John McMahon Photography

Wedding Lady Gregory Gort

2012-02-19T14:03:00.000Z

Carmel & David were married just before Christmas 2010 with a beautiful reception in the Lady Gregory Hotel Gort. I was under strict instructions for this wedding to photograph it in a pure "documentary" manner as David wasn't too fond of photography....but fair play to him, he played a blinder in front of the camera....as did his beautiful new wife Carmel.

Lads get their priorities right the morning of the wedding!!

Lady Gregory Hotel Gort

I Love Christmas Wedding

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Wedding Radisson Blu Galway

2012-02-09T14:07:00.000Z

Pamela and Conor were married recently with a beautiful ceremony in Pamela's hometown of Craughwell Co. Galway followed by a mighty reception in the Radisson Blu Hotel Galway.

We were living in hope that we would have had similar winter weather to Christmas 2010 (cold and icy but with lovely blue winter skies), but alas it didn't work out on the day....our planned visit to the grounds of NUIG were scuppered when darkness came upon us earlier than expected.The weather didn't in any way dampen the spirits of the guests....as you'll see, every one was in top form during the festive season!Thank you Pamela & Conor for letting me part of your special day!!

Wedding Glenlo Abbey Hotel

2012-02-02T21:41:00.000Z

Anne Marie & David were recently married in St Mary's Church Headford followed by a beautiful reception in Glenlo Abbey.

The relaxed tone for the day was set as soon as I entered Anne Marie's home....a very relaxed house with mum Mary doing the Traditional Irish for anyone that was present. As this was a winter wedding, the season didn't let us down as we had snow in the morning followed by the traditional wind and rain in the afternoon!We were lucky that Glenlo Abbey Hotel was the venue as one is spoiled for choice with regards to the photo opportunities this magnificent hotel offers.The Pullman Restaurant is obviously a "gem" with regards to opportunities for the photographer, but there are plenty of other lounges/libraries/abbey's/balconies and conservatories within the hotel which means that the short amount of daylight hours and the poor weather doesn't cause any undue stress!Below is a selection of images from a wedding that I really enjoyed.....thanks Anne Marie and David for being a relaxed and genuine couple to work with....I really enjoyed your day!

Wedding Ard Rí Hotel Tuam

2012-01-20T11:07:00.000Z

April & Seán were married in St. Joseph's Church Milltown followed by a beautiful reception in The Ard Ri Hotel Tuam.

With both April & Seán's families living in Dublin, a large amount of the wedding guests had travelled West from the Capital, and they were Still celebrating their All Ireland Football success.......only to happy to let us know all about it.....and fair play to them!!I really enjoyed April & Seán's company and both their families were nothing short of a pleasure to work with. April & Seán have come through some difficult times, situations that very few people of their young age have to deal with, and it's great to see such a young couple having such a brilliant wedding!The "honeymoon" was spent in Medjugorje....and upon collecting their wedding images, they both "can't wait" to return there.Thanks for letting me be part of your wedding day April & Seán!

Seán "will I turn around John?"

Proud Parents

Anytime the camera was around.....Granny just stood there and smiled....totally oblivious to what was going on around her!

Wedding Breaffy House Hotel Castlebar

2012-01-10T10:39:00.000Z

The weather Gods didn't look favorably upon us for Eleanoir and Phil's wedding which took place recently in The Breaffy House Hotel. Rain started to fall just as we arrived at our "Bridal Portrait" destination, but with the help of some foliage from a range of evergreen trees, we managed to run off some shots and salvaged something from our outdoor shoot.

Well done to the staff and management who had the Hotel's ceremonial suite as well as reception rooms looking superb....fantastic lighting which gave a lovely ambience to the days proceedings.

Killarney Wedding _ Kay & Barry

2011-12-20T19:07:00.000Z

The weather Gods looked favorably upon Kay & Barry''s wedding which took place recently in "The Kingdom"!

