Between Takes

I spotted this lit-up Martello Tower near Blackrock while driving home last night. The bright light, visible for miles, had attracted me like a moth. When I pulled up I noticed a big truck and, oddly, a bus, parked in the middle of the nearby field.

This field is a regular site for circuses when they come to visit, so that's what I thought had happened. I took out my tripod, though I didn't think I'd get a chance to use it, especially when two security guys in yellow reflective vests spotted me.

But they turned out to be very friendly, happy to let me do my thing so long as I didn't go too close to the light-source, which was actually a film set, the wall of the Martello Tower a backdrop for some advertisement in the making. Apparently, if I'd happened by just a bit earlier I'd have seen spectacular shadows thrown by the actors, who had been dancing (I think). Being too late, the blank screen had to suffice, but an interesting blank screen I think, the 200-year-old stonework appearing both pristine and brand-new.

The security guys, Chris and Tibor, turned out to be camera geeks! One of them insisted on letting me try out his Sigma telephoto on the Tower (which was about a hundred yards away). Chris actually agreed to pose for me, sitting at the top of the bus, but the comp didn't really work. So here is my shot, courtesy of Tibor.