Landscape Photography Ireland – Location Guide – Lough Tay Wicklow

County Wicklow boasts some of the finest landscape photography opportunities Ireland has to offer. Furthermore if your living or visiting Dublin its only a stones throw away. Now I might like to put the foot down while behind the wheel on occasion, but I can get from Booterstown in South Dublin to the viewpoint for the shot below at Lough Tay (including walking) in 35 minutes. Not bad from a city departure.

I like late August early September sunrise when there’s some heather around for the foreground of this photograph. If you get a purple sky they complement each other quite nicely. Lough Tay is an all year affair though for landscape photography. Great greens in spring and summer, and the foot of Luggala (the mountain that hugs the lakes edge) goes nice and red in Autumn. It’s paradise for landscape photography.

Getting to this viewpoint is quite easy. Heading up the r759 from the r755 you will see the sign for Ballinastoe woods on your right and a small lane with parking. Drive past this and there’s another open area to park on your right a hundred metres by. Park here and walk up through the semi clearing in the trees veering left until you encounter the wooden path. You will start to see the lake on your left quite quickly. Just set up along this path and start shooting. Get there 30 minutes before sunrise to allow yourself 5 minutes to walk to the viewpoint and time to set up and shoot the pre dawn light.

Tripod will be a must. I suggest ISO 100 at f11 and let the shutter speed fall where it may. You will need a graduated neutral density filter to hold the sky or else a series of exposures for post-production blending.

Enjoy and don’t forget, if you don’t succeed at first try, try, try again!!!