Have a seat. Here’s one. I don’t know where it came from, maybe a local office or flat, but it was gone again in the morning. Be famous, seat.
| Aperture | ƒ/16 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1.6s |
Frank Flaherty, the Cork Birdman, who passed away earlier this month, pictured sitting on the wall of The Outdoor Adventure Store in 2021. His dog sits underneath, waiting patiently.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 17mm |
| ISO | 800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Last week, we experienced the sudden loss of an extraordinary and beautiful person. Velda, my Dad’s partner and a constant presence in our lives for over twenty-two years, passed away after a brief illness.
Velda and my Dad, Barra, lost their spouses in the late 90s, at ages that were far too young to be going through something so devastating. We were all so happy when Dad met Velda and love was in the air again.
Velda was loyal, compassionate, fun-loving, unflappable and full of joy and laughter. She loved hiking, gardening, travelling and more. She baked some seriously delicious muffins for us, whenever we called. She was someone with a love for life and a tremendous intellectual curiosity. She used her retirement to explore, crossing tundra on the Orient Express or hiking the Peruvian jungle and fishing for piranha. She was always interested in people, and loved to hear and debate everyone’s thoughts on current events. She brought a fierce intelligence and warmth to any discussion, and saw the best in people.
Many a bottle of fizz was shared with her during family celebrations over the years. There was always an atmosphere of fun when she was around, her laugh was so infectious. You were guaranteed to be in good humour after meeting with Velda. It was an honour to have her in our lives for so long. She will be greatly missed by all of us.
And, now that I have told you about Velda, you will remember her too. As Terry Pratchett wrote in his book, “Going Postal”,
Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal.
Thanks to my family for help writing this. I couldn’t have done it without you.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | Canon EOS 6D |
| Focal length | 39mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1/100s |
The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens always attracts a group of tourists, but the soldiers there take their job very seriously. They must stand guard, motionless, for an hour until relieved.
According to this page, the brown uniform these soldiers wear is only worn in Summer.
The uniform consists of:
• the farion – the Evzone’s fez, made from red baize and featuring a black silk tuft and the Greek coat of arms
• a white shirt with loose sleeves
• the fermeli – the handmade waistcoat with several delicate shapes sewn on it
• the fustanella – the Greek kilt, the making of which requires 30 meters of white cloth.
• four socks – two on each leg
• the anaspastos – the leather belt that holds the socks
• the tsarouchia – the red, traditional, leather shoes, with a black tuft in front. Each shoe weighs three kilos.
• blue and white fringes, representative of the Greek flag
• silk garters
• leather cartridge cases
All guards also carry a shotgun. It is the most difficult piece to carry, not only because of its weight but also because of the physical pressure that exerts on the soldier’s body.This is the official version of the uniform that the Evzones wear only on Sundays and National holidays.
Greeka.com
On other days, the white shirt, the fermeli and the fustanella are replaced by the doulamas, a special uniform that the soldiers of the Macedonian Struggle (1904-1908) used to wear. This uniform is blue in winter and brown in summer.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 106mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Light trails left by passing bikes along a canal side road in Amsterdam.
This photo is taken at the same location as the near miss photo I posted a few days ago.
| Aperture | ƒ/14 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 21mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1.3s |
She’s got the flowers, while he has the shopping, walking home from town. Amsterdam.
Live your life, love your life. It flies by so quickly, and can end so quickly, unexpectedly.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/800s |
The Temple of Poseidon in Sounion, south of Athens in Greece is an imposing structure, believed to have been built around 700BC.
It’s a tourist attraction now, attracting people from all over the world, as well as school trips for kids from all over the region.
| Aperture | ƒ/11 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/160s |
On the busy M1 train in Athens, travellers are packed into the train at rush hour.
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 6400 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
A cyclist on the busy streets by the harbour in Lisbon, Portugal.
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/640s |
Kennedy Quay in Cork in February 2024 before the R&H Hall building was demolished. Look to the right, and you’ll see Albert Quay and the new buildings there. This whole area will look quite different in only a few years.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 32mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/25s |
After the race, the horses slowed down to a trot. Dawstown, this year.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 75mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/100s |
Weaving in and out between people walking along a pedestrianised street in Malaga, this delivery guy made good pace, without upsetting many people, thankfully.
| Aperture | ƒ/4 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |