A photo tour may not be something you ever thought of adding to your “must do” vacation list but you should definitely add it.  While some photo tours are instructional and require special cameras and tripods as you learn technique, other tours are educational and fun.  Dublin at Night with Dawn2Dusk tours is the latter – educational and fun for all no matter what type of camera you bring with you (don’t worry you can bring your tripod if you want).

Having done the South Coast of Dublin tour earlier with David, guide/owner of Dawn2Dusk,  he picked me up at my hotel on the way to the meeting point that night –  a local pub located at the end of the Liffey River (this is subject to change).  For the next three hours we would learn about the bridges (there are many), the buildings, the history, the stories of Dublin and David’s stories of life in Dublin and the photos he has taken.  Like other small business owners I met during my time in Dublin, they want to share their passion for Dublin with visitors to ensure that they know there is more to Dublin than the pubs and Irish music if you are willing to get out and explore a bit.

Armed with our cameras (I had my camera and IPhone) and umbrellas because, of course, it was raining during parts of the walk we were told some of the best spots to stand to frame the shot (always helpful).  A tour with photographers (novice and professional) is always fun because we all see things differently. I love looking at other perspectives, trying a new angle or technique.  Having passed these places along the river both on foot over the past few days and by bike tour, it was interesting to shoot the same photo at different times of the day.

Of note – at the time of the tour, I thought that I had water in my viewfinder as it was cloudy so I was using the LCD display and automatic settings for my photos – not an ideal situation but I did my best. Many photos looked great in the window, at home not so much so I am sure these could have been better (I guess I will need to revisit Dublin soon for a do-over).  However, half of the fun is the walk, the people you are meeting, the stories being told and the feeling that you have as you walk along the Liffey River in Dublin, all of which a photo can’t fully capture.  So it’s important to also take some time away from the camera and experience a bit of the magic of the city – the lights, the people, the Irish hospitality.

I was also using my IPhone and the ProHDR app for the night photos with a little Instagram magic below.

Traveling solo, I am often at a loss for a night time tour of the city I am visiting.  This was perfect for me – combining a few things I love, walking, photography and meeting people. If you are visiting Dublin, I’d say consider adding this night photo tour to your list of things to do – it definitely provided me good memories, new friends and a few very cool photos.

This tour was provided complimentary to conference attendees, normally the night tour cost 25 Euro and can be booked online.  The opinion, as always, is mine – it’s too unique not to be!