Shot no.49

Photos taken at Ireland's Eye Island, Co. Dublin, Ireland in July 2019 with Canon EOS 77D with Canon lens EF 75-300mm, Lumix G9 with Leica lens 12-60mm and DJI Mavic Air.

[EN]

Some time ago, I heard about this Island, just about 10-15 minutes on a boat from Howth harbour. I was told it was a wild island with a little beach and some trails to walk, nothing else. For a while, I kept thinking about going to this island. I remember being at Portmarnock beach and looking at the island and asking myself how to get there. From Portmarnock, you can see the northeast side of the island where the cliffs are and imagine how tall they are. When the aeroplanes (yes, this word exists!) are approaching Dublin airport by the seaside, they cross just over the island so I never had a chance to watch it from the sky. 

Last year we had nice weather in July. One morning, the island came to my mind. I searched online on how to get there and discover Ireland's Eye Ferries. There are boats leaving often (at least hourly) from the west pier and a trip around the island lasts about 40min and costs 15€/adult, 10€/teenagers and 5€/children. It's possible also to land on the island but you need to arrange the return with the captain. If you plan to stay on the island, you must remember that the island is uninhabited so there are no facilities. You need to bring your own food and you are responsible for disposing of your own waste when returning to Howth. 

The island only has two structures made by men. The Martello Tower that was built in 1803 to protect Ireland from a possible invasion by Napoleon which you can get in if you climb with a rope (at your own risk) to the window at a height of 5m. The second construction is what is left of a church from the 8th century which functioned as the parish church of Howth until recent centuries. 

There was also the history of a woman's murder by her husband who said that she drowned accidentally.

As you can see the history of the island is rich but its real treasure are the natural wonders. The island has beaches with calm (but cold) waters, trails around the island and to the summit where you can enjoy an astonishing view over the north coast of Co. Dublin as far as the islands of Skerries coast. The Stack is a huge free standing rock off the northeastern coast hosts a large variety of seabirds like Gannets, Guillemots, Cormorants, Kittiwakes, Puffins and Sea Gulls. There is also a colony of noisy seals!

I visited this island 3 times and every time it surprised me! On my first visit, I spent there most of the day, in the morning enjoying the beach, then I had some food and the afternoon was dedicated to explore and photograph the island. At the end of the first, I was sure that I would have to come a second time. On my second visit, I made most of the footage of the video on this post and for the video where I dance at the summit of the island. At the end of the second day, I knew I would be back a third time. On my third visit, I collected more footage and explored trails that I didn't have the chance to explore before. Now I can't wait to go a 4th, 5th, 6th... time! I just fell in love with that place, nature and the beach! Just a spot of wildness so close but at the same time so far from Dublin city.

Strongly recommend a visit...as soon as the Covid-19 allows it!

[PT]