Having never photographed a Kerry wedding before, I was extremely lucky to have Paudi Herlihy a local videographer working alongside for Kay & Barry. Paudi was good enough to call me during the week of the wedding and give me a run down about our possible locations for bridal portraits as well as important details of how long it would take us to travel from Brides home to the church/bridal portraits and finally to the reception in The Brehon Hotel. It helps enormously when you have a fellow professional who works "with" you on the day of a wedding....and the Bride & Groom hopefully reap the benefits with treasured memories.I travelled down to Castleisland the night before the wedding (Kay's home place), the three hour drive was a bit too much to take on the morning of the wedding.....energy levels would definitely be getting low later in the evening!I was finally able to put a face to the voice on the end of the telephone when Paudi called to me at 9.30am to accompany him over to Killarney where we were going to pay Barry a visit.

Barry's supplies for later in the day were on display

After having the "Full Irish" breakfast, Barry, Niall and close friend Dave went out for a quick walk to clear the head and focus on matters ahead of them. As you can see from the image above, the "fry up" certainly didn't kill any energy that Dave had....quite the opposite in fact!

Paudi and I then travelled back to Kay's home in Castleisland to capture her preparations. Brides dresses are always entitled to an image all to themselves.....after all, the amount of time that is spent choosing one, followed by a few "fittings' etc, means it is one of the most focal items on the day of a wedding.

Dora and Pat show no signs of anxiety as the morning unfolds.

As Kay's make up and hair styling is almost ready, everyone's cameras and mobile phones start clicking....all wanting to capture the beautiful bride!

After catching Kay's preparations, I followed Paudi over to the "beautiful "Prince of Peace" church in Fossa where Barry, best man Niall and Barry's two groomsmen Dave (x2) were awaiting.

An unorthodox manner of getting the groom to the door of the church!

Kay and bridal party arriving at the church.

Canon O'Mahony (celebrant) helps everyone to relax at the start of the ceremony and get a few good reactions from Aileen Rachael and Roseanne (the beautiful bridesmaids).

The "Prince of Peace" church has a unique interior as you can see from the image above....it's almost distractingly beautiful. The rear of the alter is a large glass window that offers breathtaking views of the Killarney mountains. There's also a pond built directly outside the large glass window which reflects some beautiful lighting back onto the interior ceiling of the church....truly beautiful!

Love this "cheeky" image

The Brehon hotel awaits with plenty of refreshments!

A private moment captured of Kay and Barry just before their introduced into the function room for their reception.

It's a pretty good feeling when your introduced into the room as Mr & Mrs and to see the goodwill and happiness that's extended to the bride and groom from guests.

Magnificent speeches!

Thanks Kay & Barry for letting be part of your amazing day......I've great memories of my first wedding in The Kingdom!!

Orlaith and Colm's Wedding

2011-12-04T17:36:00.000Z

Orlaith and Colm's wedding was one of the most enjoyable and unique weddings that I've had the pleasure of working at.
If you look up the phrase "laid back" in the Oxford dictionary, it just says "Orlaith Keane and Colm Naughton".
I've had the pleasure of becoming friends with the couple early in 2010 when Orlaith needed some portraits for a project that she was working on. Co-incidentally, a week after doing the photo shoot with Orlaith, we played a gig together in Irishtown and it was then that I became familiar with her unique style of singing and have become a fan ever since. Her new husband Colm was also playing that night and like Orlaith, he's a laid back but talented and competent performer, and both are great craic to be around!
The wedding was unique in that they had their wedding reception "custom made"!! A marquee was erected on Orlaith's home place in Caherlistrane and was decorated in a manner fitting of the most "traditional" of Irish Weddings. The day was made even more memorable by the fact that the tail end of a hurricane was passing the West Of Ireland at the same time.....everything held firm though and the extremely high winds just added to the uniqueness of the wedding.

A chilled out Colm before the ceremony

Aine & Karl

2011-11-07T19:36:00.001Z

I had the pleasure of working with Áine and Karl a few weeks ago, a great wedding in the spectacular Ballina cathedral (....a dream for photographers), followed by a reception in the Castlecourt Hotel in Westport.

Having met Áine and Karl on a few occasions prior to the wedding, I knew from our encounters that this was going to be a great day as they are both good people to be around....jovial, straight up and very well prepared. It was a great day, with the added bonus of having a Bridal Party that were mad for a bit of craic!!

