Sally & Terry's Pre-Wedding Family Shoot

Last weekend I travelled to the Lake District to photograph Sally and Terry's wedding at Muncaster Castle, Ravenglass. The day before the ceremony, we got together for a pre-wedding shoot, for which Sally and Terry's children came along, too. It was great fun and we captured some really cool family images. Here's a small selection, with shots from the wedding to follow soon:















I just love that last shot, especially the way the greens and blues seem to ping out of the frame.

David

Bantry Bay By Night

Taking landscape and travel shots at night is a fun way of remembering the places we've visited but the best shots require careful thought and planning. While in Ireland, I took the following series of shots which illustrates just how important this timing is. These three images were all taken within 15 minutes of one another but only the first of them is truly satisfactory:







The difference, of course, is in the light in the sky. The wonderful blues and violets make the first image stand out. There's a mere hint of blue in the second shot and none at all in the final image. Arguably, this doesn't matter too much in the second image which is as much about night life in bantry as anything else. But the final image would have been so much stronger had the sky glowed with the deep colours of the first image.

This just shows the importance of planning. Once the sun has set, there are often rich and atmospheric colours in the sky but they give way to pitch black within 20 minutes. So the key is to anticipate - get yourself in the right place for the image you want most, then move very quickly to capture any others you might want before the light disappears. Not that simple, though, when you've just left a restaurant with the children in tow!

There, a free photography lesson for you! Back to wedding and portrait images for my next post, I think. Until then, take care.

David

Eithne & Helen's Ballydehob Bridge-Top Wedding

There was some sunshine during our 2-week trip to Ireland ... but only on one day! Luckily for Eithne and Helen that was the day they had chosen for their wedding. Eithne is my wife's cousin and she lives in west Cork, just about as far from the north east of Ireland as you could get with stepping off the Emerald Isle. After two days travel, we stayed in a cottage in Durrus, near Bantry (I'll be posting a couple of shots of Bantry by night some time next week, I hope).

Helen and Eithne's ceremony was truly special, held on the twelve-arch bridge in Ballydehob which towers over the river:



The sun may have been high in the sky but the wind was blustering for all it was worth, and that made standing on the walls that flank the bridge somewhat perilous. Still, it made from some pretty interesting images, such as this one of the guests as they spready along the length of the bridge:



Everyone formed a "tunnel of love" for Eithne and Helen who approached one another from opposite ends of the bridge:



Here's another shot taken from the wall on the bridge - what a fantastic backdrop for a wedding!



After the ceremony, I took a few shots of the happy couple back at sea level, this time lying on the edge of the sea wall - I guess the sun must have been affecting my judgment or something!



Another of the two ladies, this time taken from the relative safety of a picnic table:



Here's Eithne with her brothers and sister:



They had decked the village hall out in spendid style for their reception:



The cake was topped with a mini-Eithne and mini-Helen - no crazy vantage points required for this one:



And finally, an elegant shot of the newly-weds as they looked out over the river in the evening light:



It was a great day and I know all present wish both of you a very happy, long and fulfilling future together - congratulations to you both,
David

Amanda + Toby = The Perfect Match

I'm taking a quick break from my series of posts from the Ireland trip to display some images from the last wedding I photographed before dashing across the Irish Sea. Amanda and Toby's wedding was a real treat for music lovers. Highlights included a number of excellent performances in the church, a wonderful piano recital during canapes at the reception, Toby singing part of his speech, and a live extravaganza from The Duffy's which was accompanied by some fine dancing by the guests.

For this selection of images, I've chosen to start with a detail from Amanda's beautiful gown and shoes:



Amanda looked absolutely gorgeous in her dress:



Toby was pretty dapper, too, in his cream suit with cravat to match the trim in Amanda's dress:




Here's Amanda looking radiant as she arrived at the church:



The interior of St Mary's RC church in Woburn Sands is very light and airy, which was great for capturing wonderful images of the wedding ceremony:



Aah, did you ever see a happier looking couple as they enjoy their first few moments of married life together!




The reception was held in the Atrium at Whittlebury Park, which has a good range of backdrops for photographs:



This shot of the rings was set on the lower tier of Amanda and Toby's stunning cake:



I mentioned earlier that Toby sang part of his speech. Well, here he is in full performance mode:



But you'll have to check the video, Toby, to see if this was Amanda's reaction to your singing:



What a great day it was, packed with fun and laughs, as well as music and dancing. It was pretty late when I left and the party was in full swing, with everyone having a really great time. My congratulations to you both, Amanda and Toby. No one could doubt that you are the perfect match for one another. I wish you many many years of happiness together.

David

The Changing Face of Belfast

During our Ireland trip we had to spend a few hours on one of my wife's current work projects in Belfast. So on the way back, I took the opportunity to take a couple of images that record the changing face of the city. The "Troubles" have had a major impact on many parts of Belfast, in particular in some residential areas of the city. Murals paying tribute to the paramilitaries have been evident in these places for many years but as part of the peace process there is a move to replace the paramilitary-style mural with art work that celebrates other aspects of life in the north. I found these two examples of the old and the new in the east of the city. The first portrays a typical display of strength in honour of the Ulster Freedom Fighters, or UFF:




This, however, is more typical of the new brand of mural. As an Englishman, it's not necessarily going to go down as my favourite example for it shows David Healy's (in)famous goal that defeated England in 2005. In my defence, it was pouring down when I took these two shots and I just didn't fancy roaming the streets to find a less embarrassing design!




Next time I'm in Belfast I plan to photograph a couple of examples of murals from a republican area of Belfast - just for balance, you understand.

More from the trip soon,
David

20 Amazing Years of Marriage

The main reason for our recent trip to Ireland was to mark a very special occasion in the life of my wife Fionnuala and I: our 20th wedding anniversary. Our friends we were studying with at university all those years ago were stunned when we decided to get engaged; they all said it would never last. Well, wonderful judges of character they turned out to be! Fionnuala has been my rock since we met and we've enjoyed some truly great times together. I just hope the couples whose weddings I'm fortunate enough to record are blessed with a relationship as loving as ours. Fionnuala, I love you so much - you are my inspiration.

I want to thank you for all the years we've shared and to say I'm really looking forward to our future together. The plans we're working on are so exciting and I can't wait to put them into action with you.

I want to thank you, too, for organising a great holiday this year - even if you did forget to arrange any decent weather! Our stay at Castle Leslie in Monaghan was simply unforgettable. While there, Fionnuala and I took a stroll in the grounds and with the aid of a sturdy tripod and the camera's self-timer we took a few pictures of ourselves - just the two of us, which is something I'm determined to do more often from now on. Here are two from the set that I'd like to share with everyone as a tribute to my wonderful wife:





David

My Gold Award Landscape Image

Back from our holidays now and into the swing of work again - seems like we were away for no time at all! One of the most pleasing parts of getting home was discovering that I'd received a Gold Award from the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers for this image:

The photo was taken in February near Enniskillen in Northern Ireland and received the award in the landscape category of the SWPP's monthly print competition for August. I also received seven Silver Awards, including for the portrait and wedding images I submitted. Isn't that cool - I feel really lucky to have my work recognised by the judges.

I'll be posting some images from our trip soon, starting with something special as a thank you to my wonderful wife.

David