Lockdown Challenge: Knocknarea

Hello fellow photographers, I hope you are finding more time for your photography during lockdown.

Remaining in the 2 km range (now extended to 5 km) I took my camera up the hill just behind my village. I had been there before but since we are now limited with our movements I decided to give it another go, or two. I started with a day trip, looking for a simple composition playing with the few elements you can find on the top of the hill, in this case a walking trail, a cairn and the horizon. The walking trail worked well as a guiding line towards the cairn, that became the main subject of this picture. The horizon went to the lower third of the frame to obey to one of the most basic rules of composition, then I just had to wait for a cloud to pass by and make the sky more interesting.

The second trip I planned to the same spot was a night one, hoping for the sky to be clear and the stars to be the main subject. I got some good and back luck but I came home with a shot. Still editing the results but I’m going to share it very soon.

Location: Knocknarea, Strandhill, Sligo, Ireland.

What to shoot: Knocknarea Mountain is an iconic element of Irish landscape. On the top the walking trails and the cairn are good elements to play with and find your favourite composition. In alternative, from that vantage point you can focus on the village downhill with a view on the beach, sand dunes and the ocean.

Ideal time to shoot: Sunsets.

Gear: Standard zooms.

Coordinates: 54.258682, -8.575473