Togs & Tales
Ronan Harding Downes

Ronan Harding Downes
Landscape & Wedding Photographer
My name is Ronan Harding Downes aka Ronan HD. These days I’m a Father first so the photography often takes a back seat. But I’m also a full time wedding photographer, a landscape photographer and part time fool from Wicklow, Ireland. I made the decision to quit my job and pursue a full time career in photography in October 2019. Despite 2020s reputation I’ve enjoyed a very successful year and been nominated for a number of awards which I’m very thankful for! I like to keep busy and always try my hand at different things, the most recent being co-creating and publishing the Tri Pod photography podcast with my friends Sean O’Riordan and Kevin Hennessy.
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?
I think I have two favourite adventures, possibly three, but the stand out would be a trip to the Devils Glen with Keith Walsh during Storm Emma. Storm Emma, aka the Beast from the East, was a rare weather event in 2018 that caused almost a week of sustained snowfall and freezing conditions. When the snowfall finally slowed the roads were ploughed and we ventured into the mountains. We knew from the news reports that the Wicklow Mountains were inaccessible, with hundreds of “snow tourists” getting stuck in snow drifts as high as 8 foot, so we decided to stay at a lower altitude and head into the Devils Glen. Safety first!


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?
- Nikon D750
- Nikon 24-70 f2.8
- Nikon 70-200 f2.8
- Nikon Z6
Top Tip for anyone starting out?
Best Advise you’ve personally been given?

Who is your biggest inspiration as a Landscape Photographer
Thomas Heaton would be a big inspiration of mine. As would Simon Baxter. They both run fantastic YouTube channels and approach their photography on their terms. There’s no trends or copying the easy composition you find on Google with them. In an industry saturated with people chasing a following the photography can sometimes get lost, so I’m a big fan of the approach Thomas and Simon take to their work.
Who is your favourite Irish photographer at the moment?
At the time of writing I’m a big fan of Mark McGuires work. He’s recently branched out into drone photography and he’s finding some really unique compositions in the air and on the ground.
Sean O’Riordan and Keith Walsh are fantastic landscape photographers also. I think Keith is one of the best in Ireland, but he’s far too humble and laid back to even entertain having that conversation!
Through the podcast I’ve discovered people like Keith Arkins, Brian Campbell, Sarah Ponsonnet, Orla Fleming, Lee O’Hare, Dragana Guzic and Darragh Gorman to name a few. They all have incredible work.
Where can we find you?
For weddings and other enquiries you can get me on my website www.ronanhdphotography.com I’ve another website for my workshops, print sales and book next year if all goes well which is www.ronanhd.com
You can get me over on the Tri Pod page too, just search ‘The Tri Pod’ on the socials and anywhere you get your podcasts! You can also head over to www.tripod.ie
Thankfully, you can find me @ronanhdphotography or by simply searching Ronan HD Photography. I say thankfully because I’ve won my long running SEO battle with Saoirse Ronan, who previously came up as the top hits for “Ronan HD” searches. Take that, Saoirse!