The lads are like men going into battle.....making sure that their supplies are all in order!

Lovely gift for mum

Where would we be without our mums!

The ring bearer!

Karl's about to leave home for the final time as a single man!

The beautiful and relaxed Áine

Janine helps Áine to get one of her two garters on!

I think you look stunning Áine!

Karl poses for a few images while getting a bit of a slagging from the lads behind!!

This is it lads...into the church ye go!!

Janine, Sinéad and Brenda....sorry Lorna, not sure where you were here??

It can be an intimidating ordeal for any person to walk up the aisle of a packed cathedral and have all eyes looking at you......however take note, in this image and in the next, everyone is happy out smiling at you and wishing you well!

Don't these guys look like pure messers!!

I forget the priests name but he was a gentleman! I love it when they take a few moments at the start of the ceremony to help the Bride and Groom to relax.

Stunning Ballina cathedral

As I said....messers!

Usually I try and take group shots outdoors, weather was a bit showery however and we went with indoors for this wedding. I'm glass we did, I think the architecture is stunning!

I wonder what messers did this to you Karl?

We stopped at the Museum of Country Life to take some Bridal portraits

Please lads don't drop her!

Five stunning ladies!

The "nice" civil photo!

The "men let loose" photo!

Right back at you guys!

The beautiful Castlecourt Hotel. This hotel was the most popular venue for me this year (and indeed next year again for weddings). They know how to put on a good show and i've never heard anything negative been said about the place....well done lads!

Áine receives a pair of weliels as a gift from the groomsmen!

Speeches are a great occasion for capturing all spontaneous moments of a wedding.

Karl was a natural with the "mike" in hand.

Alan (best man) organized a slideshow during the speeches. The lights in the room were turned down and the remaining "candlelight"gave a lovely ambience to the room.

First dance as Mr and Mrs!

Thank lads, ye really were brilliant to deal with.....I look forward to our paths crossing again next year!!

A night for Manuela

2011-10-16T17:47:00.001+01:00

I had the pleasure of working at the "Night for Manuela" concert which took place last Saturday October 15th in the Salthill Hotel.
This was the third annual "Night for Manuela" where her life was honored and celebrated by a host of Ireland's most well know artists. Manuela's parents Hans peter and Arlette were present and received great support from those who attended.
Being the father of three young kids, I find it very difficult to absorb the inhumane death that poor Manuela suffered......I don't know how her parents get through this horrific ordeal. To every action though, there is a reaction, and I tip my hat to all those that are involved in the Manuela Riedo Foundation. Those people are the "do'ers" of this world......rolled their sleeves up and brought something extremely positive out of this tragedy....and indeed helped give fellow Galwegians an opportunity to express their sorrow and support to the Riedo family.

Below are a selection of images from the concert.

MCs Seán Power and Lucia Evans

Sharan Condon

Sharon has the crowd up on their feet

Frances Black gave a very emotional performance

Trad on the Prom

Ger Fahy

Marc Roberts

Marc Roberts, special guest of Trad on the Prom

A dual between the fiddle and the bodhrán

Trad on the Prom

Artist Owen Durkan presents a portrit of manuela to Arlette and hans Peter (Manuela's parents)

The brilliant Lucia Evans, dons her music hat and shed's her MC hat for a short while.

Don Stiffe

Eurovision winner Nianh Kavanagh

Niamh and Lucia

Crystal Swing

Right back at you Derek!

Some energy from these lads!

Cora Smyth

The one and only Sharon!

The Grand Finale

Catherine & John Paul's Wedding

2011-09-16T13:05:00.001+01:00

Congratulations to Catherine and John Paul who recently married in Glencorrib Church Mayo followed by a reception in The McWilliam Park Hotel Claremorris.

It was a brilliant day and probably one of the most relaxed weddings that I've covered....Catherine was her usual jovial self .........I was told that the wedding was cancelled when I arrived to her home in the morning!

After capturing the girls jumping on the trampoline while drinking champagne, and taking turns on the swings and slides, I had taken about five times the amount of images that i normally do at a brides home...it was brilliant....everyone in the moment and enjoying themselves!

