Black+White Photography

A limestone landscape

If you’re a fan of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, you’ll be intrigued to shoot in Ireland’s most mythical landscape. Join Tim Daly as he ventures into the real-life Middle Earth.
Image: ©Tim Daly

At the north-west tip of Ireland’s County Clare is an astonishing limestone landscape called the Burren. Unlike the green and fertile land usually associated with this country, this is somewhat different. An extraordinary geological occurrence and a photographic location of fabulous possibilities, the Burren is a haven for botanists and geologists and also provides a surreal space for challenging landscape photographers.

Full of myths and legends, the Burren is big enough to get away from it all and potential subject matter is vast and varied enough to let you make your own individual photographic interpretation. Popular with visitors in spring and summer, you’ll find it deserted in the autumn if you want to leave the crowds behind you.

While there are smaller limestone pavements and landscapes in the United Kingdom, this location provides an epic experience in comparison. In addition to the landscape, there’s some fascinating Irish mythology to explore too and for Lord of the Rings enthusiasts, there’s even a cave that inspired Tolkien’s character Gollum.

For advice on how to explore and capture the vast, open landscape of the Burren, read Tim Daly’s feature in B+W 302.

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