Wicklow’s Thundering Heart

Let’s be honest, usually when we see "heavy rain" in the forecast for Wicklow, the temptation is to stay indoors with a cup of tea. But this shot is proof that you need to get out there!

I took this a few weeks back just after a massive downpour, and the difference in the waterfall is night and day. It was absolutely thundering. The spray was drifting so far across the valley that keeping the lens dry was a challenge in itself.

Why the Black and White Edit? On days like this, the sky is often a flat, uninspiring grey. In a colour photo, that can look a bit "washed out." By switching to monochrome in Snapseed, that flat grey becomes a moody, atmospheric negative space. It allows the bright white of the rushing water to really pop against the dark cliffs and the silhouette of that Monkey Puzzle tree on the right.

Also, take a zoom in at the bottom—those tiny dots are people. It really puts the "highest waterfall in Ireland" claim into perspective!