Will Francis

black and silver headphones on black and silver microphone

My home studio podcasting setup - a Røde NT1A microphone, AKG K171 headphones, desk stand with pop shield and my iMac running Reaper.

The Milky Way on a dark night, in a great dark sky spot on Ireland's rural south coast, where the land juts out into the cold sea, away from the lights of the nearby fishing village. I wanted to get more shots but the rustling of the cows was unnerving, it was so intensely dark. Just the stars, the cows and me wondering if I'd be able to fight off wild dogs with a tripod.

The coastal landscape of Ireland is always changing as you sail round it. The Copper Coast in Co. Waterford lays bare millions of years of geological history. And pretty colours.

Just enough wind in the sails, our boat cruises along at 5 knots on a beautiful late summer's day in Waterford, Ireland.

A factory by the river running through Waterford City, Ireland.

Halyard ropes resting on deck of our sailing yacht, a Bermuda Sloop boat cruising under sail off the coast of Co. Waterford, Ireland.

On a ferry between Wales and Ireland, the geometry of the ship is so eye-catching and appealing. So utilitarian yet in places so aesthetically pleasing. And lifeboats are always a source of curiosity. Will they work? What’s inside them? How do we get into them?

As couples and families brave the stiff autumnal breeze at Llandudno’s most famous of Welsh piers, it’s the underside that catches my eye. The barnacles and seeweed clinging to Victorian cast-iron pylons, steadily supporting all those decades of chips, seagulls, hook-a-duck, flashing lights and bawdy seaside postcards. As the lazy November sun thought about setting for the day, I caught this shot of it warming those forgotten stanchions one last time today…

It’s so tempting when winter closes in to stay by the fire and just watch TV. But you could do that anywhere. We’re all guilty of snubbing nature’s awe-inspiring displays of grandeur and majesty, often right on our doorstep. But go out on a cold sunny evening and enjoy the sheer clarity of a winter sunset, you won’t be sorry, wherever you live.

Walking into the sea in the middle of winter seems like the least sensible thing to do, especially here in Ireland. But the warmth of the light (plus my new, and it turns out totally waterproof, wellies) tempted me in to take some shots across the water as it lapped the vacant sands.