Algum tempo atrás, ouvi falar desta ilha, a apenas 10 ou 15 minutos de barco do porto de Howth. Foi-me dito que era uma ilha selvagem com uma pequena praia e algumas trilhas para caminhar, nada mais. Por um tempo, fiquei pensando em ir até esta ilha. Lembro-me de estar na praia de Portmarnock, olhando a ilha e me perguntando como chegar lá. De Portmarnock, você pode ver o lado nordeste da ilha, onde os penhascos estão e imaginar a altura deles. Quando os aviões estão se aproximando do aeroporto de Dublin pelo lado do mar, eles atravessam a ilha mesmo por cima, então eu nunca tive sequer a chance de vê-la do céu. No ano passado, tivemos um clima agradável em julho. Uma manhã, a ilha veio à minha mente. Eu pesquisei on-line sobre como chegar lá e descobri que existem barcos turísticos até à ilha. Há barcos saindo frequentemente (pelo menos a cada hora) do cais oeste e uma viagem à volta da ilha dura cerca de 40min e custa 15 € / adulto, 10 € / adolescentes e 5 € / crianças. Também é possível desembarcar na ilha, mas você precisa organizar o retorno com o capitão. Se você planeia ficar na ilha, lembre-se de que a ilha está desabitada, portanto não há instalações. Você precisa trazer sua própria comida e é responsável por descartar seu próprio lixo ao retornar a Howth. A ilha possui apenas duas estruturas feitas por homens. A Torre Martello, construída em 1803 para proteger a Irlanda de uma possível invasão de Napoleão, na qual você pode entrar se subir por uma corda (por seu próprio risco) até a janela, a uma altura de 5m. A segunda construção é o que resta de uma igreja do século VIII que funcionou como igreja paroquial de Howth até os séculos recentes. Havia também a história do assassinato de uma mulher por seu marido, que disse que ela se afogou acidentalmente. Como você pode ver, a história da ilha é rica, mas seu verdadeiro tesouro são as maravilhas naturais. A ilha tem praias com águas calmas (mas frias), trilhas ao redor da ilha e até o cume, onde você pode desfrutar de uma vista surpreendente sobre a costa norte de Co. Dublin até às ilhas de Skerries. O The Stack é uma enorme rocha livre na costa nordeste que abriga uma grande variedade de aves marinhas, como gannets, Mergulhões, Corvos-Marinho, Papagaios do Mar e diferentes espécies de gaivotas. Há também uma colónia de focas barulhentas! Visitei esta ilha 3 vezes e sempre me surpreendia! Na minha primeira visita, passei lá a maior parte do dia, de manhã curtindo a praia e a tarde foi dedicada a explorar e a fotografar a ilha. No final do primeiro, eu tinha certeza de que teria que voltar pela segunda vez. Na minha segunda visita, fiz a maior parte das filmagens do vídeo neste post e do vídeo onde danço no cume da ilha. No final do segundo dia, eu sabia que voltaria pela terceira vez. Na minha terceira visita, coletei mais imagens e explorei trilhas que não tive a chance de explorar antes. Agora mal posso esperar para ir pela 4º, 5º, 6º ... vez! Eu simplesmente me apaixonei por aquele lugar, natureza e praia! Apenas uma natureza selvagem tão perto, mas ao mesmo tempo tão longe da cidade de Dublin. Recomendo vivamente uma visita ... assim que o Covid-19 permitir!

About the island:

• https://dublin.ie/live/stories/island-dublin-irelands-eye/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland's_Eye
• https://www.irelandbeforeyoudie.com/5-interesting-things-irelands-eye-you-never-knew/
• 
  

About the ferries to Ireland's Eye:

• https://www.irelandseyeferries.com/ 

WTL Video 6

Footage captured with DJI Mavic Air at Castletown, Celbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland.

[EN]

One year after my first visit to Castletown, I went again to shoot a video. For some reason that I can't remember, I didn't like what I captured and the footage was forgotten for over 1 year and a half! This week and with all the Corona virus situation, I had time and inspiration to do something with this material and here you have!

Castletown is a lovely place for walk. After so many visits, I still didn't manage to visit the house! But now that you are here, check the photos that I took in October 2017 and tell me what you think!

[PT]

Um ano após a minha primeira visita a Castletown, fui lá novamente dest vez para gravar um vídeo. Por alguma razão que não me lembro, não gostei do que filmei e as imagens foram esquecidas por mais de um ano e meio! Esta semana e com toda a situação do vírus Corona, tive tempo e inspiração para fazer algo com esse material e aqui está!

Castletown é um lugar encantador para passear. Depois de tantas visitas, ainda não consegui visitar a casa! Mas já que você está aqui, veja as fotos que tirei em outubro de 2017 e me diga o que acha!

Post from October 2017:

• https://watchingthroughlens.blogspot.com/2017/10/shot-no26.html

Shot no.48

Photos taken in Rome, Italy in November 2019 with Canon EOS 77D with Canon lens EF 75-300mm and Lumix G9 with Leica lens 12-60mm.

[EN]

