by Kevin Morris
reportage wedding photography
One thing about (work related) housekeeping is that you get to revisit weddings from way back. Although it can sidetrack you, the memories of these special days are great to have. One wedding which sticks in my mind was that of Enika & Conor back in July 1997. The couple travelled from Australia to get married in Ballyliffen (way way up in Donegal) and it was one of those days when everything just fell into place. Leading up to the wedding the weather had been horrific, and, even when I was driving up the day beforehand it was still lashing out of the heavens. On the morning of the wedding, the black clouds were replaced by white fully clouds & deep blue skies. Enika & Conor had hired a local mini-bus to ferry the bridal party, myself (and a slab of tinnies !) to nearby Pollan Bay where I was able to capture the beauty of the area and the afternoon made for a very special photoshoot. The gang were all so laid back and we had an absolute blast before returning to the hotel. I have uploaded a few of the pics below, hope you enjoy.
Firstly, a big thank you to all my friends, family and of course wedding couples, for their help & support throughout 2011. Yet again, it was a privilege to be such a major part of so many weddings – thanks for putting your faith in me to capture your day through photography. I can’t say that my style of shooting weddings has changed too much over the last 12 months – I still focus on reportage and informal photography, but, I also understand the need for a few nice family shots and some bridal party and bride & groom portraiture – although I do try to make these sessions as informal and painless as possible !! I know that for most couples the day (apart from the marriage itself) is all about having family & friends close, so why would you want to spend most of your time posing in front of a camera ? Whereas my style might not have changed too much, my awards tally for the year did – for 2011 I received a total of 12 gold, 19 silver and 2 bronze awards, mainly for my reportage work, but also a few for classical wedding, and even a couple for landscape ! I have uploaded a selection of images below, from various weddings throughout the year, in an attempt to show a typical wedding day as told through photos, some of which will be familiar, some are making their “blog” debut.
Hope you enjoy and I look forward to plenty more blogs as well as some new & exciting developments over the next 12 months.
When I met up with Christine & David their brief was simple, mainly reportage shots, but a small bit of time on a few family shots, neither wanted to spend too much time in front of the camera. At that stage I knew the day would go well as that is exactly what my style is, and the the day did indeed go great. There was fantastic light in their house for the preparations (and a very calm atmosphere) the priest was a real charachter, had everyone in giggles but still managed to retain the solemnity of the occassion, the Step House Hotel is a real hidden gem, lovely interiors, great gardens and the staff were ever so helpful. Also, Borris Castle, which is across the road from the hotel, had its doors open (only does this on a limited number of days each year) and I heard from a colleague who was shooting a wedding in neighbouring Wexford that there was torrential rain – we had a nice, bright (but very cold !) evening. So all the pieces fell into place nicely, Christine & her bridesmaids looked stunning, herself, David and their families were an absolute pleasure to deal with, and I’m thrilled to say, they were delighted with their photos – and I’m fairly happy with them myself (although I am biased !!). I have uploaded a small selection of shots below. Feel free to have a look and just click on any image for a slightly larger version.
I had the pleasure of shooting Marie & Daves wedding in Clane on 28th December. The ceremony was in the lovely chapel in Clongowes Wood and the reception held in the Westgrove Hotel where the staff were ever so helpful. Marie & her bridesmaids looked fab and, despite the gale force winds and cold, managed to hide the goosebumps and look warm for a very speedy photoshoot of the bridal party (I think about 5 minutes !!). On arrival at the hotel the mulled wine reception went down a treat with the guests, and everyone was in great spirits heading for the reception suite. I have a few pics uploaded below so feel free to have a look (just click on any image for a larger version) and, if you know either Marie & Dave leave a message for them as they will be checking in while on honeymoon.
