Fergal Smith charging with Mickey Smith capturing

(Yes, I know Fergal Smith aint [...]]]> I wanted to share my two favourite photos from the last year and give some thoughts as to why I love them……one is a ‘Winter’ shot and the other is a ‘Summer’ shot. Both are fab!¬†

Fergal Smith charging with Mickey Smith capturing

(Yes, I know Fergal Smith aint a girl and all that…..but…..)¬†

I absolutely love this shot….it is actually one of my ‘all time’ favourites and not just one of my top two from the last year. Irish surfer Fergal absolutely charges and I really admire what he, Tom Lowe and Mickey Smith have been achieving over the past couple of years. There are so many reasons why I love this shot. On one hand it’s so perfectly balanced and serene looking. On the other hand check out the background….look how shallow and intense this ride really is…that water is sucking dry over an ominous looking ledge. So….this beautiful photograph is really a split-second snapshot of one pretty heavy ride! Secondly, look how perfect the light is, such a wonderful emerald colour-i guess the luck of the Irish was around that day huh!! Surfing in Ireland in the Winter can be really horrendous at times….cold, miserable, windy, wet, lumpy and bumpy. However, this shot reflects one of those ‘gem’ days that we can get and cherish….where the sun, the wind and the swell all come together and cooperate for one of those perfect sessions that make getting into all that neoprene worthwhile! Smiles all around!

Beardmore hooking up with Swilly at Maccas

This one is my favourite ‘Summer’ shot of the year. Aussie Sarah Beardmore hooking up nicely with photographer Simon Williams (a.k.a Swilly) at Macaroni’s in the Mentawaiis. The Mentawaiis is an amazing place, and this is probably one of the main reasons I love this shot….it brings back fantastic memories of that part of the World. I also love how Sarah is sitting so happily and comfortably in the tube (demonstrated by the cheesy grin and ‘peace sign’ she is giving Swilly!) over a shallow coral reef; which can do serious skin damage if you land on it….trust me I have the scars to prove it!!. Timing one of these ‘hook ups’ as we call them (where a surfer and a water photographer manage to get close on the same part of a wave) is so frickin’ hard. I’ve been on quite a few trips with Swilly and other photographers, and trying to nail water shots is the hardest (and more often than not, the least successful) part of a surf/photography trip. The last reason I love this shot is because it is of a girl in the most critical part of a wave-the barrell….charging. It’s awesome because it demonstrates that girls can do it too and hopefully it can motivate you all to get out there and charge too!!!! IF YOU DON’T GO YOU’LL NEVER KNOW……yeeee haaaa!!!

So the surf is still pumping over here on the Emerald Isle….and looks like it will continue for the foreseeable future (according to Windguru).¬†¬† Happy days, whoop whoop!

I’ve been waiting for the tide to drop out a little bit more…playing with my dog Ben in the meantime….i [...]]]>

So the surf is still pumping over here on the Emerald Isle….and looks like it will continue for the foreseeable future (according to Windguru).¬†¬† Happy days, whoop whoop!

I’ve been waiting for the tide to drop out a little bit more…playing with my dog Ben in the meantime….i think the more I watch the tide going out, the slower it is dropping?!?!

Oh and this time I am taking a flask of tea and some jaffa cakes WITH me, to save on the time and fuel driving back out home for my ‘half-time’ break!! Aiming for two 2hour sessions this afternoon (if my little arms can take it-they are feeling the strain of the last few days)…..yikes better get in there, it’s only bright for another 4 hours…………………YEW!!

Well the surf is back, phew.¬† I was getting a bit edgy with the lack of water time over the past couple of weeks.¬† All is good now though and i’ve got my ‘stoke’ back.¬† The only downside is the cold….yesterday The Peak in Bundoran was pumping….I lasted [...]]]> ¬†

Well the surf is back, phew.¬† I was getting a bit edgy with the lack of water time over the past couple of weeks.¬† All is good now though and i’ve got my ‘stoke’ back.¬† The only downside is the cold….yesterday The Peak in Bundoran was pumping….I lasted two and a half hours before having to go in to thaw out¬†my feet…because¬†once they get cold I just can’t surf anymore…I can’t feel my board and lose all coordination!¬† So I dashed home and had a wee cup of tea and a jaffa cake (well 6 actually!).¬† Then I headed straight back in for anther hour before dark.¬†¬† It works too…the power of a cuppa…it can double surf time in the winter months for sure.¬† Tip of the day!!