Richard Cummins is a native of Ireland who, for about 10 years ending in 1989, worked as a lighthouse keeper in that country. He spent time at the very famous Fastnet Rock Lighthouse; at Hook Head, the oldest operating lighthouse in the world, and some other well known light stations – more than 20 in all.

After his time as a lighthouse keeper he’s worked as a photographer and his photos have been published in National Geographic and other publications. You can see Richard’s photographic work online at art.com and many other websites. He’s also known for the remarkable ships in bottles and other nautical models he’s built, which you can see on his Facebook page.

This is part one of a two-part interview. The second part will be released in two days, on February 3.

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