Don’t Fence Me In
This article may contain affiliate links where I make a small commission for purchases you make from links that you click from this article. By purchasing through these links, you support me at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.
The Irish landscape is made up of magical green rolling hills, rocky cliffs, burnt orange bog land, and grayish limestone – and it’s begging to be photographed. But with great beauty comes…well…a lot of people taking photos of it. And with that, the gauntlet has been thrown down. One of my eternal personal challenges is being plagued by always wanting to do something different and not fall in step with everyone else.
In fact, I rebel against what everyone else is doing, typically – this is just one of the silly reasons why I’m not a fan of Oprah and why I’ve probably made a lot of poor business blogging decisions that have held me back. I don’t want to do the same thing as everyone else; I want to blaze my own path, plain and simple.
Actually, I know that I do a damn good job of blazing my own path in my personal life, but when it comes to business or photography, I always find it a challenge. As I looked out across the beautiful and well-photographed Irish landscapes, my mind raced on how I could take a different look at them and make them ‘mine’ from a photographic perspective.
A new obsession
Like most creative things, I had to simply open my eyes and really LOOK at what was around me and see the patterns or oddities. After a couple of days of driving along the Wild Atlantic Way, there was one constant that I found in every county and in every landscape – fences and gates. Gates didn’t simply mark off driveways; they were perched on cliffs, next to roadways, and were dividing vast valleys and bogs. I find a lot of excitement in the everyday things we overlook. I like to shine an even brighter light on them. So fences and gates became my obsession during my solo road trip.
They were made of wood, metal, and sometimes boulders – all in various states of disrepair. Fences were ultimately there to designate property lines and ownership. Everywhere I looked reminded me of just how important land ownership was to Ireland’s history and culture. I talked to one local woman about the importance of owning property, and she told me that she’s more worried about her kids not owning property than not getting married.
Sometimes I thought it was sad and distracting that this vast, colorful landscape was fenced off, as it took away from the beauty of it. However, as I photographed more and more, I started to find the fencing and gates to be less of a distraction and more of a beautiful frame for Ireland’s topography. The fencing was my creative way to showcase a country’s landscape that is well-covered in the photographic world.
Check out this list of my favorite travel photography gear
Check out my 7, 10, or 14-day Ireland travel itinerary
Interested in seeing more Irish landscapes through fences and gates? Or maybe want to purchase one of these photos? Head over to my photography website to see more.
My favorite photography equipment
SIRUI P-326 6 Section Carbon Fiber Monopod
3 Legged Thing Punks Brian Carbon Fibre Tripod System with AirHed Neo 14kg Load Capacity
Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM Lens for Nikon I use an adapter to use with my Sony A7iii
Sony a7 III Full-Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Camera Optical with 3-Inch LCD, Black
A true, all-season and versatile pack, the Whistler BP 450 AW delivers amazing performance for wilderness photographers and adventurers.
DSLR Camera Case Partition Insert, Make Your Own Camera Bag with this padded insert.
The LensCoat® LensPouch® are soft neoprene bags to store, carry, and protect your smaller lenses, ballheads, and other incidental camera equipment during travel and transport in the field. Available in seven different sizes for the perfect fit, the LensPouch includes a removable reinforced front element protection disc for your lenses. An easy pull cord closure allows fast and easy access.
Whether shooting through glass windows or any transparent concave surface, it removes reflections and glares, making it easy to shoot with no distractions.
Wear Slide Lite as a sling, neck, or shoulder strap. Seatbelt-style nylon webbing has a smooth side that glides over clothing in sling mode and a grippy side that prevents slipping in shoulder mode. Dual quick-adjusters provide instant access and easy reconfiguration. Unique Anchor Link system connects quickly and dual points of connection keep your camera more stable than traditional sling straps.
I love this pouch - you can fit so much into it - it really is deceptive! Whether storing cables, everyday gear, or travel essentials, Tech Pouch offers unrivaled organization and ease of access. Origami-style pockets create enormous spatial efficiency, letting you pack more into a smaller space while keeping your items neatly organized and easy to find. This goes on every trip with me!
