A Midsummer’s Dawn.

On this midsummer week of summer weather, I’ve been drawn back to a photograph made at sea just outside Kinsale harbour. To catch the dawn at this time of year means a very early start, I recall it being around 4am, making  my way to the marina. Having motored out the harbour, past Charlefort and on to the open sea beyond the harbour entrance, I shut down the engine again to savour the sunrise.

It’s the serene calmness of the ocean, the subtle dance of light across the waves, and the quiet majesty of the Sovereign islands, as I float near the South Cardinal marker buoy at Bulman Rock, just outside Kinsale harbour. This photograph, one among the collection from my recent book, ‘Kinsale Light and Time’, is more than just an image; it’s an encapsulation of a cherished moment. As I leaned on the boat’s gunwhale, the boat gently swaying, the sky aflamed with the hues of sunrise, a profound tranquility washed over me. The world was awakening, yet the sea held its breath, mirror-like, reflecting the blaze of the new dawn. It was an almost sacred communion of elements: the buoy, a lone silhouette etched against the vibrant canvas of morning, the distant Sovereign islands standing guard on the horizon. The click of the shutter was nothing more than a whisper in the grand symphony of that dawn, the fleeting interruption of a timeless ritual. But it was a whisper that spoke volumes, a moment captured, an emotion frozen in time. 

That photograph, that instant, sums up what photography means to me: an intimate dialogue between the observer and the observed, a story told in the language of light and time. As I share this photo, I hope to transport you to that remarkable morning on the outskirts of Kinsale harbour. May you feel the gentle sea breeze, taste the salt in the air, and lose yourself in the profound quietude of the dawn.  A moment of connection, a fragment of the world that resonates with our soul. ‘Kinsale Light and Time’ isn’t merely a collection of photographs; it’s a compilation of my most cherished moments and memories of my life in Kinsale.