Strabo Photo Tour Collection

Ireland Photography WORKSHOP

All Images © Peter Cox

Led by Peter Cox and Ron Rosenstock

Join accomplished photographer and guide Ron Rosenstock through Western Ireland. Ron has invited an Irish native, Peter Cox to join him on this exclusive tour of his home away from home, Western Ireland. Peter is an accomplished landscape photographer and teacher, providing sessions on how to use your camera more effectively. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced photographer, he makes sure to pitch lessons at your level and to ensure that you understand what's being taught. His goal is for you to leave not just with great pictures and fond memories - but with increased confidence and photographic abilities.

A sample of topics that can be discussed during the workshop:
• How to make a good exposure
• Understanding aperture and depth of field
• Shooting technique and how to eliminate camera shake and vibration
• Photographing panoramas with a view to digital stitching
• How to use filters (polarizing and neutral density)
• The basics of good composition, and when to break the rules
• How to use RAW to maximize your image's potential
• Exposing to the right to capture maximum detail
• Optimizing your image in Photoshop, Lightroom and other applications
• The importance of profiles, and how to create them

As well as all that there will be critique sessions in the evening where we can look at what was successful and what wasn't. These sessions are an invaluable tool in improving your photos as they show you exactly what you did wrong (and right!), allowing you to learn from your mistakes.
Travel with Ron and Peter to the hidden gems in County Mayo. Staying at Ron’s Hillcrest House, provides a wonderful setting for photography tours, with relaxed breakfast and dinners included. In the evening enjoy conversations with your leaders and other like-minded photographers regarding photography, personal vision and growth.

Itinerary

August 24: U.S. – Shannon

All Images © Peter Cox

Our journey to Ireland begins with an overnight flight from the U.S. to Shannon, Ireland.

August 25: Shannon – Hillcrest House, Westport

We will be met at Ireland’s Shannon International Airport and driven north to Westport, on the shores of Clew Bay. After lunch we can relax, enjoying conversation in the library or explore the nearby countryside. Depending on the time of year there may be an opportunity for the group to photograph the sunset over Clew Bay.

Ron Rosenstock and Peter Cox will combine their individual teaching styles to provide all participants with an exceptional photo tour of Western Ireland and hands on photo workshop experience. Each day we will visit some of these typical areas from our home base at Hillcrest House. There is no possible way to visit all of them, so our tour leader and guide will plan each day considering the interests of the group. Peter and Ron will be available in the field for hands on instruction and Peter will have evening lectures on various topics throughout the tour. (D)

August 26 - September 1: Western Ireland

We often start each trip with a visit to Ballintubber Abbey, or Baile Tobair Padraig, in Irish. It is one of the oldest Abbeys in Ireland dating back to the twelfth century, named for the natural spring nearby, where St. Patrick baptized his first Irish converts. After working for a few hours in and around the Abbey we will photograph the ruins of Moore Hall, a Georgian mansion destroyed during the war of independence. Later in the afternoon, we will photograph Castle Bourke, on the shores of Lough Carra.

Hillcrest House lays half way between the City of Westport and the Village of Newport. Both capture the flavor of true Irish towns with their tree-lined canals and colorful shops. After a stop in Westport, we will drive to Murrisk Abbey, at the foot of Ireland's Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick. Later in the day we will be at the ocean on the west coast of Mayo at a remote rocky shore called Barnabawn Point. Our last stop of the day will be at Tully House, a private residence at the end of a quarter mile tree-lined avenue. There is an old mill along the Bunowen River, a short walk from the house.

Another day we will spend the morning photographing in and around the town of Cong. Photo locations include Ashford Castle, Cong Abbey, the forest and river, as well as the town itself. After lunch we will have the opportunity to photograph an area of rolling hill, sheep, and a myriad of stonewall, on a hillside flowing down to Lough Corrib. The picturesque village of Cong was the setting for John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara’s film The Quiet Man. The King of Connacht founded the abbey ruins in the twelfth century. In 1198 the last High King of Ireland died in the abbey.

