This photograph is the triumph of perseverance and optimism in the face of pessimism and the Irish weather!

The Small Skellig is a dramatic rock thrust out of the Atlantic off the coast of Kerry. The smaller sibling to Skellig Michael, featured in the recent Star Wars movies, it's every bit as dramatic, if not more so. During winter storms, the entire island has been known to be overtopped by huge waves.

I'd long wanted to produce a photograph giving some hint of that drama, and found the opportunity on a late summer's day a few years ago. The only way to get the angle I wanted was from a boat, so I needed a willing skipper to take me out on a suitable day - one where most people would be happy to stay home on dry land!

On this day, the fog was thick along the coast and the waves were high enough to make the trip an unpleasant one. My friend was hesitant to go out - he wanted to save me the charter money as he was certain I wouldn't get anything worthwhile out of it. However, on the satellite imagery for the area I saw there were one or two thinner spots of fog scattered about. If one of those coincided with the Small Skellig, I knew it would look incredible. If it didn't, then the trip would be a wasted one!

So much in photography depends on going out in marginal conditions - you'll either come back with something spectacular or you'll come back empty handed. There's rarely a middle ground on those days.

I convinced him to go out, and for most of the journey you couldn't see more than 30 yards in any direction. However, as we got closer to the Small Skellig, the fog began to thin out, and sure enough it ended up being exactly what I hoped - not so clear that the island was just set against a gray background, but exactly thick enough to show the layers of  rock receding into the distance, and emphasise the drama and ruggedness of this incredible rock.

Capturing the image on a small boat while it was pitching and rolling was difficult - especially as I'm prone to sea sickness (despite spending a lot of time on the water for my coastal work)! It's made all the worse when the camera decides to have a tantrum and refuses to work properly at the critical moment! However, between my friend's expert boat handling and my loud curses at the camera, and suppression of my rebellious stomach while I carefully framed and exposed the image, I was able to achieve my goal and I couldn't be happier with this image.

My own copy hanging on my wall at home brings me a lot of joy and I know yours will too!

The finest lighthouse on the Irish coast, the Fastnet stands proud on an unusually calm fine Summer's evening.
A granite tower constructed of interlocking blocks, it's a virtual monolith which presents itself like the bow of a ship to the incoming Atlantic swells, dissipating their energy before they reach peak force.
So effective is the design and construction that it has survived the worst the Atlantic can throw at it for over a century with nary a scratch. In 1985, it was struck by a 48m rogue wave (the same height as the focal plane of the lantern). This stove in the glass of the lantern room and overturned the vat of mercury on which the lantern turns, but the structure took no other damage.

Inis Tuaisceart (Inishtooskert in English) is the northernmost of the Blasket Islands off the tip of the Dingle peninsula. In fact, the name means 'Northern Island', perhaps a little unimaginatively.
The official name may be somewhat lacking, but it's known colloquially in Irish as 'an Fear Marbh', or the Dead Man. It does look uncannily like a man lying on his back. Also known in English as 'the Sleeping Giant' or 'the Sleeping Monk'.
Photographed here at sunset on a fine summer's evening, it's hard to imagine a more beautiful location.

The Conor Pass is the highest mountain pass in Ireland and offers the most dramatic way to enter the western part of the Dingle peninsula.
On the eastern side, an incredible narrow and winding road clings to the cliff face making it interesting for the unwary when meeting traffic coming the other way!
Once at the top of the pass, the views are quite literally breathtaking. This image was made as the sun was rising on a Summer's morning. Brandon Mountain (Cnoc Bréanainn) shows off its rugged eastern face across the Owenmore (An Abha Mhór) valley. The lakes visible are, from left to right, An Loch Geal, Loch Uí Fiannachta and Loch Neil Phádraig. Loch Cruite is just visible nestling at the base of the mountain. Brandon Bay can be seen in the right of frame in the distance.
It's from Brandon Creek on the western side of the mountain that St. Brendan is said to have begun his legendary voyage to America around the year 512 AD.

Ross Castle is one of Killarney's most popular tourist attractions. Probably built around the 15th century, it was restored in 1979 and is open to the public.
Seen here from Rien Pier by the Workmen's Rowing Club boathouse on a fine summer's morning, it's easy to see why it's such a popular place to visit.

The Plassey is a cargo vessel that came aground in 1960 on the Carraig na Finnise reef off the east cost of Inis Oirr, the smallest and most easterly of the Aran Islands. All hands were rescued by the islanders in difficult conditions by firing grapnels to the ship and roping the crew to shore.
The ship was since driven ashore onto the island proper, and has been moved higher up the beach by subsequent violent storms. It sits well above the high tide mark, which speaks volumes of the power of the storms necessary to shift it. It's remarkable after the battering it's had over the years that the ship is still intact and upright.
From my conversations with the islanders, they believe that the next big sea to hit it (the last was sometime in the mid-90s) will destroy it, as it's in an advanced state of decay now. This will be a shame, as right now it's a big tourist draw for the island. I was told by one man, tongue in cheek, that they're looking for a replacement.
This image was made on a rather beautiful dawn, looking south towards the lighthouse.

The monastery on Skellig Michael dates from the 6th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Perched on a man-made terrace 600 feet above the Atlantic, it's possibly my favourite place in the world. This photograph was made looking into the rising sun - a rare privilege!

The sun rises through the tunnel that passes entirely through the Bull rock. This only happens a few days a year, near the summer solstice. The lighthouse perches above as gannets from the colony on the rock wheel around the clear sky.

Ireland took a beating in early 2014 with storm after storm crashing into the coast from the Atlantic. This image was made on February 8th at Cromwell Point on Valentia Island. A huge wave threatens to engulf the lighthouse.

Fanad Head Lighthouse stands sentinel over the Atlantic as the sun rises over Inishowen.

A panoramic long exposure of the sea stack of Dún Briste.