Culdaff Beach

Culdaff Beach in the north-east of the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal is one of my favourite beaches in Ireland, especially for a visit in the early morning. There are several good reasons for this. One is the orientation of the beach. Early in the morning, the warm, golden light of the rising sun is particularly beautiful here. It creates an almost mysterious atmosphere and casts long shadows that lend the scene depth and structure. Another reason is the tides. Each night the incoming tide washes away the traces of the day before. The following morning the fine sand often looks as if no one has ever stepped on it before.

During my visit last summer, I was particularly fascinated by the view straight towards the sun. Photographically speaking, this is usually a challenge, as the strong contrast and intense sunlight can easily blow out the highlights. That morning, however, the slowly dissolving haze worked in my favour. Together with a few clouds it formed a soft veil behind which the sun could hide itself a little. The light became more diffuse, and I was able to take some rather unusual shots with the camera pointed directly towards the sun.