Balbriggan is one of those harbours that is a mixture between a working port and a dead port. There are a few trawlers there that are obviously still in use but mostly, it comes across a little stagnant. So I had high hopes for it.
Because I was in Bettystown first, I was a bit later getting to Balbriggan than was probably healthy. It didn’t matter, however, because I found quite a few things to interest me…there are three trawlers of interest, and one sailing boat. One of the trawlers is so old and decrepit, it is so covered in algae and in such a rotting state that actually, I almost missed it. It just fades into the port wall.
It’s a little like that clip out of Pirates of the Caribbean, part 2, where Will’s Dad just walks out of the ship wall because he’s become one with the ship. This boat is almost one with the port wall. That being said, once I found it, it was going to be one of the easier ones to photograph because it was near the camera and near where I was going to be shooting an off camera flash at it.
This was one of the last photographs I shot, and I think it was a 13 second exposure with a single flash shot from front left hand side, off camera. The nerd in me has to say these things.
I didn’t have a tripod so the camera rested on the camera bag. This meant in terms of angle adjustment I didn’t have a lot to play with.
I like the photograph, however, and would be tempted to give it another shot, maybe tomorrow if I am out on time and have got a tripod.
The other shot which I like, although again, it needs a little more thought for the future was the yacht.
I like this. I also think that on a still evening like this, there’s room to play.
The tide was half out while I was there, so in theory, with a pair of disposable waders (no one would want to keep them after wearing them once), you could access lower angles with the camera.
Balbriggan Harbour is full of the most disgusting looking gunk. I really didn’t have any wish to get any closer to it than almost falling in.
