This post is the first in a series of shots I took in the pub/restaurant The Spanish Arch in Galway. Having several function, including a hotel as well, it was very diverse. Maybe that was why I found it so inspiring. As you will see I certainly took at lot of pictures. Something about the mood and I’m very happy with the way I captured it.
First one: My family diffusely reflected in the mirror – a commercial for Danish beer 🙂
Did I mention Galway sits almost at the edge of the (once known) world? I noticed one afternoon through the kitchen window of the apartment how the sun was turning a part of the sea a bright silver. I rushed out on the deck, 4 floors up, with my camera. I didn’t quite manage to catch the silver but the view was impressive none the less.
This shot is an example of how the emotional impact of a photo can be different from reality. Looking at this street musician from Galway, he stands alone while people rush past him. In reality there were four other playing and they had gathered quite a crowd. But this made for a better picture.
No visit to Ireland without music, right? The pubs with music were too packed for us, but there was plenty to be found on the streets. I will also never forget when, on the train back to Dublin, a passenger took out his mouth organ and began to play. That would not happen on a Danish train!
On our second day in Galway we walked from the hotel straight through the pedistrian street without heading the call from the stores, heading for the bay. No pointless dallying to tap our strength!
There are many walks you can take, following the water. We chose the shorter option and followed one of the canals. As all distances ended up being shorter than anticipated (as opposed to Dublin and other big cities) we covered a lot of ground follwing the canal.
Mainly the path led us through residential areas, giving us a different view of the town. One of the views was of the chimneys. I have been to London many times so the multiple chimneys were not new to me – but they are so photogenic 🙂
Arriving in Galway we were so fortunate to be upgraded to an apartment with a view. This is overlooking the main square from the deck on our floor.
Had we not had the kids along I’m sure I could easily have spent a couple of days shopping in Galway. You could go anywhere in a matter of minutes but there were malls and high street shops a plenty. Lots of cute little bakeries to sit down and catch your breath and of course finishing off with beers and cozy restaurants.
What I find interesting in this shot is the different qualities of light – cold light to the left and warm light to the right. I did try it in black/white but it lost the magic of the contrast.
Galway was a straight forward train ride right across Ireland. We hadn’t been sure what to expect. Some sources described Galway as the ultimate drinking spot. Other found it charming. I can’t speak for the drinking but we certainly found it charming. It felt good to be in a smaller town with shorter distances, and the main street was one of the best looking ones I’ve seen.
I haven’t worked much with black/white. I like to work with colours. But this shot works better in black/white.
After two nights in Dublin we borded the train for Galway. And I’ll write more about tomorrow…
I wish I could remember the name of the pub where I took this picture as well as the previous one – down one of the first streets in the Temple Bar area. Anyway, both the bar itself and one of the tables were covered in brightly polished copper.
I was determined to try to capture the beauty and the light.
As I’ve mentioned in the first Ireland-post, most of the time my picture taking would be limited by how far I could fall behind the family. Once a day, however, I had plenty of time – when we had our pub stop.
There was no way Peter was going to miss out on good beer while in Ireland, and thankfullt the laws around allowing minors into pubs are quite liberal. We would usually find a much needed seat around 4 p.m. and hang out for a good hour before leaving again. There was just a limit to how much walking could be done in one day.
Spending that much time relaxing in one place also gave me time to take in my surroundings and go for that challenging shot that usually only patience and trying every angle will get you. Here’s one of them.
Seán Heuston Bridge – that’s where the last lattice was from. I noticed the iron work when we crossed the bridge to catch a bus to the center and decided I had to come back and take some shots. With the hotel only a few minutes away it was no groundbreaking decision and the sun even came out for me.
This photo shows the view towards the center – the Guiness Brewery. Yesterday was a completely different story. That view looked more like a old fortress.
Enough of lattices. I didn’t find any other worth taking pictures of though I’m sure there must be plenty around for me to discover on my next trip to Ireland. However, it’s not the fall break to Ireland 2012 – more to come tomorrow…
Karins Fotos 