A day out in the Mournes

Yesterday, I went for a wee trip out with my dad. We made a few stops along our travels — Dundrum, Murlough Beach, Tollymore Forest Park and a few pit stops in the Mournes — but most of the day was spent driving around and taking in the scenery before the sun goes down.

I took a few photos while we were out, but I wasn’t entirely happy with most of them. I was hoping to get some good vistas but the sun and the sky — normally two of my biggest assets in my photography — became my two biggest enemies. The sun was too high, too harsh and direct, while the sky looked constantly blown out. Maybe I’m just being hard on myself because I haven’t used an actual camera in so long, but I think that’s part of the problem. I got far too comfortable using my phone to take photos and while I’m greatly enjoying the whole process of getting back into using a proper camera again, I think yesterday was a humbling reminder to me that I still have a lot to learn.

It’s a shame because I really love the locations in and around the Mournes and I wanted to be able to do them justice, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be… at least, not today. Oh, well. I’m definitely gonna go back down that direction some other time. I really feel like it would be a great setting for a film or a series. It’s ripe with atmosphere and the visuals alone would be a treat for the eyes even on the coldest days.

Wink-wink.