Ashleam Bay on Achill Island

Achill Island has finally made it into my Ireland calendar once again. The 2027 edition features a view of Ashleam Bay with its white cliffs. It’s a classic landscape scene, given an extra pinch of Ireland thanks to two peacefully grazing sheep. But they didn’t end up in the frame by accident.

Sheep are not known for being particularly cooperative models. They stand where they please, wander wherever they fancy, and couldn’t care less about what the photographer has in mind for them. So you have to ‘guide’ them into position, and that requires a certain amount of patience. I started by choosing my shooting position. Then I walked in a wide circle around the sheep, a good distance away from the intended photo spot. That’s when the tricky part began. I approached the animals slowly so that they moved in the desired direction. I then turned away, waited until they settled back to grazing, and moved in again. It was a zigzag course that unfolded over several rounds, until the four-legged friends were roughly where I wanted them to be. A tripod would have been more of a hindrance during this manoeuvre, so I shot handheld.

Speaking of zigzags: visitors to Ashleam Bay will encounter very few road signs along the Atlantic Drive. Every single one of them is there for a good reason and should be taken seriously. Take the yellow sign in my shot, for instance. It illustrates quite aptly how the road winds its way down the bay. And then there are the signs warning of sheep. Sheep again! Sometimes they cross the road without a second thought. Another time, they’ve made themselves entirely comfortable on the tarmac, which feels pleasantly warm after a rain shower. So they’re not only stubborn photographic models but also inconsiderate road users. But as long as they spice up the landscape so beautifully, I’m quite happy with them.