Before the sun rises

For me one of the best moments of the day is right before the sun rises above the horizon and a few minutes after that.

Later on the day rolls out and everything changes -the light, the feeling in the air, people start to wake up and make noises from their houses and you can feel it in the atmosphere around you and that early morning feeling that the world belongs to you vanishes slowly.

Believe me, it's one of the best feelings ever. There is only you, the singing #birds, and the waking #nature around you. Peaceful, Invigorating, refreshing and simply amazing.

Before the sun rises, my favourite part of the day.

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My Deepest Secret

Let me start with that. I walk a lot. About 10 km every day. I go to places at very early times of the day when there is no one around. Sometimes I see things that I am positive no one else does. I know that because I am the only one there every day, There is never anyone around to see what I see!

I have this gift, I can freeze a moment or a scene in my mind, as if I am looking at a photo already made before it is taken, I can see it the way it will be. I only have to press the shutter and voila.
That moment is captured in the camera forever. Well, sometimes it doesn't work out as it should have simply due to technical difficulties or my equipment limitations but most of the time I get what I want.

Doing this is what excites my mind the most, this is what photography is for me: capturing reality, catching the best light and the best colours to make the perfect moment in time and projecting it on paper or on the screens of your computers and phones. Simply Beautiful!!

Being able to share moments that others are not able to see this is what I love to do. I want to show you or remind you of all those amazing fleeting moments that sometimes disappear in a matter of seconds but are so amazingly stunning they deserve to be seen. Most of the time life just drifts us along and we have no time to look around so I want to remind everyone about the simple everyday things that I find around the corner or along the road, just out in the village or out in the woods next door. I never travel far. All my photography is local from the Galway area, this is why I call my latest project Connemara Stories.

My eyes are always distracted by fantastic scenes when I walk and if I am in a hurry believe me it is very difficult to get to my destination on time.


Let's say I get distracted easily.

Like from a bunch of cows for example (it's not my fault they even came to see me!!!) or an amazing Connemara pony just standing there looking at me peacefully and being so extraordinarily photogenic or simply a perfectly composed landscape that has to be taken because it sings to my soul and I just have to pause and take that shot!!

And well that's it really. I simply need to take photos to keep my mind clear and free, to have my soul happy and I need to be able to create something or I will slowly wither and die inside bit by bit..

In the meantime I really wish to spread the word, I wish to reveal the magnificence of the lands that people travel across oceans to visit, unveil the secrets of the wonderful villages, woods and hidden lanes and hope more new photographs will find their place into my Connemara Stories.  

Connemara pony grazing in the grasss

Entrance to Connemara National Park from direction of Recess

My Deepest Secret by Annie Japaud

Connemara Stories - early spring in Curra Forest, Co Galway

This year we had a very long winter, spring was late and the trees were bare and naked forever.  

 This is a compilation of videos and images straight from Connemara and its forests. Enjoy 

Early spring in Curra forest, Connemara story by Annie Japaud - photographer, blogger, social media freelancer, baker and cake maker 

After Storm Hector

I wonder what's going on this year?!

We were having it so good the last few weeks and then overnight, 

sudden and abrupt end to our gorgeous premature summer.  

We had quite and eventful winter, a good selection of hurricanes, frozen pipes, no water and so on..  

Yesterday was lovely and sunny today trampolines are flying away from gardens, 

trees are blocking roads, garden furniture is spread all over the villages.

I normally wake up quite early to go to work and today it was quite eventful on the way there. 

To be honest I had no idea all this racket during the night was called Hector, he sure kept me awake most of the time,
it felt as if everything in the garden was attempting to lift off. 

Being out in a storm is quite an amazing feeling. The way the trees move, the leaves madly flattering in all directions at once,
the way the air howls in the wires along the road...so spooky and unnerving. 

I just feel sad about the fallen and broken trees. Because I love trees. 

  I took a few shots, a few videos and couple of fallen trees blocking the road. 

This is how it was after Storm Hector

 

As if a giant just rolled all over the forest 

I hope someone takes care of this poor little tree

Do you remember the big rains a few years ago? I went to the waterfall in Oughterard and took photos and a videos of the huge river jumping OVER the bridge 

Here is my full album of images I took that MORNING

The Gorgeous Green

By this time of the year I am starved for green and colour in my life. 

Finally, it is happening. No matter where you look it's like a jungle bushy, fluffy, exploding with life, textures, shapes and hundreds shades of green.

Honestly, I was walking the dogs early this morning, staring at the countryside around me and trying to differentiate all the nuances and hues of green . Well, it is simply impossible.

While working on my project, Walking Connemara, I recently discovered the Curra woods area just out of Moycullen, Co. Galway. It always amazes me how the most amazing places can be discovered just a few minutes away from a village or a own. And if you are not a local you wouldn't know about them, Or there is the other option, you could live on the other side of the village and just never go there ;-)

So here I have selected just a few images from the last few weeks, showing you the beautiful Curra area, lost in The Gorgeous Green

 

Curra Forest, Moycullen, Co Galway, Ireland  

Annie Japaud Photography 

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Snowy Ireland

I think it will take a while for Ireland to get back to normal after Storm Emma.  

The snow could be gone for now but it is still very cold and patches of dirty whiteness are still visible everywhere. A lot of people suffered in many ways, local businesses had to close, suppliers did not deliver, the country was literally at a standstill  for a few days.

Our water is not completely back even though we managed to have showers yesterday!! Believe me it is the best feeling in the world to be clean!!

One thing I noticed is that snowmen sprang up everywhere in every garden like an army, people managed to see the bright side of things to get through it all!!  Doesn't that show a great spirit and a wonderful sense of humor? Irish people a well know for that I believe.

So to finish on a brighter note, here are some snowy shots from Ireland, prettier and nicer than my previous post which was a bit sinister and had an end of the world feel to it. 

Enjoy Snowy Ireland ;-)

The Snow Monster Called Emma