Togs & Tales
Michael McGillycuddy

Michael McGillycuddy
Landscape Photographer
My name is Michael McGillycuddy. I’m originally from Killarney, Co. Kerry and now living between there and Killorglin, on the Ring of Kerry road, married to the beautiful Eileen Christina and dad to three live-wire boys. If you can imagine Homer with three Bart Simpsons at home, that’s me! I work as chemist for a pharmaceutical company and would be a self confessed geek for anything with technology or sci-fi.
Typical family life of school runs, after school activities, soccer, rugby. Thankfully we are situated in a part of Kerry that has easy access to so many beautiful locations without too much effort, giving opportunities for some photography outings. I am usually found out of breath up a mountain, lost in a forest or about to fall in to a lake while walking along the shoreline. I have a terrible sense of direction so if found please return to Mrs McGillycuddy, Killorglin.
What was your path to becoming a Landscape Photographer & What was your first camera?

What was your favourite Landscape Adventure Story since becoming a Photographer?

What was your worst in-the-field experience as a landscape Photographer?
Sunrise or Sunset & Why?

Where is your favourite Location in Ireland to Photograph & Why?
What is your favourite photograph, that you’ve taken to date, & Why?
What equipment / Setup are you currently using?
I’ve changed systems a bit down through the years, mainly as my own personal needs have dictated and currently a Sony A7Riii is my main landscape camera along with the typical mainstays of landscapes lenses, wide-angle (Sony 16-35mm f4), standard zoom (Tamron 28-75mm f2.8) and telephoto (Sony 70-200mm). I have recently purchased the Sony 20mm f1.8 as I want to do more astrophotography and wanted something a little faster for low light. It’s all a combination of new and second hand. I use a mix of Formatt Hi-Tech and NiSi ND, ND grad and polarising filters. A 3 Legged Thing “Winston” tripod and L-Bracket keeps everything nice and steady.
I also have a Sigma DP1 Quattro. It’s a strange camera that uses a Foveon sensor that captures colour in a different way to the normal Bayer sensor cameras. It has an APS-C sensor and a fixed 19mm lens. The files that is produces can be very beautiful with rich, accurate colours but its not a “take everywhere” camera. It can be slow and working with the files needs its own proprietary software before importing the TIFF files into Lightroom so its a little cumbersome. But it was something that I had wanted to try and learn for a while and I came across a good deal on one a little over a year and a half ago and it has kept my inner geek quite happy.
- Sony A7Riii
- Sony 16-35mm f4
- Tamron 28-75mm f2.8
- Sony 70-200mm
- Sigma DP1 Quattro
What is your Style of Photography and Editing

Top Tip for anyone starting out?
Best Advise you’ve personally been given?


Who is your biggest inspiration as a Landscape Photographer?
Who is your favourite Irish photographer at the moment?
Valerie O’Sullivan – An amazing photographer with a special love of the mountains and also of the people of the area. She is a dab hand at so many genres from press/reporting, portraiture and landscape and has an amazing eye for the perfect photo every time. Valerie is also such a lovely person who can put people at ease before getting a great photo.
Norman McCloskey – It is clear he has such a great love and knowledge of the landscape of Kerry and it comes across in so many of his images. Not only that but his perseverance in capturing the shot at the perfect time always amazes me. He is based in Kenmare, where his gallery is a joy to visit and is a pure gentleman.