Escape to the headlands of Ireland through Norman McCloskey’s rugged photography …
The work of renowned Irish landscape photographer Norman McCloskey forms part of private and corporate collections worldwide. Originally from Co Limerick, Norman made Co Kerry his home at the age of 20, connecting with the landscape through photography.
He studied photography at IADT and has published three books celebrating the Irish landscape. Images of Killarney National Park are the focus of Parklight from 2013, followed by Beara in 2018 and Kingdom in 2022. Norman’s fourth book, Headlands, is a monograph featuring over 100 images capturing the beauty of West Cork – the first place he travelled to with his camera in 1992.
In Headlands, he has captured coastal and inland images from Kinsale to the Beara Peninsula which were taken over a three year period. Dramatic coastal seascapes, scenes of serenity, beautiful breaking light, and details of the vernacular man-made features all combine in this unique look at one of Ireland’s most beautiful areas.
Featured prominently in the book are many headlands along the coastline dotted with castles, tower houses, signal towers and navigational markers. Norman explains; “Initially, my attention was drawn to all these prominent natural features, along with manmade additions, but as I spent more time I began to connect more deeply with the unmistakable feeling in this part of the world. West Cork is renowned for its coastline, but its backdrop is one of lush, fertile farmland, and its history of wealth and strategic importance is evident everywhere.”
Renowned Scottish photographer Bruce Percy provided the foreword, offering insights into his approach. Music is one of the biggest influences on Norman’s creative process and he has chosen to include lyrics from two songs by artists with a deep connection to West Cork. “Rather than repeat what many other photo books have done, my aim for this series is to represent my experience working here, depict a response to what I found and show a connection. Most shoots were unplanned, I find this approach to photographing the landscape shows my experience honestly, and lends simplicity and authenticity to the images I create”.
Need to know: Headlands costs €45 and a limited edition is €130 which includes a mounted and signed A4 print, slipcase, postcards and note from the author. All images from the book are available to purchase as prints and can be viewed at the photographer’s gallery in Kenmore.
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