Togs & Tales
Stephen Phelan

Stephen Phelan
Landscape Photographer
I spent the last year in Vancouver, Canada, working as both a Swim Coach and a Strength & Conditioning Coach. We had great plans to travel the whole west coast of Canada and the USA but some Covid stuff happened and we ended up coming home last August. It was great to get the chance to see so many of the wonderful landscapes Canada has to offer before we came home. Driving up and down the Icefields Parkway will always be on the best experiences in my life. It would have been great to stay, but it would have been impossible to travel and see what we wanted to see before the visas were up. We will be going back at some stage.

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?
This is harder for me to answer than say someone like TJ Allen, who probably has fewer good photos.

What equipment / Setup are you currently using?
With the A7Riii I have the two budget Tamron lenses 17-28mm and 28-75mm. I’ve got the 70-200mm f4 from Sony, and also the 200-600mm because I love shooting wildlife.
- Sony A7Riii
- Tamron 17-28mm
- Tamron 28-75mm
- Sony 70-200mm f4
- Sony 200-600mm
Top Tip for anyone starting out?
Best Advise you’ve personally been given?


Who is your biggest inspiration as a Landscape Photographer?
Recently I have really been inspired by the like of Enrico Fossati and Ryan Dyar having only come across their work. Since I started photographers such as Adam Gibbs, Gavin Hardcastle, Nick Page and Mads Peter Iverson have always influenced me with their style and approach to photography.
Who is your favourite Irish photographer at the moment?
It’s hard to pick just one, but I’ve always enjoyed the work of Mark O’Brien and Sean O’Riordan because they were two of the first Irish photographers I came across on Instagram when I got home last August. Their photos are nice too I guess!
Another one I like, especially for his astro, is Gary Cummins. I didn’t realise he was Irish until recently but he’s based in Canada.