As mentioned previously, it is not going to rain all the time in Ireland, but it will rain on us sometimes. When it rains, what will we do?
First, here’s what we are not doing. We are not standing behind our tripods out in the rain, getting wet for no good reason and not getting any good shots anyway. At least, I’m not doing that! You are free to do that if you would like (but I don’t recommend it).
I am working on backup plans for every day of the trip. That’s one of the reasons I have most of our accommodations in towns, rather than out in more remote settings. That way, when it does rain, there will be place for us to go and things to do that don’t involve us standing around in the rain. The specifics of those activities are still a work in progress, but I can tell you generally some of the things we will do doing.
I want to reinforce that you will have options of things to do on this tour. So you won’t be locked into any of these activities. I will generally provide a few options and then let you pick what you want to do. Some of those options will generally look like this:
1. Learn Photography
I have promised you that your photography skills will improve on this trip, and they will. One way I’m going to do that is through a series of discussions and presentations on discrete photography topics that I think will help you. These will cover different aspects of shooting and composition, as well as some ways you can make your photos pop in post-processing (bring your laptop!) I’m going to keep a few of these handy and, if we get a wet, nasty day, we can just find a suitable spot and talk some photography.
Of course, I don’t expect the non-photographers to have any interest in that. And you might rather get out and see the town rather than sit and talk photography, so we’ll have other options as well.
2. Attend Tours and Attractions Around Town
There are indoor activities in every Irish town, and we will have a list of them before we go. In the past, we’ve done such things as learned how the Irish make wool and how they make Irish whiskey. There are also small museums that are worth checking out. Stay tuned for more specifics on these as we go forward.
The towns we will be staying in are all a plethora of little shops as well. It is fun to browse their items and pick something up for friends and relatives back home.
3. Visit The Pub
Don’t overlook the Irish pub! This is a staple of Irish culture, complete with friendly locals, music, and craic (pronounced “crack” and means fun or enjoyment)! No trip to Ireland is complete without spending some time in the pub. They are interesting subjects in and of themselves. I purchased this book on Irish pubs 10 years ago and still refer back to it (and try to go to as many pubs as I can).
You might think I’m advocating simply sitting around in a pub drinking beer all day. So let me clarify. I am! Just kidding (sort of).
Actually, even if you don’t drink, visits to the Irish pub are mandatory. You will have a great time. You will meet interesting Irish characters. They will want to talk to you. You will hear great Irish music. You will learn about Irish culture. In short, you will have a great time.
4. Just Relax
This tour is going to move fast, and we will be cramming a lot in a short period of time. My guess is that you will welcome a little break in the action now and then. A rainy day might actually present you with a great opportunity to just sit back and enjoy where we are staying. Our accommodations will be nice, and they will all have common areas where you can talk, read, or do whatever suits you. In addition, you’ll be surprised how often you find yourself involved in something really interesting when you set out to do nothing.
Protecting your gear
One more thing. You may wonder about protecting your gear from the rain. While I have no intention of standing out in the rain, we may brave some mist and drizzle and it is always possible that we will get caught in the rain a bit. You don’t need anything elaborate. All you really need to protect your gear is a simple $5 rain sleeve. You can get these at any camera shop or here. Get one or two and keep them in your camera bag.