Bogland: Macro and Intimate Landscape Photography
In mid April 2025 I decided to return to the raised bogs of County Offaly. Conditions were unusual and not ideal for photography – not a single cloud seen in 2 days – is that a record for Ireland! I visited two small bogs and had them exclusively to myself – not a soul in sight. This is an experience I treasure in nature photography – no humans, no voices, no noise – just peace and solitude.
As it was my first macro outing of the year I repeated a mistake – I walked and walked in the heat and found nothing to photograph. In fairness I was exploring new parts of the bog but I should know by now that macro does not require long walks – just settle in and work a very small area and nature tends to reveal miniature treasures not obvious of visible whilst standing up and looking down.
Bog Rosemary, unrelated to the herb Rosemary and quite toxic was my first subject and one that I had hoped to find on this trip. It turned out it was one of very few flowers in bloom at this time of year. I made a similar miscalculation in the Burren a few years previous. Early May is a better time for range of flowering species.
I noticed the lime green,fresh leaves of the birch and decided to switch to intimate landscape photography. Venturing out onto the bog at 6am a thin veil of mist enveloped the birches. This time window produces my favourite images of the trip. Then I found what I had been searching for – the Devil’s Matchstick, an algae and lichen combination – so small, so spectacular.
I was making a short video of the trip and found myself thinking of the industrialised extraction of the peat and went looking for some of the old machinery used to extract peat briquettes. I took a few images in infra red using the Nikon 14-24mm lens and fell back in love it straight away.
The lens is just a classic. So sharp.
The blue skies got the better of me. I drove to Lough Boora hoping for some flora, spring flowers but the landscape was shedding it’s winter coat. I had an option to wait 30 minutes to shoot the well photographed old Bord Na Mona train at sunset but it was not an image I really wanted. It has been done to death and did not interest me.
I’ve included a few images from the overnight trip. Until next time – thanks for reading this short blog
Jimmy