This is the smallest and sturdiest travel tripod I have found on the market. This is an aluminum version (3.4 lbs) - but they also have carbon fiber (2.8 lbs). A travel tripod that packs down to the diameter of a water bottle—without compromising height, stability, or features. Plus, it's so easy and fast to setup and take down!
The Everyday Backpack is built around access, organization, expansion, and protection. I like it because in addition to safely carrying camera gear, it also can fit in extras like a rain coat, laptop, and snacks. Extra space is so important! The water bottle pockets can fit a variety of size bottles and it will also fit the Peak Design travel tripod easily! It has lots of handles which is great for travel and I love the 2 side openings making it easy to use in the field. Finally - I love the fact that it's weatherproof - I don't need to carry an extra rain cover. I used it in the Galapagos in the rain and everything stayed dry.
The perfect companion for minimalist, on-the-go carry of everyday or photo gear. My favorite thing about this sling is that it doesn't necessarily look like a camera bag - which is perfect for traveling. It looks more like a purse and can carry a camera, as well as other things you may need while touring around a city. The Sling’s padded cross-body strap features a quick-adjuster that you can loosen when accessing gear and tighten when actively hiking, biking, or walking.
LegCoat® Wraps are made from soft neoprene are designed to wrap around the upper leg of your tripod and are easily affixed with a Velcro closure. The Wraps backing is designed to tightly grip to your tripod legs so they will not slide. The covers act as a thermal barrier making the tripod more comfortable to handle in hot or cold conditions.
Don't let the weather stop your photography! This innovative cover provides protection for your camera and lens from the elements like rain, snow, salt spray, dirt, sand and dust while allowing you easy access to the camera and lens controls.
LensSack™ is a Bean Bag Camera Support platform that stabilizes your gear on any surface. - perfect for shooting out of a vehicle or on rocks or uneven outdoor surfaces. Fill it with rice or bird seed and empty it so that if folds down to nothing when you travel! A nice alternative to a tripod if you are trying to save space or weight.
I don't go on a trip without this harness! It allows me to be hands free when hiking and snowshoeing. I've also used it while horseback riding. It has saved my neck and back and it a secure, healthy way to carry my camera!
10% off coupon code for readers - OTTSWORLD
325 Power Bank (PowerCore Essential 20K) 20000mAh Battery Pack with PowerIQ Technology and USB-C (Recharge Only) for iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and More
Don't let the weather stop your photography! This innovative cover provides protection for your camera and lens from the elements like rain, snow, salt spray, dirt, sand and dust while allowing you easy access to the camera and lens controls.
LensCoat® lens covers offers your valuable equipment some protection from scrapes and bumps, preserving its resale value. It also help break up the shape of your lens, making it less noticeable to wildlife.
Read More About This Destination
Ireland Travel Itinerary: 7, 10, or 14 Days in Western Ireland
This article may contain affiliate links where I make a small commission for purchases you make from links that you click from this article. By…How to Get Around Ireland
This article may contain affiliate links where I make a small commission for purchases you make from links that you click from this article. By…Iconic Ireland Landscapes and Where to Find Them
This article may contain affiliate links where I make a small commission for purchases you make from links that you click from this article. By…
You did so many amazing things last year but your trip to Ireland was the tops. All of your pictures are wonderful and I love the fences. Keep traveling and reporting. We love it!!
These photos are all stunning, but there’s something about the second one that made me catch my breath. Beautiful!!
This makes me even more excited about our upcoming trip to Ireland and seeing all it has to offer – fences and all! What beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing it.
I love Ireland, and I love fences as well…as long as they don’t try to keep me in or out of anything…I can climb, you know!
I really enjoyed your gate and fence photos. I was in Ireland last September and also took quite a few fence and gate photos, but more from the point of an animal owner. Found your blog through an Infinite Ireland link.
Beautiful photographs! I especially like the one with the red poppy.