On this day - 18th October 2020

This time last year, Ireland was in level 3 restrictions, which meant we were not allowed to travel outside of our county. I was itching to get out with the camera, and parts of County Meath were forecast for mist at sunrise, this wasn’t a day to stay in bed. I had the whole county to choose from, but I wanted to stay local.

After much research I decided that sunrise was going to be at Moylagh Ruins, and after that, to capture the last of the mist in the County Meath side of Mullaghmeen Forest.

Parts of Mullaghmeen Forest are at a higher elevation to the surrounding land, so to capture mist there you either need to predict when it is lifting from the valley, or when there is low cloud predicted. I have to admit, it’s a difficult one to gauge and is very hit and miss.

After I had finished photographing the valley behind Moylagh Ruins I decided to take the gamble and head to Mullaghmeen. The light was changing fast, and to be honest when I arrived I thought it was going to be too harsh to get a decent image. I ventured deeper into the forest to an area that is quite dense, the fog still lingered and shafts of light penetrated through. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the lower parts of this tree lit by the sunlight, it was a grab it quick moment.

The camera bag was thrown onto the floor, the tripod was quickly engaged and the camera was mounted. I held my breath and pressed that shutter button, keeping my fingers crossed. One shot is all I got from the forest, but it was worth it.

Canon 5Ds and EF70-200mm lens. Focal length was at 200mm. ISO100 at 0.5sec, f/11