Driving north today, our first stop will be along the ocean on the Atlantic drive in Mulranny. After lunch on Achill Island, we will continue photographing along the ocean, and wind up at the deserted famine village at Keel. Achill Island, wrought by wind and water, is an arrangement of rock, cloud, and cliffs falling off to the sea.Today we visit one of the few remaining round towers in Ireland, Turlough, standing amid a field of ancient carved gravestones. Nearby is the new Museum of Country Life, one of Ireland’s National Museums, well worth the stop. Later in the afternoon we will photograph the glacial erratic boulders at Lough Cullin.

We photograph this morning along the shores of Doo Lough, visiting two locations. After lunch in the town of Louisburgh, we will spend the afternoon photographing in the Sheeffrey Hills, a place where we must be careful not to disturb the leprechauns who inhabit the forest. Burrishoole Abbey is a great place to start one of our days. Nearby is Carrigahowley Castle, one of the many strongholds of Grace O’Malley, the adventurous sixteenth century Pirate Queen. Later in the afternoon we visit Letterkeen Forest.

September 2: Westport - Burren - Shannon

All Images © Peter Cox

We will leave Hillcrest House early this morning, and drive to the Burren, a remote region near the town of Ennis. There are over seventy megalithic tombs in the region, the most well known being Poulnabrone. Our last full day of exploring and photographing the wild landscapes of Ireland will be spent in this beautiful area. Tonight we will stay at the Temple Gate Hotel (or similar) and enjoy dinner on our own.

September 3: Shannon - Home

After breakfast this morning, we will say good bye to our new friends in hopes of seeing them again some day, perhaps even at Hillcrest House. We board our afternoon flights for home.

Accommodations

Your home away from home, Hillcrest House, was renovated for the sole purpose of accommodating photography groups. Its homelike quality adds to the relaxed atmosphere of the trip. You will enjoy traditional Irish breakfasts and dinners during your stay. Lunch will be at various restaurants and pubs, or we can stop in town and have a picnic lunch wrapped for our daily excursions in the field. Transportation is provided in a roomy tour van, which is large enough for both the group and our equipment. Western Ireland affords us a unique opportunity in that there are so many wonderful hidden places to explore. Even if you have traveled to this area in the past, your guides will seek out new places to visit and photograph. There are spectacular monastic and megalithic ruins to seek out in your daily adventures.

Guides

Please contact us for more details.

Food & Drink

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Notes

Peter Cox:
Peter Cox has had a lifelong love of imagery, particularly photography. As well as the all-important concepts of composition and light, he pays particular attention to technical excellence in his photographs. Peter will assist you throughout the workshop, providing on site help and evening lectures on various photographic topics.

Peter is a member of the Irish Professional Photographers Association (IPPA) and in late 2008 received his Associateship award. This is the second-highest qualification in the association and has been achieved by less than 10% of the membership. On top of that, he was named 'Landscape Photographer of the Year' in both the single image and portfolio categories at the National Photographic Awards in 2007. His work was the main feature of a nationally broadcast television program in 2008.

Ron Rosenstock:
Ron started leading photo tours in 1967. In those years he has led more than 180 tours to many destinations worldwide. Ron retired from Clark University after teaching photography there for thirty years. His published books include his exquisite black and white photographs: The Light of Ireland, Chiostro (Cloister), and Hymn to the Earth. Ron’s work has been featured in over one hundred exhibitions, both in the U.S. and abroad, and his photographs are to be found in the permanent collections of the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University, the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, Mass., The Polaroid Collection in Cambridge, Mass., and the International Center of Photography in New York City. Ron’s striking, one-of-a-kind photographs can be seen at www.ronrosenstock.com.

Pricing Info

Tour land cost: $2,995 US Dollars based upon minimum of 5 paying participants. All our program prices are based on double occupancy unless noted in exceptions.

Single room supplement: $345; single rooms are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. We try to accommodate travelers who request single accommodations, as well as travelers who are looking for a roommate. If a single room is requested, or if we are unable to find a suitable roommate, you will be required to pay the supplement.

Note: The land costs on international tours is based upon current exchange rates. Although the rate has been relatively stable, should it change, there may need to be an adjustment in the land cost.

General Tour Info (includes, excludes and other details)