Finally Rome! I used to say that if I wasn't born in Brazil I would like to be born in Italy! I was always fascinated by this country... It's history, culture and of course, il calcio! This trip happened thanks to my beloved sister! She had a conference in Rome and she asked if I would like to meet her there. Of course, I said yes! Even more so because after she would come back to Dublin with me to spend 2 days with me and to attend my graduation ceremony.
I went to Rome for 4 days. We stayed at the Hotel Portamaggiore, a 3 star hotel. Don't expect big things, mainly regarding the breakfast, the selection was very poor but, on the other hand, it has very good deals and it's near the train station, has several buses stops around the area and not too far of a walk from the metro. In front of the hotel, there is an ancient Roman city gate with 2 aqueducts. The hotel was just enough for the time we spent there.
Rome is a city full of interesting places to visit so forget the idea that you will see a bit of everything! During this visit, the places where I spent most of the time were the Vatican and the Coliseum and its surroundings. To visit each place you need at least one full day and then you still have to face the infinite queues to buy tickets and to get into the places. Go very early, that is the trick! Rome is full of tourists and you are one of them, so be patient! I wasn't, my big mistake!
The Vatican might be one of the smallest countries in the world but be mindful that the entry for the Vatican museums is not near St. Peter's square and knowing that fact can help you save precious time! I didn't know that and besides losing time, I also lost 55euro. In Rome, the security is very strict but in the Vatican, they are even more strict! To get into the Vatican museums you have to pass through 2 security points. The first one is a normal airport x-ray machine, the second one is when you are passing through the turnstile. The security man at the turnstile didn't let me pass through with my backpack where I was carrying thousands of euro in photographic gear. My option was to leave the backpack there and collect it at the end of the tour when that entry would be closed, so I would have to collect it at another point of the museum. I really didn't feel comfortable leaving all my equipment behind. That's how I lost 55euro. The normal ticket is around 20euro but I bought with a tourism agent for a Portuguese guided tour. Don't be silly like me, just buy the normal ticket and get the audio tour and you will be more than fine! That is what I did 3 days later with my sister and we really enjoyed it!
The Coliseum is big. I didn't try a guided tour after my experience at the Vatican. So I can't really tell how long it would take. I remember looking at my watch and realizing that we were there for over 4h. The Coliseum is a beautiful monument but what I enjoyed the most was the Roman Forum, just beside the Coliseum. The Roman Forum is an area where there are ruins of ancient government buildings and beautiful gardens, you can still get into some of them! I spent 5h at the Roman Forum and didn't manage to see it all but I'm one of those who is constantly reading every description! And to make me waste more time, I was trying to read all the information written in Italian to figure how much could I understand!
Other places I visited but didn't spend much time at were the Piazza di Spagna and the Fontana di Trevi.
As you can see in 4 days there is so much that you can see if you are interested in knowing about history. It was great to make me want to go back to Rome, I still have a lot to explore there!
What about you? Have you been to Rome in such a small amount of days? What was your trip plan? Did it work out the way you wanted?

[PT]
Finalmente Roma! Eu costumava dizer que, se eu não nascesse no Brasil, gostaria de nascer na Itália! Eu sempre fui fascinado por este país ... A história, cultura e, claro, il calcio! Esta viagem aconteceu graças à minha amada irmã! Ela teve uma conferência em Roma e perguntou se eu gostaria de me encontrar lá com ela e passarmos alguns dias juntos. Claro que sim! Ainda mais porque depois, ela voltava comigo para Dublin para passar dois dias comigo e assistir à minha cerimónia de formatura.
Eu fui a Roma por 4 dias. Ficamos no Hotel Portamaggiore, um hotel de 3 estrelas. Não espere grandes coisas, principalmente em relação ao pequeno almoço, a seleção é muito pobre mas, por outro lado, tem ótimas ofertas e fica perto da estação de comboios, tem várias paragens de autocarro e não fica muito longe do metro. Em frente ao hotel há um antigo portão da cidade romana com 2 aquedutos. O hotel foi apenas o suficiente para o tempo que passámos lá.
Roma é uma cidade cheia de lugares interessantes para visitar, então esqueça a idéia de que você tentará ver um pouco de tudo! Durante esta visita, os lugares onde passei a maior parte do tempo foram o Vaticano, o Coliseu e seus arredores. Para visitar cada lugar, você precisa de pelo menos um dia inteiro e ainda precisa enfrentar as filas infinitas para comprar ingressos e entrar nos locais. Vá muito cedo, esse é o truque! Roma está cheia de turistas e você é um deles, então seja paciente! Eu não fui paciente, meu grande erro!
O Vaticano pode ser um dos menores países do mundo, mas fique sabendo de que a entrada para os museus do Vaticano não fica perto da praça de São Pedro e saber desse fato pode fazer você economizar um tempo precioso! Eu não sabia e além de perder tempo, também perdi 55 euros. Em Roma, eles são muito rigorosos com relação à segurança, mas no Vaticano são ainda mais rigorosos! Para entrar nos museus do Vaticano, você precisa passar por 2 pontos de segurança. O primeiro é uma máquina de raio-x normal de aeroporto, o segundo é quando você está passando pelo torniquete. O segurança do torniquete não me deixou passar com minha mochila, onde eu carregava milhares de euros em equipamento fotográfico. Minha opção era deixar lá a mochila e recolhê-la no final do passeio, num outro ponto do museu pois a entrada já estaria encerrada. Eu realmente não me senti confortável deixando todo o meu equipamento para trás, então logo no início da visita voltei para trás e saí. Foi assim que perdi 55 €. O bilhete normal é de cerca de 20 euros, mas eu comprei com um agente de turismo para uma visita guiada em português. Não seja bobo como eu, basta comprar o ingresso normal e obter o guia áudio e você ficará bem! Foi isso que fiz 3 dias depois com minha irmã e nós gostamos muito!
O Coliseu é grande. Não tentei uma visita guiada depois da minha experiência no Vaticano por isso, não sei dizer quanto tempo isso levaria. Lembro-me de olhar para o meu relógio e perceber que estávamos lá já há mais de 4h. O Coliseu é um belo monumento, mas o que mais gostei foi o Fórum Romano, ao lado do Coliseu. O Fórum Romano é uma área onde existem ruínas de antigos prédios do governo romano em que alguns dos quais você ainda pode entrar, e belos jardins! Passei 5h no Fórum Romano e não consegui ver tudo, mas sou um daqueles que está constantemente lendo todas as descrições e tirando fotos! E para me fazer perder mais tempo, eu estava tentando ler todas as informações escritas em italiano para descobrir o quanto eu conseguia entender!
Outros lugares que visitei, mas não passei muito tempo, foi a Piazza di Spagna e a Fontana di Trevi.
Como você pode ver em 4 dias, não há muito o que você pode ver se está interessado em conhecer a história. No entanto, desfrutei muito desta viagem pois me fez querer voltar para Roma, ainda tenho muito a explorar por lá!
E você? Você já esteve em Roma por tão pouco tempo? Qual foi o seu plano de viagem? Funcionou do jeito que você queria?

