Photo of the week - 07/02/25
Dalkey Island at Sunset
I had the opportunity to spend a few days in South Dublin, around Dalkey and Killiney in January for a photo and video shoot I was doing for a client. I used to live not far from there in the late nineties and it’s always nice to come back to this area. Since getting into photography many years later, I had always thought that the island just off Dalkey would make for a great subject of a long-exposure image.
I finished the full-day shoot just after 4pm and was exhausted. I got in the car, looking forward to a long, warm shower. I had just recovered from a back injury and after a long day shooting, I was quite in a bit of pain.
I only had about a 10 minute drive to the hotel, along coast from Killiney beach to Dun Laghoire. As I was glancing out at the coast, I noticed the sky starting to turn shades of orange and light blue as the sun started to set.
As tired and in pain as I was, I couldn’t ignore the possibly great conditions for a sunset photo of Dalkey Island. that I have had in my mind all these years. I drove past a small park that overlooks the island and between the view out to the island, the colours in the sky and the free parking space, I knew I had to stop and see if I can get that image I had envisioned.
I didn’t have much time until the sun would completely set and the colours would be gone. I parked, got my camera bag out of the boot, grabbed my tripod and hastily made my way down to the waterfront. I found some big rocks right across from the island where I could position myself and where I could set up the tripod safely.
I set the tripod up, mounted the camera and popped the ND filter on to allow for a longer exposure time and smoothen out the water. I was still just in time with the colours in the sky now creating a gradient from light blue to orange and blue again closer to the water.
I composed the shot, focused the lens on the island and to save time, let the camera calculate the exposure time. I quickly set the self-timer and pressed the shutter, anxiously waiting to see a preview of the result on the screen after the 60 second exposure time.
I only had time to take 5 images with a few different compositions before the colours very quickly disappeared and the sun set completely. The excitement of having had a chance to take this photo made me momentarily forget how tired I was and that my back was hurting. As I walked to the car, I realised how cold I had gotten as well - so that long, warm shower I was looking forward to earlier now became an even more appealing proposition.
On getting back to the hotel, I started up my laptop and uploaded the images so that I could review them after my long-awaited shower. I am so glad I took the time to stop and take these images I had envisaged for so long.
Dalkey Island at Sunset