About the photograph - Beach Life Portnoo

an unframed fine art photographic print of Portnoo Strand in County Donegal, Ireland on a summer afternoon available to buy online

County Donegal has the longest coastline of any county in Ireland and has a lot of beaches. So while exploring the county I thought I'd head to one of it's most popular beaches and see if I could capture a "beach life" photograph. I certainly wasn't prepared for it's size, so immediately had to head for the hills to try and fit it all in.

Having found a good spot, I stood there for a few minutes taking it all in. I think it is always important to just stop, look, and think about a scene and all the things I like in it. I loved the shape of the beach, the golden sand contrasting with the cold looking sea, the huge Dooey Beach sand dune (over 5km away), the hills, and the people on the beach providing some activity and scale.

This photograph is a reminder that sometimes patience is rewarded. After a long wait, the sun finally peered through the clouds to light the scene for me.