Shot no.47

Photo taken at the Poolbeg Lighthouse, Co. Dublin in December 2018 with Canon EOS 77D and Sigma lens 10-20mm F3.5 EX-DC and DJI Mavic Air.

Over a year ago, I went to the Poolbeg Lighthouse in a very cold and wet winter night (stupid idea) to take some photos! It was so cold that most of the photos were a complete fail! From that day I only posted 1 photo here on Solo Shot 25. My fingers were frozen and I wasn't able to properly set the camera! So I just forgot about those photos. But, looking back at them and after some edition work, I got those 2 photos. I really like it and I got my lesson, to never delete the photos just because I didn't like it at first sight!

The Poolbeg Lighthouse was built in 1768 and is located on the Great South Wall at the Port of Dublin which extends from the Ringsend's Poolbeg peninsula nearly 4km out into Dublin Bay! It's a beautiful walk that takes between 30 to 40min depending on your pace and the sight at the lighthouse is just indescribable! I strongly suggest you try it but please, don't do it like me! It can be dangerous too as the path is quite uneven so make sure that, if you go when there is low light, you bring a flashlight, warm clothes and comfortable footwear. At the end of your walk, you can enjoy a hot chocolate or a coffee with Mr. Hobbs Coffee!

Enjoy the walk and bring your camera! :)

More info;

• About the Poolbeg Lighthouse:
• https://lovindublin.com/dublin/looking-for-something-to-do-take-a-sunday-stroll-along-the-great-south-wall-walk
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poolbeg_Lighthouse
• https://www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/dublin/attractions/poolbeg-lighthouse/a/poi-sig/1574757/35979

• About Mr. Hobbs Coffee:
• https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/dublin-lives-meet-david-hobbs-15924996

Shot no.46

Photos and video produced at Ticknock Forest, Dublin, Ireland in December 2019 with Lumix G9 with Leica lens 12-60mm, Canon 77D with Canon lens 50mm f/1.8 and DJI Mavic Air.

A new place that I discovered in Dublin, Ticknock Forest at the Dublin Mountains. I heard about this place maybe 6 months ago but never had a chance to go there. This time, my motivation was to do the Tchikita Christmas Video. Basically is the video at the start of this post. If you follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vitor_mc_oliveira/) you probably saw my Tchikita videos where I dance that music in a place with a nice view (https://www.instagram.com/p/B11l2G2A1Uu/, https://www.instagram.com/p/B0gjQ1rgt8h/). 

