly acetaminophen and ibuprofen – and a safe dose will differ between a greyhound and a dachshund.

No matter how you decide to treat your dog’s arthritis, make sure you work with a veterinarian to ensure that you select a program that helps your best buddy.


Water lilies, on the river Barrow

lillys
Nikon D7000, 105mm focus length, iso100
Water lilies on the river Barrow, co.Kilkenny
Irish landscape photography: Nigel Borrington

Walking along the river Barrow in Co.Kilkenny I came across this small collection of water Lilies and took some shots. I also noticed that last years leafs still sat underneath the water only now being replaced by this years new growth.


Merge – (a poem by : Kadambari Kashyap)

Merge
Sigma Sd15, 18-50 f2.8 lens, iso 50
Spirit of place, public sculpture, County Kilkenny
Photography by : Nigel Borrington

Poem By : Kadambari Kashyap.

When our spirits merge…
I or You won’t be there anymore,
But us.

There won’t be anyone talking,
Rather our souls would sing in
Ecstatic harmony.
In a language unknown.

When our spirits merge
There will be nothing left
But we will burn
As the sun and stars do every moment.

When our spirits merge
All things will come to an end
But to start again.
In a new form
In a new desire…

And as we make way for something new
In our sweet surrender
To each other
we will be healed
healed of the entire past
of me, you and the rest…

In that surrender, something
Will be on fire, death will inevitably
Consume it.
And soon after that
Divine creativity will bloom out
When our spirits will burn and merge.


Sunday afternoon walks, river Borrow, co.Kilkenny

Swans on the river Barrow
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….


Sleivenamon (Mountain of the women)

Slievnamon sunset
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


A Dad I Didn’t Even Get To Meet

In Dad room
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


In my Mothers Kitchen

In the old 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.


Its the weekend so……

Irish landscape photography kerry

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

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…..


Paragliding from Slievenamon

paragliding of slievenamon 1
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

paragliding of slievenamon 2
Nikon D7000, 50mm f1.8 lens, iso 100
Paragliding off Slievenamon, county Tipperary
Kilkenny based photographer : Nigel borrington


The weekends fading light

Sunday evening in Kilkenny

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.


Its the weekend so……

The weekend on Windermere
Nikon F90x, 35mm lens, Kodak film
Lake Windermere, Lake district national park, United Kingdom
Landscape photography by : Nigel Borrington

Its the weekend so why not find somewhere new to yourself and explore ……