A little about me
I’m a Cork man happily married to a fellow Corkonian, Aoife. We live in Dublin with our two children Síofra and Ruairí, who have taught me everything I know about winning over flowergirls and pageboys on the morning of a wedding!
Family time is definitely my favourite part of the week, but apart from that I really do love photographing weddings.
I’ve relished the challenges that wedding photography presents ever since I started photographing them professionally in 2009. I especially enjoy the creative outlet that wedding photography offers me, appreciating the trust that’s placed in me to capture the memories of such a special and happy day.
It’s a job I simply love doing, and I hope that comes through each time I photograph a wedding.
A little about my approach to a wedding
Before the wedding
My focus on your wedding starts about 4 weeks before the big day, when we get together, either in person or via phone/Skype/Facetime, to discuss (in quite a bit of detail) the plans for the day itself.
Weddings are a lot about logistics, and I give guidance on ways to make the day run as smoothly as possible, even apart from the photos.
Speaking of the photos, my entire focus at the planning stage is on ways to maximise the your time with your guests. That’s in my interest too, because as well as photographing the couple, the bridal party, and the family – assuming those photos are requested – I really want to photograph the “everything else” that has usually been the focus of so much of the planning – the details, the strangers getting to know each other, the laughter, the happy tears, and all that is unplanned and unscripted.
At the end of that planning session we have a sunny day plan, a rainy day plan, and even possibly a “what if everything runs late” plan, to the point that the last thing I need to do on the day itself is approach the couple and ask “so what’s next?”
In total, all going well there might be 30-40 minutes of the day where you’re aware of exactly what photos I’m taking. And that’s the bit we plan in advance, so that for rest of the 8 – 12 hours I’m typically there, I can spend my time taking photos that we can’t plan in advance. It’s that 90% of the day that really tells the story of your wedding, and makes every wedding I shoot different.
On the day
I dress like a guest, I arrive to the morning prep early, and the one thing I don’t do is arrive in to the house and immediately stick a camera in someone’s face. In fact, I’ll almost always say yes to a cup of tea if I’m offered one, if only to have a few moments while the kettle boils to introduce myself to parents, siblings, bridesmaids, groomsmen and my fellow suppliers.
I start with the details – the dress, shoes, flowers, jewellery etc. – but keep an eye and ear open for what’s going on around the place. If it moves, there’s a chance I’ll photograph it, but in a way that you really don’t notice. The main reason for me to be there early is that by the time things start to ramp up, you’ve almost forgotten about me. In fact, that part of the morning is when I capture some of my favourite images of a wedding.
There are only a handful of times I’ll ask someone to pose in any meaningful way at a wedding – and they’re all the bits we’ll have discussed before hand so you get to sign off on the plan. It will definitely not be a drawn out part of the day – my record for family photos, for instance, is under 4 minutes. We’ll have figured out who we photograph, where, and when, for these posed shots. For the rest, you simply enjoy your day and I document what I see.
All going well, dressed like a guest, I spend most the drinks reception mingling with guests, photographing them candidly, watching for reactions, listening for laughter, anticipating action and generally trying to document your wedding in a way that captures the mood of the day.
Proud to be a member of
This is Reportage
Moments come and go in an instant; what’s more precious than capturing them forever? This Is Reportage celebrates wedding photographers who excel at doing exactly that, and doing so without interrupting your day, telling you what to do, or asking you to repeat things.
Because, you’re there to marry the love of your life, aren’t you, rather than attending a photoshoot?
Irish Professional Photographers Association
The Irish Professional Photographers Association (IPPA) is the representative association for professional photographers all over Ireland.
Members of the association are qualified, fully insured, tax-compliant, and regularly have their work assessed to ensure its of a professional standard.
Fearless Photographers
Fearless celebrates the most exciting and innovative wedding photography in the world, and only includes photographers who are inspired to push the envelope of what is possible at every single wedding.
Fearless photographers possess superb technical skill, endless creativity and a passion for photography that drives them to create the very best images.
Next steps?
If all that sounds like the approach to your wedding photography that you're hoping for, please do get in touch to check my availability.