It was a very cold day in December, late afternoon, the sun was nearly setting down so it was the perfect time to shoot the video. My idea was to shoot only the video but the landscape surrounding me was so, so, so beautiful that I had to take a few photos. Thank God because that gave me the motivation to create some content for the blog.

Ticknock is located in the Dublin Mountains, has good access with carpark if you are driving and the area is also served by the Dublin Bus 44B. Only about a half-hour from Dublin City Centre. Ticknock offers 10km of mountain and forest walks with an amazing view over Dublin City, Dublin Bay, Bray Head and the Wicklow Mountains. The park has mountain bike trails and a shop where you can also rent your bike and equipment with a little coffee shop! There are several marked trails and when you are tired you can stop for a picnic! This visit was very quick but was enough to make me plan the next visit! I will do the Fairy Castle Loop trail and I promise many photos!

See you in 2020 with many more adventures!

Have a happy Christmas and a wonderful 2020!

P.S.: Thank you to Marta who was a crucial help to produce the video!

Solo Shot 35

Photo taken at Cliff's of Moher, Co. Clare Ireland in September 2019 with Lumix G9 with Leica lens 12-60mm.

I won't be talking much about this photo and about this trip because I have a huge amount of photos from the Cliffs. I'll, eventually, do a post about the Cliffs where I spent literally over 5h shooting. Unfortunately, I have no aerial shots because drones are not allowed and even if they were, it was extremely windy so (so windy that the water that would normally fall down the cliffs, was coming up!!!) I wouldn't be able to fly it.

This photo was only a macro experience and because you can't identify the location I decided to post it as a Solo Shot. Do you like it?

Solo Shot 34

Photo taken at Ireland's Eye, Dublin, Ireland in July 2019 with Lumix G9 with Leica lens 12-60mm.

On my second visit to Ireland's Eye, I went on a mission to collect footage of an old church that there is on the island. The walk to that church is made between high bushes surrounded by those beautiful purple flowers and of course, nearly every flower had a bee and eventually, they got used to my presence and allowed me to get closer and take some of my first macro photos! This is the best one!

Shot no.45

Photos taken in Tara, Co. Meath, Ireland with all my devices able to take photos and for a period of over a year!

Oh, Tara!!! I don't even know where to start! The Hill of Tara, a mythological place in Ireland that was once the heart of the Irish culture and, nowadays, an authentic curse to me! Let's start chronologically and then we will jump back to the 21st century!

Tara, Teamhair na Rí in Gaeilge which means "the sanctuary of the King", was, in fact, the ancient seat of power in Ireland, the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. The most important monument at the site is the Lia Fáil (Gaeilge for "The Stone of Destiny"), Ireland's most ancient coronation stone. It was said to cry or roar when touched by the rightful King of Tara. However, even before that, Tara was known during the Stone Age as a passage-tomb and the Dumha na nGiall (Gaeilge for "the mound of the hostages") tomb is the oldest monument still visible at the Hill of Tara. It was held sacred by Neolithic people and they believed it to be a dwelling place of the gods and the entrance to another world. But Tara became truly significant during the Iron Age and in the Early Christian Period. In 433 AD, St. Patrick, in defiance of the pagan High King of Tara, lit the Paschal fire on the nearby Hill of Slane.

From the top of the hill, on a clear day (which can be tricky in Ireland) you can see all the surrounding counties, so I can understand how important Tara would be from a strategic point of view for the High King of Ireland to protect his kingdom.
These were the historical facts behind the Hill of Tara, now the facts behind the curse of the Hill of Tara!

For a few years already I've been trying to shoot at Hill of Tara. I thhink the first time was early 2018 and after that, I went there numerous times, at different times of the day, alone, with other people and with every weather condition (no snow though). So, so many visits and only now doing a post about, over a year! Why? There is a tale that says that if a guy called Vitor, who is a nurse and has a hobby taking photos and makes videos, tries to make a post on his blog about the Hill of Tara, he will fail miserably! And that is so true! This doesn't follow a chronological line but here you have a few reasons that stopped me of collecting material for a post:

• attacked by a herd of sheep;
• dust inside the lens so all the photos came out with black dots;
• a beautiful sunny day that turned to an awful rainy day as soon as I stood in Tara (it happened 73,8% of the time);
• forgotten memory card;
• a low battery in the camera and the spare battery was completely empty;
• the drone wouldn't take off and when did it, it started to rain;
• extremely cold and windy up there (it happened 99% of the time);
• a huge group of tourists.

