Category: Photographer

Happy March Wedding Anniversary

Unexpected Beauty

MichaelStephenWills12 Comments

Coronavirus is raging this March 20th (I schedule posts several weeks ahead now), on this day of our anniversary, easy for me to remember falling close to or on the Spring equinox. Earliest spring flowers were up for a week when I spied this group of crocus blooms on a hill. We do not remember them being there, so I called Pam to enjoy them.

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These are extra special, Pam’s parents planted them years ago. The above images are the same photograph. On the left, white balance is set to “cloudy.” At the time, late afternoon, the sun was behind low clouds, providing back light. Perfect lighting for flowers, which is why I interrupted springtime yard cleanup to run inside for the camera.

My intent was to increase the f-stop to over 20 for the following photograph. Metadata on the photograph shows I was only successful in increasing it from 5 to 5.7. ISO was increased from 100 to 400. There was an intermittent breeze and my intent was to avoid blur.

In retrospect, I neglected to change to Aperture mode so any change to F-stop I made was reset. This is a beginners mistake, so photograph turned out well. The colors are richer in the f/5.7 shot.

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Cushendun Beach View North by Northwest

Nearest Ferry, today

MichaelStephenWills2 Comments

Today, the nearest ferry is just over an hour south, on the M2, Belfast and there is no option for the Mull of Kintyre. You can go to Cairnyan, Scotland; Douglas, Isle of Mann; or Liverpool, England.

Torr Road lopes over the hill, upper right.

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Cushendun Beach View North, ferry destination

Across the Water

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North is a glimpse of land across the water, a reason Cushendun was a ferry port since ancient times: the Mull of Kintyre across the North Channel. The ridge to the sea is townland Tornamoney (Irish Tor na monadh).

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Cushendun Beach View South

Tableland

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Standing on the beach at Cushendun village, looking south to take in the broad sweep of the shallow bay.

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Cushendun View East

Tableland

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Standing on the beach at Cushendun village, looking east towards the Scottish coast, just over the horizon. Cushendun is an ancient ferry port.

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Cushendun View West

Tableland

MichaelStephenWills

Standing on the beach at Cushendun village, looking west towards the glens. The Antrim coast is notable for the rising tablelands of broad, eroded valleys, or glens.

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Cushendun View North

Neat and tidy

MichaelStephenWills2 Comments

Here is a view of our route to Torr Head standing on the beach at Cushendun, facing north. The village name in Irish is Cois Abhann Doinne, meaning at the foot of the river Dun, the land here and bay formed by the outflow of rivers from the glens.

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Climb to Torcorr Townland II and beyond

Gorse in flower

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In 3.1 miles Torr Road passes nine townlands between Cushendun and Torcorr Townland, each with a namestone holding the Irish and Anglicized name. We can walk it in an hour at a steady pace, the terrane is sliced up so.

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  • Whin Bush in flower

Tornamoney townland is “Cattle Field of the Bogland.” That is the car door, foreground.

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Common to all was the slope down to the North Channel.

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Rowan Tree directional growth from a constant east wind..

Sheep pasture above the Loughan Cottage ruins.

Here is the friendly owner who climbed off his tractor for a chat with Pam while I photographed.

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Climb to Torcorr Townland I

Rising from Cushendun Village

MichaelStephenWills13 Comments

Torr Road passes nine townlands between Cushendun and Torcorr Townlands, each with a namestone holding the Irish and Anglicized name. Here are a few interesting names.

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“Ballindam” is derived from the Irish “Baile an tdam”, the Anglicization is the sounding out of Irish. Baile is “town” and “an tdam” is on the dam.

Headed uphill, the next is “Ballycleagh”. Bally is the English pronunciation of Baile. I found “cleagh” on Google translate under “Scots Irish” for “Well.” So, this is the town of the well.

Here is a sheep lookout at the aptly named, Alt gabhair townland, Irish for “Goat Section.” Otherwise known as Altagore.

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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Nook of the Ferns

Ancient Gaelic Names

MichaelStephenWills4 Comments

Take a look at the view of Coolranny Townland on approach from Torcorr on Torr Road and see the source of this townland name that, from the Irish Language, means a recess, or “nook”, of ferns, or “bracken.” This, in the “Glens” section of County Antrim, is not a deep glen, as such, is rather a wrinkle between town headlands.

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The words carved on this namestone are from ancient Irish language with “Cuil” (a recess) and “Raithni” (possessive case of the noun for bracken, a type of fern). In other words, recess of ferns. The anglicized name, “Coolranny,” is the untranslated sound of the Gaelic place name.

The road to Coolranny starts at the foot of Glendun, Cushendun village. Here is the view over Cushendun and its sheltered harbor as Torr road climbs in a series of switchbacks to Torcorr townland.

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  • Found along Torr Road in Coolranny townland.
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills