Ireland in April

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I'll be off to Ireland in April. I'll be there for a week and should have time to visit many places, although I have friends near Dublin so I'd imaging I'll be in that area majority of the time. I shoot maily black and white, but would like to shoot a roll or two of color slide film. I have a 35mm system with lenses ranging 24-105 (I also have an 80-200, but would rather not lug it around). I also have a Bronica with an 80mm lens and one back. I do have a 4x5, but I'll think I'll leave that at home for obvious reasons. I know it can be raininy (I've been to England several times), and cloudy. So what's your imput for film, locations, and equipment?
 

Les McLean

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Ireland in April can be quite beautiful with early spring colours especially on the west coast in the Burren area. The Burren is a vast area of limestone pavement, basically flat limestone rocks with numerous wide cracks in them. I have to say that they are not easy to photograph in black and white in bright sun. My advice is to get out there in the rain and be prepared to get a little wet making photographs of the wet rock.

Connamaragh, just a little north of the Burren offers a more traditional landscape with soft rolling hills and moorland. This can be good in just about any light with soft mist being my favourite.

The beaches of Donegal are interesting as are the small islands just off the coast.

If you enjoy making photographs of people Ireland is the place to be for they are the most warm and friendly people that I have ever met, photographed and had a pint of Guiness with. They will be very happy to talk to you and cooperate with you in making photographs.

AS to kit, I would stick with what you mentioned in your post. Film for me would be FP4 medium format and TriX and Ilford Delta 3200 for 35mm. The 3200 would be used in making available light photographs of the people in the many pubs that you just cannot pass.

Enjoy
 
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I second the 3200. I've shot in the U.K. a fair bit (same weather and light) and 3200 is almost indespensible. I've also shot with a Bronica with an 80mm. Great combo. The grain and tonal scale of 3200 film can really make a picture "fit". There is something about the look of 3200 and the interior of an old church, or pub (in Ireland the two seem to compete for attention...
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) that just works. You get a lot of what I call "long light" there. This is my term for that light you get in the afternoon and early morning that far north. It isn't really that perfect light you seek near sunset/sunrise, but it has a very nice quality to it. Especially since it really looks nice coming in from a window. Living farther south now, I find you don't get that light as much. You just don't see the long patches of light painting part of a room. Look for this light for interiors. It is just amazing to work with.

I would stick with some of the faster emulsions too. You may not get that much light sometimes. That far north things can get dark when the clouds move in. You should be relatively o.k. in the spring, but even then you might want to avoid loading up too much on the 50 and 100. Take some, but in moderation. I remember watching Joanne take a picture in late December outside, at 12:00pm in Newcastle with a little point-and-shoot. It was so dark, the camera set the flash off! Now that was winter, but even in spring a thick layer of clouds can really make things dim.

For color film, take some Velvia or something similar. The green of the hills screams out for a saturated film. So do the towns. Many pubs and houses will have brightly colored (actually it would be coloured...) doors and trim. Good slide film can make those shots.

Oh, and avoid the pochin....
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