The 2 first points happened only once all the others happened at least twice! So from all of those visits, I managed to get the photos above, which is very poor material after so many times there! But honestly, I was so fed up with constantly failing that I just decided that it was time to share the curse of Tara with the world! Now, just to finish and to confirm that there is a real curse, I tried to look for photos from failed visits to post here and I can't find them, I probably deleted them all!

Well, I hope the curse of Tara won't stop you from visiting this mystical place, it only has an effect on me! Now, there is a big chance that it will be freezing cold if you go there but don't you worry, then you can go to the Maguires Cafe and enjoy a lovely latte or cup of tea to warm you up!

[PT] Tara !!! Eu nem sei por onde começar! A colina de Tara, é um lugar mitológico na Irlanda que já foi o coração da cultura irlandesa e, hoje em dia, é uma maldição autêntica para mim! Vamos começar cronologicamente e depois voltaremos para o século 21!

Tara, Teamhair na Rí em Gaeilge, que significa "o santuário do rei", era, de fadto, a antiga sede do poder na Irlanda, a sede dos Altos Reis da Irlanda. O monumento mais importante no local é o Lia Fáil (Gaeilge de "A Pedra do Destino"), a mais antiga pedra de coroação da Irlanda. Dizia-se que a pedra chorava ou rugia quando tocada pelo legítimo Rei de Tara. No entanto, mesmo antes disso, Tara era conhecida durante a Idade da Pedra como uma tumba de passagem e o túmulo de Dumha na nGiall (Gaeilge para "o monte dos reféns") é o monumento mais antigo ainda visível na Colina de Tara. Era considerado sagrado pelo povo neolítico e eles acreditavam que era uma morada dos deuses e a entrada para outro mundo. Mas Tara tornou-se verdadeiramente significativa durante a Idade do Ferro e no Período Cristão Primitivo. Em 433 dC, São Patrício, desafiando o pagão rei supremo de Tara, acendeu o fogo pascal na colina próxima de Slane.

Do alto da colina, em um dia claro (o que pode ser complicado na Irlanda) você pode ver todos os condados vizinhos, o que ajuda a entender o quão importante seria Tara, do ponto de vista estratégico, para o Alto Rei da Irlanda proteger o seu reino.

Estes foram os fatos históricos por trás da Colina de Tara, agora os fatos por trás da maldição da Colina de Tara!

Há alguns anos eu venho tentando filmar na colina de Tara. Acho que a primeira vez foi no início de 2018 e depois disso, eu fui lá inúmeras vezes, em diferentes momentos do dia, sozinho, com outras pessoas e com todas as condições meteorológicas (não neve tho). Então, muitas visitas e só agora fazendo um post há mais de um ano! Por quê? Há um conto que diz que se um cara chamado Vitor, que é enfermeiro e como hobby tira fotos e faz vídeos, tenta fazer um post em seu blog sobre o Morro da Tara, ele vai fracassar miseravelmente! E isso é tão verdade! Isso não segue uma linha cronológica, mas aqui você tem algumas razões que me impediram de coletar material para um post:

• atacado por um rebanho de ovelhas;
• poeira dentro da lente para que todas as fotos saíssem com pontos pretos;
• um belo dia de sol que se transformou em um terrível dia chuvoso assim que fiquei em Tara (aconteceu 73,8% do tempo);
• esqueci o cartão de memória;
• uma bateria fraca na câmera e a bateria sobressalente estava completamente vazia;
• o drone não decolaria e quando isso aconteceu, começou a chover;
• extremamente frio e ventoso lá em cima (aconteceu 99% do tempo);
• um enorme grupo de turistas.

Os dois primeiros pontos aconteceram apenas uma vez mas, todos os outros aconteceram pelo menos duas vezes! De todas essas visitas, eu consegui tirar as fotos acima, o que é um material muito reduzido depois de tantas vezes lá! Mas, honestamente, eu estava tão farto de falhar tantas vezes que acabei por decidir que era hora de compartilhar a maldição de Tara com o mundo! Agora, só para finalizar e para confirmar que existe uma verdadeira maldição, tentei procurar por fotos de visitas fracassadas para postar aqui e não consigo encontrá-las, provavelmente eu deletei todas elas!

