About

Travel Photographer Barry O'Carroll
Yup. That’s me.

I am a travel photographer from the great city of Dublin, Ireland. I have a preference for urban landscapes and street photography but enjoy photographing the natural world too. In my galleries you will find plenty of photographs from my home city of Dublin and from around Ireland. I also enjoy combining my zeal for photography with my love of travel. There’s nothing quite like exploring an unfamiliar city, town, village or other location with your camera at the ready.

I particularly enjoy shooting in the very early morning when you often have a usually crowded location to yourself. I also take a lot of photographs during the evening blue hour when there is a perfect balance between the emerging night lights of the city and the ambient light remaining after the sun has dipped below the horizon.

Early Morning Photography on St Marks Square Venice by Barry O'Carroll
Early morning an empty St. Mark’s Square

Getting Started with Photography

I took up photography in 2005 during a visit to Andalusia. My good friend José taught me the basics of exposure and composition on my little 3 megapixel Olympus compact camera. I don’t think my poor wife has ever fully forgiven him! It was duting this trip that I knew I wanted to be a travel photographer.

Soon after, I joined a local photography club and later served as chairperson possibly as punishment for sins in a previous life. I learnt a lot from my fellow club members over the years and highly recommend that novice photographers join their local photography clubs. Photography aside, it is a great social experience too and I made many good friends along the way.

A watershed moment in my development as a travel photographer came when I read the book Waiting for the Light by English photographer David Noton His emphasis on waiting for that special light that can bring your photographs to the next level had a big impact on me. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of chatting to David during several online workshops. Being in position when the most interesting light is present often involves very early starts long before sunrise. I believe it is worth the effort though to extract myself from the coziness of my bed and head out with my camera gear. Early morning is when the magic happens I believe.

Photography Gear

One thing you will not find in the blog section of the website are long posts about photography gear. I try to be a minialist as much as possible ad this extends to my photography gear. As a travel photographer, the less I have to carry, the better. I own a Canon 6d MkII camera body with a few lenses, a tripod, a travel tripod, a few neutral density filters, spare batteries and a Black Rapid camera strap.

All of this stores neatly inside a Think Tank Airport Essentials backpack. I also have Panasonic ZS100 that I keep in pocket pretty much all the time. You never know when a photographic opportunity will arise. The smaller camera is excellent for street photography too. It’s a lot more discreet and portable than a digital SLR. It’s also easier to hide from my eternally wonderful and patient wife. “No dear. No photography on this trip. I promise”.

Wall Art Prints

High-quality prints of all my photographs are available to order online from my web-store. All orders are fulfilled by Fine Art America / Pixels.com who offer a wide choice of sizes, formats and framing options. Formats include: poster prints, framed prints, canvas prints, metal prints and acrylic prints. Payment can be made securely via PayPal and deliveries can be made worldwide. A photographic print is the perfect gift for Christmas or any special occasion. I have found that my photography from Ireland is particularly popular among the Irish who have moved to other countries such as the United States, Canada, the UK and Australia or perhaps have ancestors from Ireland.

Framed prints by travel photographer Barry O'Carroll
Framed print from Fine Art America

Digital Downloads from Etsy

Digital downloads of all my photography can also be purchased from my Etsy store. Upon payment, you will receive a link to download your chosen photograph in a variety of aspect-ratios. You can then arrange for printing and framing yourself at print-lab of your choice. Please note that photographs downloaded from Etsy are only for personal decorative use and may not be used for commercial of editorial purposes.

Barry O'Carroll's Photography Etsy Store
My Etsy Store

Using my Photographs for Commercial or Editorial Use

Licenses for commercial, editorial or other uses are available to purchase. You can find more information about this on the “Buy Usage Licenses” page. Usage licenses for photographs have been purchased for a variety of commercial and editorial uses in both online and in print form from websites to billboards and book covers.

Photography Lessons and Workshops

I love sharing my passion for photography with others through teaching individuals and groups. I also regularly give talks on topics such as composition and light at photography clubs in Ireland and abroad via online platforms. It is very fulfilling to see novice and intermediate photographers really improve their photography after my classes. Most of all, it’s very satisfying to see the attendees enjoying themselves. You can find more information about the lessons and workshops I deliver on the “Lessons and Talks” page.

My E-Book – Outdoor Photography Essentials

Outdoor Photography Essentials E-book by travel photographer Barry O'Carroll

During the Covid-19 lockdown in Ireland I finally completed a project I had had in mind for many years. I gathered and re-wrote many of the tutorials I had written over the years as well as writing some new ones. I then compiled them all into an e-book called Outdoor Photography Essentials. You can find more details about the content of the book on the E-Book page as well as well as how to order a copy on Amazon or Etsy.

Get in Touch

If you have any queries about buying prints; buying commercial licenses; ordering my e-book; booking lessons or workshops or you simply want to say hello, please feel free to send me a message via the contact page. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.