Tucked away amid West Cork’s rugged beauty, photographer Peter Cox has made it his life’s work to capture the heart and spirit of Ireland’s ever-evocative landscape.

“I was born and raised in Dún Laoghaire, just south of Dublin,” Cox recalls, reflecting on his earliest memories. “I grew up by the sea. My childhood was full of Sunday drives through the Wicklow Mountains with my father. The quiet, elemental power of the Irish landscape laid the emotional foundation for what I do today.”

Now based in the Gaeltacht village of Ballingeary, surrounded by tradition and untouched terrain, Cox has found a place that both grounds and inspires him. “It’s a deeply rural place. I didn’t just move here for the scenery, but for the sense of connection.”

Although his photographs are filled with sentiment and artistry, his previous career took off in tech, not art. “I played with cameras as a child but worked as a computer systems engineer for years. The arrival of digital cameras around 2000 gave me a new creative outlet. That’s when I began to see photography as an expressive craft.

Initially, it was the technical aspect that attracted Cox to cameras. “In the beginning, it was about the tools, the precision, the control,” he explains. “But eventually, I started chasing light instead of megapixels and working towards images that conveyed not just what I saw, but what I felt. Today, it’s about storytelling through the landscape.”

His evolution as a photographer was marked by milestones that went beyond perfect exposure or shutter speed. “A real turning point for me was discovering Joe Cornish’s First Light. I realized that landscape photography could be meditative, poetic, transcendent.”

A lifelong fascination with flight also paired well with his creative vision. “I trained as a pilot in the U.S., and that love of the sky never left me. When drone technology matured enough to carry professional-quality cameras, I was able to explore the landscape from above. It’s a completely different perspective.”

Though digital tools have opened doors for many aspiring photographers in Ireland, Cox sees a challenge in finding photos that stand out. “I’d love to see more projects that engage deeply with the land and its history. Not just images, but stories.”

Support for the arts, he says, can improve things. “Residencies, grants and real opportunities to exhibit can help artists go deeper, and education that teaches people to really connect with the landscape.”

Practising what he preaches, Cox remains rooted in finding joy and presence in his work. “Creative sustainability is a real challenge,” he notes. “When passion becomes your profession, the real work is staying inspired and finding magic in the familiar.”

Yet, remaining inspired may require as much effort as the precision required for the profession. “The inspiration comes from the landscape. The Wild Atlantic Way is a near-infinite source of inspiration. But the images themselves are the product of hard work. Scouting, planning, waiting, returning, failing and trying again.”

Those hard-earned results evolved into eventual career highlights. “Publishing my books — The Irish Light, Atlantic Light and, more recently, The Skelligs: Islands on the Edge of the World, represents years of work,” Cox says. He also fondly recalls his collaboration with the Commissioners of Irish Lights, when he had the privilege of flying to some of the most remote places in Ireland.

Cox’s photographs are displayed in private homes and public galleries alike. “My clients are individuals who fall in love with a particular photograph,” whether they wish to reconnect with their heritage or see their home in a new light. A good photograph, he says, “communicates a mood that draws you in and stays with you.”

His upcoming projects include achieving a revitalized result using a remote process. “I’m preparing a series using the wet plate collodion process and shooting with large-format cameras on glass plates. It’s slow, tactile and almost ceremonial. I want to see how the Irish landscape speaks through that older lens.”

Having recently relocated his gallery to Kinsale, Cox enjoys meeting visitors and sharing the stories behind his work. His full collection is online for those unable to make the journey. “That connection, whether in person or across the world, means everything.”

Witnessing and capturing Ireland’s majestic landscape is his ultimate honour. “Standing on a cliff edge in Donegal or a quiet bay in Kerry in a moment of perfect light is reward enough. The Irish landscape keeps evolving, and I feel compelled to keep up with it.”

www.petercox.ie
@petercoxphotography