Killarney Camera Club commenced its new season with a competition that featured an impressive display of creativity and technical skill from its members.

Maryann Heidtke secured the runner-up position in the Novice category with her striking photograph titled, Sand Dune “Big Daddy.”

Captured in the vast Namib Desert of Namibia, Maryann’s image is a masterclass in minimalism.

The photograph features the sweeping red curve of a towering sand dune set against a vibrant, cloudless blue sky.

The powerful sense of scale and solitude in the scene is emphasised by the presence of three small figures near the ridge, who are pictured gazing over the edge of the dune.

Commenting on the award-winning shot, Maryann said: “While on a photographic holiday in Namibia, we visited Namib-Naukluft National Park where one of Namibia’s biggest sand dunes, named Big Daddy, can be found. It was a particularly busy day with tourists making their way to the summit.”

She explained how the image came together: “I saw through my zoom lens this simple composition Three people standing on the edge, tiny against the scale of it all, one of them on their knees peering over the side. I was lucky to capture that moment of curiosity on a golden mountain of sand under Africa’s amazing blue sky.”

The Killarney Camera Club welcomes all new members. You can find more details and images on their website: <-block _nghost-ng-c1024477546=”” class=”ng-star-inserted”>https://killarneycameraclub.ie.

Killarney native, Padraig O’Sullivan (or Hank as he was more commonly known when growing up here) has recently developed a timely and important podcast series for the maturing man.

Don’t Let The Old Man In is a weekly podcast for men who are navigating the transitions of midlife – from career shifts and health priorities to evolving relationships and discovering what comes next.
The series, which is hosted and directed by Padraig, addresses the universal question many men face in their forties and beyond: “Now what?”
Padraig, who is currently undertaking a doctorate at Oxford University on the same topic, explained the concept behind the series saying:
“For many of us approaching midlife and beyond, huge questions surface:
‘Now what? If I don’t want to continue my current job, what do I do? Where do I get joy from, going forward?’
These are normal but profound questions. For some, the idea of embracing reinvention in the second half of life is scary and foreign. Yet the invitation is firmly extended to us”.
Each episode hears Padraig having real and candid conversations with experts, celebrities and ordinary men about navigating midlife. The ups, the downs, the surprises, the opportunities, the secrets and how to do it on your terms, gracefully or even disgracefully!
“Through stories, tools, and honest conversations, our hope is that these podcasts will move beyond midlife crisis clichés to offer practical tools and real perspectives, thereby helping you unlock what really matters!” said Padraig.
Originally from Loreto Road and a former student of St Brendan’s College, Padraig emigrated to Australia in the 90’s where he established a number of successful executive coaching businesses working with global clients such as Johnston & Johnston, Coca Cola, Nestle, BHP, SHELL, and Eli Lilly amongst many others, gaining him a reputation as ‘one of Asia’s top leadership experts’ (INSIGHT Publishing).
He has been fascinated with transitions and personal reinventions for most of his life. His career has seen him in the medical industry, in sales and marketing, consulting industries, self-employed, an entrepreneur who successfully sold businesses, an educator at Sydney Business School, an author, an Executive Coach to 100’s of CEO’s all over Asia, a podcaster, the owner of a ‘failed’ tech start up and now the co-founder of The Wisdom Vault and host of this podcast.
Padraig, who currently lives in Sydney with his wife Carole and family, firmly believes that mid-life, while tough on many levels, lonely on others, and downright confusing on still more, can also include the best stages in life.
Don’t Let The Old Man In is hosted by The Wisdom Vault, an Australian educational platform for men in midlife, and is available to download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Listeners can subscribe to updates on upcoming episodes and live events. See https://thewisdomvault.org/