Behind the Image - A chance Sunset

Sunset behind The Flagpole on The Curragh.

MAY 2025: I was out one evening in late May 2025 trying to find some horses across The Curragh with the idea of shooting them at sunset. I had the idea of one of those silhouette styled atmospheric shots. Well, you would think it would be easy find some horses on The Curragh. Not on this occasion. Well not how I wanted them anyway.

On the way home I cut up the Lurg Lane to hit The Curragh as the sun was setting behind the Flag Pole in the distance. On me I had the OM System 150mm-600mm F5.6 lens which is pretty much a dedicated long reach wildlife lens. Not ideal in this instance.

I shot a series of images as the sun set all a few minutes apart and this final image is a combination of two of those shots. For those who know that area there is a line of electricity cables that span The Curragh in this location. I decided to remove them. Simple as that really. For all the purists out there just call it artistic licence but to me they had to go. The last image of the sequence captured a flock of birds passing through on their way to roost. I extracted them from that last image and added them to the frame as the sun had lost its impact by the time they had flown through. Hmmmm… If we could only get animals to pose as we want them at the right time and the right place.

Other than the edits mentioned above there has been very little editing carried out. This is the sky as it presented itself on that minute on that particular evening. Landscape photography is very alien to me and I am trying to move my very rigid brain to see compositions in landscapes and it is proving very difficult. So I am happy that I managed to see this shot even if the purists decide to slate it. Personally, if you want to have a go at anyone have a go at the genius who allowed a large electricity line to cross The Curragh at this location back in the 80’s.

Camera Body : OM1 MKii     Lens: OM Systems M. Zuiko 150-600mm F5.6.