Looking at the options for conference attendees, I was excited to sign up for the Dublin photo tour of the South Coast with Dawn 2 Dusk.  A photography tour would ensure that I didn’t need to run ahead of the group for my photo and I didn’t need to hurry up either to get back to the bus. We would all be able to get our shot. The small tour group would meet at 10am for our four hour excursion along the South Dublin Coast.  We would stop at a beach, a few harbours and climb a hill for the scenic view of Dublin Bay.

The group was met by David Cooke and his business partner Yvonne. David is a hybrid entreprenuer – taxi owner/operator, event photographer and now photo tour guide.  I’m not quite sure when the man sleeps but his smile and enthusiasm for Dublin is infectious.  Dawn 2 Dusk tours is for anyone with a camera and a yen to explore.  Unlike other photo tours which require a tripod or fancy camera and knowledge,  this tour had a down to earth approach. During the day David would point out some tips for a photo or framing which was welcomed. Our small group all cited taking photos of people to be a bit of a weakness.  We would have many opportunities to work on this type of photo during the day as well as looking at ordinary objects differently in our photos.

Dublin was raining all week, I was a bit bummed but was learning to embrace photos in the rain as an opportunity to experiment along the way.   Only the tourists like me seem to want sunny skies (this was my vacation) as the locals were just going about their normal day. The day was overcast and within a whisper of a downpour all day.

 

After our stop at Sandymount beach, where a few brave (crazy) locals swim in the water every day of the year at Forty Foot, we moved along the coast to Dun Laoghaire, one of the largest harbours and home to the ferries that go to Great Britain. We walked the pier and spotted the fishermen who had just arrived back to port with their catch.  David stopped to chat with the captain who agreed to allow us to photograph his crew as they worked.  He also came to talk to us about the boat and it’s precious cargo, which was a nice treat.  The bright colors that the fisherman wore were also welcoming after the grey that I had been photographing.

Leaving the fishermen, we drove to our next stop in search of the local seal.  The seal was one who did mind the weather apparently and wasn’t in harbour that day (doesn’t he know there are tourists to please with a photo?!).  Looking at this view was a bit unsettling as we all realized we left our bags (with umbrellas) in the van with a long walk (run if necessary) back.  Luckily, the rains held off, but really, isn’t this the epitome of “it was a dark and stormy night” despite it being noon?

A few more stops along the way, a few more piers to walk and many more photos of history and daily life on the South Coast of Dublin.

 

Nearing the last stop of the photo tour, the sun finally broke through the clouds.  We would have a slight uphill walk/hike of Killiney Hill with view of Dublin Bay.  The views were just lovely and relaxing to breathe it all in.

So my first photo tour with David  along the South Coast was such fun that I signed up for his night tour of Dublin which would leave a few hours after our return to the city.  I wanted to explore the city with a local eye and see how different it was from my tourist eye that had photographed the sites earlier.  David provided all tours complimentary to conference attendees, the normal cost of the South Coast Dublin photo tour is €45.  This didn’t affect my review as  I really enjoyed my day along the South Coast of Dublin with Dawn 2 Dusk tours and felt a bit like this girl, although I wasn’t brave enough for the climb!