I made my way back to Glencorrib Church via O'Malley's bar in Cross where John Paul was supposed to be (you know yourself....a short one to calm the nerves), but there was no sign of him at 12.30pm and I had to push on. He did manage to make it to O'Malley's (just after I left) and fair play to him for making it up to the church to allow is to run off a few shots before the very punctual Bride arrived.

Award winning Videographer John Murphy from Avalon Video was covering the wedding which made the day even more enjoyable. I've worked on several occasions alongside John and it's always a pleasure to be in his company....very considerate to the needs of fellow professionals on a wedding day and always in great form!

After the ceremony, guests had the welcome and pleasant surprise of an Ice Cram Van parked in the church car park where guests had complimentary Ice Cream Cones and Slush Puppies....thanks Catherine and John Paul....a great touch!

Before moving onto the McWilliam Park Hotel, we made a quick visit to a quay that was not too far from where John Paul grew up and grabbed some Bridal portraits.....thanks lads, ye were brilliant to work with.

Music was supplied by the established Brian McDermott band in the McWilliam Park Hotel and they kept the dance floor full all night....well done lads, great performance!

Thanks again Catherine and John Paul for being a treat to work with, it's a wedding that I've a lot of fond memories of!

Three mad women bouncing on a trampoline without spilling any champagne!!

with too much energy to sit still, the swings and slides get a turn next!

Bridesmaid Mary T, Mum Rita, Bride to be Catherine and sister Rachel (I think they're twins really!!)

Peter, Gerry and John Paul take everything in their stride before the ceremony

Last moments before the ceremony..... their happy and jovial moments!!

Peter and Gerry keep tabs on matters

"...i do"

Bridal Party in Glencorrib Church

Multi award winning videographer cools down with an Ice Cream. It was an extremely hot day and all guests availed of the "Free Ice Creams and Slush Puppies" that were organized by the newlyweds.

"you spin me right round baby...right round"

Love the sign on the left..... "adoration in progress"!

Happy guests and the very popular Ice Cream Van

The sun certainly shone down on the happy couple

John Paul being very comfortable with the microphone

The look of a groom "that got the cream"

Mr & Mrs Shaughnessy

Iron Man 70.3 Galway September 4th 2011

2011-09-07T11:37:00.000+01:00

I had the pleasure of working with "Finisherpix" at Iron Man 70.3 in Galway last Sunday Sept 4th......and wow what a day it was!!
I had a late night on Saturday thanks to working with the brilliant Weightless Cosmonauts in the Westwood hotel, and when my alarm clock went off at 4.30am on Sunday morning, I had less that two hours sleep. My fragile state soon disappeared however when I arrived in Salthill at 5.45 am for our pre-race briefing from finisherpix.....Satlhill was buzzing! The sight of over two thousand nervous competitors, 800 volunteers and the thousands of spectators that came to encourage everyone was nothing short of brilliant. With regards to the weather, it was a typical day in Galway, wind rain and sun!! Galway Bay was so choppy that race organizers reduced the length of the swim by a few hundred meters for safety reasons. It was very windy and showers started to roll in from the west....which presented me with problems that I hadn't experience before....how to protect my camera and lenses in horrific weather....and the solutions was quite simply to tape plastic bags around my equipment to keep the rain off as much as possible.
My first role for finisherpix was to capture competitors as they were running over a magnetic carpet on the promenade in Salthill after exiting from the swim. The location wasn't the best for getting beautiful portraits of athletes in a picturesque environment, but it was practical all because of the timing matt that they were running over. Finsherpix take over 30,000 images with it's various photographers strategically located around the swim, cycle and run courses. All the competitors are "tagged" according to their race number which is displayed while they are cycling and jogging, but it's impossible to have a bib number while swimming for obvious reasons. Each athlete however has a magnetic chip attached to their body during the race, and as each chip is programmed to record data for each athlete, it's possible to get information about their timings over the various matts. Therefore, when we took images of them at the exact moment that they ran over the matt, finisherpix would be able to associate our images of the athletes by combining the metadata information from our cameras and the information recorded by race organizers of athletes going over the matts....pretty clever.
I spent about two hours on the swim exit until the last of the competitors were out of the sea....and I felt very sorry for some of the competitors who were forbidden from participating any further in the race as a result of not completing the swim in the alotted time....it was tough for them. Some of them looked extremely fit, but swimming mightn't have been their forté and they were probably looking forward to making up some time on the cycle and run.
After this, my next port of call was the Spanish Arch in Galway where I spent almost 4 hours taking images. It was challenging to get shots of everyone passing here.....the road was narrow and divided into two as athletes had to backtrack along the same route. I really enjoyed the length of time that I spent here however, and it was good to be up close with some friends that were participating and in a position to give the some encouragement. The run got congested on occasion, athletes had to complete a loop of Galway three times before finishing, so there was quite an amount of joggers passing through at various times. Some flew by, under no physical duress, while others were cramping up, breathing heavily and basically crying out for the finishing line. Through all of this, it was brilliant to see the Galway crowds that showed up and roared on encouragement to all of the competitors. It was heart warming to witness strangers wishing each other well, roaring encouragement to people that they never met before, plenty of good will on display.....well done Galway!
At about 2.30pm I made my was back towards the finish line in Salthill Park, and all of the way back it was great to see the large crowds around the Claddagh that were offering words of encouragement to those that were still running.
I was stationed on the finishing stretch for the last hour of the event and it was cool looking at the various emotions of athletes as they crossed the finishing line. Some were physically sick, some had no energy left to display any emotion. Others crossed the line jubilantly arm in arm with colleagues and some just cried uncontrollably.
This was a superb event and well done to the 800 volunteers that gave up their time to help make it the success that it was. Galway is showing the world that it a premier venue for international sporting events, and I think we're all looking forward with great anticipation to the Volvo next May/June......C'mon Galway!

