Storm Bram - Liquid Mountains

“Aonbharr” - captured during Storm Bram, December 2025

After the last big storm we had (Éowyn) where I took some photos of the waves it had generated just after the storm had passed, I have been wanting to try and venture out right in the middle of the storm and try capture the Atlantic Coast at its wildest. I wanted to witness and document what a force 11 violent storm looks like on the water. So, when Bram made it onto the weather radar, I followed its predicted timing and the conditions it would produce closely and decided the evening before that I would head out and see what taking photos in gusts of 50 knots is like.

My main worry was that I was going to have difficulty getting to the coast as there were reports of localised flooding so I selected a way that I thought would have the best chance of being passable and left a few hours after the floods were reported. To my surprise, it was actually not bad getting there. But getting out of the car and straight into gale force winds was an early indicator that this wasn’t going to be super easy. Whilst there was only light rain on and off, I could feel the salt water spray from the crashing waves a few hundred meters away. Clearly my main challenges were going to be the high winds and somehow trying to keep my equipment dry(ish) and the front of the lens clear of salt water.

I stopped first at Red Strand but the conditions there were not great for the kind of photos I was hoping for. The light was very flat and the spray from the salt water was horrendous. So, I decided to try Galley Head. As soon as I got there, I knew I had picked the right spot. The gale force winds were more side-shore, creating spectacular spray off the top of the waves and i could position myself a bit more sheltered at the foot of the lighthouse just below the viewing point. I observed the crashing waves for a while to gauge how a big set would break and how far up the water would come in order to pick a safe spot.

For the next few hours, I witnessed the spectacle that is the raging ocean in all its furious glory. Light and clouds changing constantly, the sea birds navigating the waves and winds like fighter jets dog fighting. The images I captured I hope give you a glimpse into the experience.