Bem, eu espero que a maldição de Tara não o impeça de visitar este lugar místico, a maldição só tem efeito sobre mim! Agora, há uma grande chance de que estará frio quando você for lá, mas não se preocupe, você pode ir ao  Maguires Cafe e desfrutar de um  café com leite ou chá para aquecê-lo!

Info:

• Hill of Tara:
• https://mythicalireland.com/ancient-sites/the-hill-of-tara-teamhair/
• http://www.discoverboynevalley.ie/boyne-valley-drive/heritage-sites/hill-tara
• https://www.discoverireland.ie/Arts-Culture-Heritage/hill-of-tara/9805
• https://www.knowth.com/tara.htm
• http://hilloftara.org/

• Maguires Cafe:
• https://hilloftara.com/cafe-menu/
• https://www.facebook.com/hilloftaramaguires/

Solo Shot 33

Photo taken at Burrow Beach, Co. Dublin in July 2019 with Canon Powershot G9x mark II

Yes! This is Ireland on another summer day! So good! The good thing about living on an island is that you are surrounded by sea... I just wish that the water was a bit warmer! Normally I go to the beaches on the south side of Dublin but since I've been shooting in Ireland's Eye, after I leave the island (normally the last boat is at 17h) I still want to go for a dip in the sea so the nearest beach with sand and parking places is Burrow beach. The last days of July have been amazing and I have been shooting a lot! On this day I decided to try my new camera Canon Powershot G9x mark II which was a gift from Capitola watches! It's just a point and shoot but the image quality surprised me! I might do a review of the camera when I have more photos, the first one came out quite nicely! Do you like it? Would you say it was taken with a point and shoot camera?

Shot no.44

Photo taken at East Pier, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland in June 2019 with Lumix G9 with Leica lens 12-60mm.

I know that I have been absent for a long time, I'm sorry! Now I'm back with new gear and new motivation! 

I haven't been shooting at all, I was uniquely dedicated to studies and work. But that will change now! Studies are finished and I have extra motivation to go out and photograph!

This photo was taken immediately after finishing my final assignment! It was taken with my brand new Lumix G9, yes I'm back to mirrorless cameras! I made a little clip to introduce it in May that I posted on my personal Instagram and you can watch it above. However, I still have my Canon 77D, I like it too much to get rid of it. Actually, a few minutes after taking the first photos, when I was packing my gear, I had my 77D on my hands when I notice that some clouds were passing in front of the sun. I just had time to remove the lid and shoot, didn't even realized that I had the 50mm lens on! Couldn't miss that dramatic light over the clouds!
Let's see if having now two good cameras will increase my productivity! xD

Shot no.43

Photo taken at O'Connell Street, Dublin, Ireland in March 2018 with Canon EOS 77D with lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 and Sigma lens 10-20mm F3.5 EX-DC.

[EN]

There is no much to say about this shot. Basically I thought about taking a very specific photo with my Benfica jersey. The result was very very close to what I planned which made me happy. Now I just hope that someone from my team, the best football team in the world, Benfica, sees the photo and put it outside the stadium! That would be fantastic!

I knew that would never happen so I kept shooting and trying different things with different lenses and I got 2 photos that I liked! Please, have a look and tell me which one is your favorite photo!

[PT]

Não há muito a dizer sobre esta pequena sessão. Basicamente, pensei em tirar uma foto muito específica com a minha camisa do Benfica. O resultado foi muito próximo do que tinha planeado, o que me deixou feliz. Agora só espero que alguém da minha equipa, a melhor equipa de futebol do mundo, o Benfica, veja a foto e a coloque do lado de fora do estádio! Isso seria fantástico!

Eu sei que isso nunca aconteceria, então continuei fotografando e tentando coisas diferentes com lentes diferentes e consegui duas fotos que eu gostei! Por favor, veja e me diga qual é a sua foto favorita!

Solo Shot 32

Photo taken in Clonsilla, Co. Dublin in March 2019 with Canon EOS 77D and Canon lens EF-S 24mm f/2.8.

It's time to celebrate the new life, the longer days, it's time to celebrate Spring!

Solo Shot 31

Photo taken in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin in February 2019 with Canon EOS 77D and Sigma lens 10-20mm F3.5 EX-DC.

After a long day working, I was suppose to go home and study for my pharmacology exam. However I wasn't on the right mindset for it so I just decided to grab my camera and go for a drive... I drove to Dún Laoghaire and I captured this. I can't decide which one is my favourite, what is yours?