Mark, who works as a photographer here for The Kerryman, is a huge nature lover and is someone who has always had a grá for all things space and outdoors, and has captured some amazing landscape and night sky shots over the years.
His latest effort, though, might just be one of his best yet, and he spoke to The Kerryman about the process involved in capturing it this week.
“I could see that the stats and the conditions were looking good for the night but I actually ended up going to bed early but I woke up randomly at 5am though and I could see that the conditions were still going strong and so I said I’d take a chance and drive back to Shore Acre and see what I could get,” he said.
“The conditions back there were really amazing. You could see the whole beach there with the moonlight. It was just a really beautiful morning,” he continued, adding that he follows a group online called Aurora Alerts Ireland and that they are really good for keeping people up to date on when auroras such as this will be visible.
“I was delighted with how it [the photo] turned out. I was there from twilight until it started to get bright. It was amazing. You can see Orion’s belt too in the picture, which is amazing. We’re so blessed here with the dark skies.”
This blessedness is something he expanded on when asked what he’s thinking about in the photo as he looks up at the night sky above.
“I’m just thinking how lucky I am that we have this on our doorstep. The fact that we’re able to head 20 minutes out the road and experience something like this and experience it a lot too recently.”
For aspiring photographers hoping to capture similar moments, Mark offers some practical advice
“Anybody can get a photo like this, even if they have just something like an iPhone. If they have it on night mode and where you’re taking a three-second exposure, anybody can capture something like this.”
“For me, I use a tripod and a wide-angle lens that I put on a 15-second exposure, and I just make sure that it’s steady.”
For Mark, it’s moments like these – quiet, unexpected, and full of wonder – that remind him why he fell in love with photography in the first place
Follow Mark on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/markosullivanphotography?igsh=MTdpdXVvZTN4b2lvZw==
Tralee photographer Mark O’Sullivan pictured surveying the Northern Lights at Shore Acre Beach in Kerry at 5.30am on Wednesday morning. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
The Northern Lights as seen from Shore Acre Beach in Kerry at 5.30am on Wednesday morning. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.
The Northern Lights as seen from Shore Acre Beach in Kerry at 5.30am on Wednesday morning. Photo by Mark O’Sullivan.