I don't know what the story is behind the athlete shown at the top of the page. Each time he passed me in The Spanish Arch however, I couldn't but wonder what his story is. I'm assuming however that he has received a vital organ from somebody that has now passed away, and if that's the case, isn't it brilliant the way he proudly displays his gratitude! Well done whoever you are!

Linda & Mark

2011-09-01T12:33:00.001+01:00

Congratulations to Linda & Mark who recently married in the Galway Cathedral followed by a reception in the Clayton Hotel.

It was a beautiful day that had a few surprises instore for us and it was the first time that I got the opportunity to work alongside the friendly/jovial and talented Mike Flannery of Seabury Studio. Well done to Linda and Mark....a lovely couple who were very easy to work with and I'm looking forward to another shoot in the very near future.......we're gonna "THRASH THE DRESS"!!

Casey observes all the details of a wedding day

The beautiful Linda prepares herself for her special day.

Mark, Barry Paul and Dave prepare to do the Fianna Fáil outside the church (....shake hands!!)

I love this part of a ceremony...bride about to make her entrance and a variety of emotions on display. Some groom's chat nervously to their groomsmen....others have lumps in their throats and are unable to talk....and some are just simply concentrating on what they are supposed to do when the bride arrives at the top of the aisle....various responses that I love observing and capturing.

Mark has a few words with his men while the congregation look for Linda's entrance.

The spectacular Galway Cathedral. I was surprised at how dark it is and you have to rely on high ISO's and slow shutter speeds when working there.

One of my favorite pictures from this year. Just at the start of the Marriage vows, the priest comes down to the bride and groom for a quick "pep talk" when all of a sudden his mobile phone starts to ring.......great moment and he dealt with it brilliantly....even checking to see who it was and wondered out loud what they were calling him for.
One of the nicest and laid back priests that I have come across who went out of his way to make you feel welcome and ensured that the mood for his ceremony was jovial and fun....exactly what weddings should be like if you ask me.

Bridal Party on the canal beside the Cathedral.

The beautiful Linda

Mark, Casey and Linda arrive to a paparazzi welcome in the Clayton Hotel

some of the bits and pieces that make up a wedding day

Mark and Linda grab a moment in the penthouse suite.

Bestman Paul "does a job" on Mark during his speech. Presenting a slideshow summarizing Marks life, several moments were shared that left guests with laughter pains.....including Mark below

"Lord God.....is that really me in that slideshow???"

