Don't let the sun go down on me

Don't let the sun go down on me, Lyrics by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

Don't let the sun go down on me
Although I search myself, it's always someone else I see
I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free
But losing everything is like the sun going down on me

I was at a funeral yesterday of a woman from my childhood neighbourhood. She had suffered Alzheimer's disease for several years and listening to her family reminissing on the fond memories they had of a  wonderful, devoted mother and grandmother made me think of the words of the song above. Alzheimer's must be like a door closing in your mind, shutting out the people you love and cherish or as the song says, 'losing everything is like the sun going down on me'.

This series of photographs is on Sunsets. Two of my daughter's are setting up their own homes next year and have asked me for canvases of some of the sunsets below. Both of them love cows, no reflection on me I hope.  For more cows in the sunset check out my post - http://mfkidneyphotography.blogspot.ie/2014/08/mad-cows.html

I have been told that some of my photographs look like oil paintings. It's amazing what can happen in post production. The good thing is that I won't be arriving at my children's houses with my latest effort at a painting and saying, wouldn't this be only beautiful above your fireplace.

I always remember one of my daughters in her Leaving cert year telling me that she felt like so many doors were closing on her. Leaving school and her friends and the familiar safety of her childhood. So many have opened for her since Thank God. She's getting married in March and opening the door into a new life full of my canvases, only joking Frankie!

I'm dedicating these photos to my neighbour Mary Brady, Late of Closes Road, Fairhill  and her wonderful loving family.
These photographs were taken in Mullinasole, Co Donegal, Ring, Co. Waterford and Cobh Co Cork.

 Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Canon 18-135@39mm, exp 1/250sec, f14, ISO  100

Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Canon 18-135mm@36mm, exp 1/80sec, f18, ISO100

Camera Settings, Camera Canon70D, Lens Canon 18-135mm@18mm, exp 1/160sec, f18, ISO100

 Camera settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Canon 18-135mm@18mm, exp 1/13sec, f18, ISO 100

 Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens 18-135mm@22mm, exp 1/30sec, f8, ISO 100

Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm@24mm, exp 1/125sec, f22, ISO100

Camera Settings, Camera canon 70D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm@13mm, exp 1/125sec, f22, ISO 100

 Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm@24mm, exp 1/125, f16, ISO100

Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm 24mm, exp 1/125sec, f20, ISO100

Lismore, a day in the life of the travelling Kidneys

Myself and himself don't often do touristy trips. We have a holiday home in Ring Co. Waterford and we are lucky to be living in Cobh, one of the most beautiful scenic towns in Ireland so where would you be going?

With a hobby like photography one needs fresh material so one got himself to accompany her to Lismore,  Co. Waterford for a trip this summer. Off we went in the truck with Bonnie, our Collie. She comes everywhere with us. We're like a pair of Eco-Warriors with our hound. All we are short is a bit of rope around her neck instead of a lead. If you want to meet Bonnie here's the link to my blog post about her  http://mfkidneyphotography.blogspot.ie/2014/09/bonnie-gift-that-keeps-on-giving.html

We viewed the magnificent Castle and visited the graveyard (as you do) and wandered the streets looking for a book shop(for himself). It is a beautiful historic town to be fair. We were looking for a suitable spot to have lunch,  a place where we could park our dog and sit outside but there was no such place.
We stood outside The Rustic Cafe looking in the window and I thought I'd be cheeky and go in and ask if they had seating  out the back where I could take my dog.
There were 2 ladies working away behind the counter and one of them  turned to me mischievously and said, "that's an awful thing to call your husband".

They were a lovely pair, a right double act. They were delighted with Bonnie. We sat outside in the yard with our dog and had a lovely feed of homemade soup and brown bread. There was eating and drinking in it. Bonnie got a dish of water and a few scraps from the kitchen.
It's very important to make sure himself isn't hungry when i'm in photographer mode. He needs all his strength for carrying my camera gear.

 Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Canon 18-135mm@18mm, Exp 1/1250sec, f3.5, ISO 100

Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Canon 18-135mm@18mm, exp 1/125 sec, f4.5, ISO100

 Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens 18-135mm@18mm, exp 1/100sec, f4, ISO100

Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm@10mm, exp 1/250sec, f22, ISO100

 Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm@12mm, exp 1/400sec, f4, ISO 100

Camera Settings, Canon 70D, Lens 18-135mm@38mm, exp 1/125sec, f13, ISO100

Cobh, The Holy Ground

                                                                The Holy Ground

Fare thee well, my lovely Dinah, a thousand times adieu. We’re goin’ away from the Holy Ground and the girls we all love true. We will sail the salt seas over and we'll return for shore, To see again the girls we love and the Holy Ground once more. Fine girl you are! You're the girl I do adore, And still I live in hopes to see the Holy Ground once more. Fine girl you are! And now the storm is raging and we are far from shore; And the good old ship is tossin’ about and the rigging is all tore. And the secrets of my mind, my love, you're the girl I do adore, And still I live in hopes to see the Holy Ground once more. Fine girl you are! You're the girl I do adore, And still I live in hopes to see the Holy Ground once more. Fine girl you are! And now the storm is over and we are safe and well We will go into a public house and we’ll sit and drink like hell! We will drink strong ale and porter and we'll make the rafters roar, And when our money is all spent, we'll go to sea once more. Fine girl you are! You're the girl I do adore, And still I live in hopes to see the Holy Ground once more. Fine girl you are!  The Holy Ground is a part of Cobh traditionally inhabited by fishermen. This song was a sea shanty sung by the sailors while performing various tasks onboard. I decided to do this blog on Cobh, especially for all of our friends, family and children who have emigrated and eagerly search Google for photographs and news of the town.  I married a Cobh man and came to live in Cobh 33 years ago. We are lucky enough to have a view of the harbour from our house and I never get sick of looking out the window. It's the first thing i see when i open the curtains in the morning and the lights of the ships at rest and the oil refinery are the last things I see before i close the curtains at night. How lucky am I?  It's a far cry from the North side of Cork city where I was reared. I remember as a child looking out my bedroom window with my brother and sister and taking turns with my father's ancient telescope. At the very end of the terrace, across all the back gardens there was a triangle of a gap between 2 roofs. If you held the telescope very steady you could see the distant fields and the cattle grazing there. I bet you thought we were spying on the neighbours!, Never.                                                                    The Camber Camera Settings, Camera Canon 500D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm@24mm, exp 1/320sec, f9, ISO 100 Sea Princess visiting Cobh Camera Settings, Camera Canon 500D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm@24mm, exp 1/250sec, f11, ISO 100 The Granuaile Camera Settings, Camera Canon 500D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm@14mm, exp 1sec, f10, ISO 100 The Camber Camera Settings, Camera Canon 500D, Lens Canon 18-55mm@18mm, exp, 1/250sec, f10, ISO 100 Independence of the Sea Camera Settings, Camera Canon 500D, Lens Canon 18-55mm@41mm, exp 1/125sec, f8, ISO 200 Glenmore, Cobh Camera Settings, Camera Canon 500D, Lens Canon 50mm, exp, 1/1600sec, f6.3, ISO 400  The Promenade Camera Settings, Camera, Canon 500D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm@13mm, exp 1/250sec, f11, ISO 100 Tall Ships Camera Settings, Camera Canon 500D, lens Canon 55-250mm@55mm, exp, 1/1328sec, f5.6, ISO 100 The Holy Ground Camera Settings, Camera Canon 70D, Lens Tamron 10-24mm@16mm, Exp, 1/500sec, f11, ISO 200