Our first outing after the summer break was to the horse races at Laytown on 2nd September, where 11 members assembled to enjoy this unique seaside setting, which offers a rare opportunity to photograph horse racing on a beach.
We met at Navy Café, which overlooks the beach, and after a very enjoyable lunch, we made our way down to the sand. There we were treated to an afternoon full of movement, colour, and excitement.
There were six races in total, three at 6 furlongs and three at 7 furlongs, so between that and the horses cantering to the starting stalls, we had plenty of opportunities to try different compositions and shutter speeds. The skies on the day were interesting and included a double rainbow, fluffy white clouds and sudden showers, which created a dynamic backdrop, challenging everyone to adapt quickly and creatively to the conditions.
The majority of the spectators along the course seemed to be photographers, with the real race goers staying beside the finish line and totes.
While none of us won big, we all came back with some good, and in some cases unexpected, shots.
Some images (click on an image to open in full-screen mode) from the outing can be seen below:
