Enchanted Ireland
In my last post I said our trip was “life changing”, which I know sounds dramatic…there is just no better way to describe it though…We had worked so hard for so long, trying to be the best we could be at our chosen professions, trying to “be there” for others which both of our professions required, trying to be the best parents (our Sons are amazing in spite of us!!)…there was never a time where we felt free to do something so out of the box, just for us…responsibilities don’t you know…
We landed in Dublin after a very tiring overnight flight, during which the lady behind me decided to talk loudly just at the time when I thought I might be able to sleep! Fortunately, the hotel where we were staying was amazingly kind and allowed us to chck in very early so we caught up on sleep before we met our group for dinner.
And what a group!! Super diverse, and super fun! It was a dual focus trip with some of us there for the photography, and the others along for the music and pubs. So all of us got to enjoy the side trips meant for the “other” side of the group…having never spent any time in bars, and not being a drinker, I was a little surprised that I had SO much fun going to the pubs. Ireland pubs are different…this is a scene where locals come in with their instruments, circle up in a side area and play the most wonderful Irish tunes. There was a lot of Guinness! and a lot of refreshing camaraderie.
I learned about street photography in Dublin, enjoying my first experience participating in photography walks through the city. As a newbie, I had never heard of street photography, but I found it intriguing. I love the experience of exploring a new city on foot, the sights, sounds and smells all bombarding my senses at the same time; resulting in a heightened awareness of the smallest details from architectural design, to the expressions and emotions playing across the faces of so many people I observed and quietly tried to photograph!
Did you know that in many countries it is not illegal to photograph people without their permission when they are in public places? I was very shy about that, and tried very hard to photograph incognito.
There were of course opportunities to photograph the classic Irish countryside with roaming sheep and squared off fields, and the castles and gardens!!…everything I dreamed I would see in Ireland. Along with an unexpected adventure walking a rope bridge over an 80 foot chasm with raging waters below! But one of my favorite photos from the trip was taken in Donegal Town, an amazing, quaint, beautiful place with a vast array of photographic opportunities…the photo is of my husband complete with Irish cap, on a quiet trail covered in lush greenery, leaning against a weathered and beautiful old Irish rock wall. He didn’t want to come home…
But I started this blog to talk about photography, and I went through the Ireland trip to both encourage other wannabe photographers like me at the time who may doubt their ability, and to document what can happen when you find you are passionate about something in your life and decide it is worth pursuing.
Next week, Back to the real world…