First dance as Husband & wife

Aileen & Niall

2011-08-25T20:56:00.001+01:00

Congratulations to Aileen and Niall who recently married in Annaghdown Church followed by a reception in Galway bay Hotel Salthill.
This was a wedding that I was looking forward to covering as I had met Aileen last year while covering her sister Sheila's wedding. Aileen had come to the studio for an engagement shoot also, so the fact that we had met up on a few occasions in the last 12 months, we knew each other pretty well .....and this always helps when covering weddings!
I thoroughly enjoyed my day with Aileen and Niall and I can only describe Niall's friends as one of the greatest bunch of guys....mad for craic...that i have come across at a wedding.
We were lucky with the weather and it stayed dry for most of the day....however the dark clouds rolled in when we were taking some bridal party portraits in Salthill park.

Aileen prepares at home.

Music in the church was performed by Nicola McGuire and the The Weightless Astronauts created the party atmosphere at the end of a brilliant day!

Niall......chillin'

Niall needs a bit of gentle persuasion from Eugene and Joe to get in the church.....he had the look of a man that was gonna balk!!

Niall composes himself as his future wife makes her entrance

Annaghdown Church

A journey begins..

We managed to get about 10 minutes in Sathill before the heavens opened.....we were lucky

Fair play to Aileen and Niall here.....it was bucketing rain and we were getting shelter under the trees....and they were still 'happy out'!!

Dad Peter throws a shape on Niall before the meal!

Niall & Aileen grab a moment to themselves before the meal.

Aileen's father Walter reminisces about her younger days.

Niall speaks lovingly of his beautiful new wife

I'm surprised the bestman and groom shook hands at the end of the speeches....by all accounts Eugene took the gloves off and spared Niall nothing for the speeches!!

Mad bunch of men....and it's easy to see why. Love this shot!!

Bridal party, Joe & Darina, Sheila and Joe standing (congrats Sheila who's had a baby boy since), and Niall & Aileen.

The lads wouldn't have managed this lift if it wasn't for young Seán helping them out!

Thanks lads....I had a great day!!

Fun with the kids

2011-08-15T19:09:00.001+01:00

It's been a pretty busy period with weddings recently....so much so that my kids had realized that they weren't the subject of my cameras attention for a while...and they missed that. So we decided to take a few fun shots recently and these are the results.

The first shot is "all the boys" (Lauren was staying with her nanny when we took this). It's similar to the start of the old American comedy/sitcom "The Brady Bunch".

The second image is a composite (made up of three different images). Firstly, Lauren was put sitting on a chair and the image was taken from a low point of view to give some realism to the fact that we wanted to pretend that she was floating off into the air above us. Second and thirdly, I held Liam and Colin up in the air (they were grasping a sweeping brush) and remotely triggered the camera via the timer. The fact that their legs were dangling made the image look a bit more authentic. Finally, the image was shot against a white background which I replaced with a dramatic sky. The kids love the end result even though they don't always understand what I'm doing when i'm taking the images!

Lorraine & Declan

2011-08-09T19:48:00.003+01:00

Lorraine and Declan recently married in Bushypark Church Galway with the reception in The Galway Bay Hotel.
Their wedding day was unfortunately the wettest that I've experienced....but it certainly didn't keep them from enjoying themselves on one of the biggest days of their lives!

Beautiful flowers from "A Stem Above".

Guests arrive to Bushy Park Church in pretty wet conditions

Declan, Shane, David & Kevin sprint for the church door as the rain comes down in sheets!

Taking some shelter in the church

Bushypark Church

Beautiful flowers by "A Stem Above"

Galway Bay Hotel

Lorraine, Declan and his buddies

The beautiful Lorriane

One of the best parts of the day for capturing emotions is during the wedding speeches. Here, Peter (Lorraine's father) recounts some lovely memories of Lorraine's early years.

Lorraine & Declan are presented with "Hard Hats" from a family member. I'm not sure if they were for protection from the best man's speech, or if it had to do with some of Declan's experiences while driving machinery with Oaklawn Developments?

Amusing stories about Declan's "dance moves" are shared by best man Shane.

First dance as Mr & Mrs Murray

Although Declan received a ribbing about his dance moves during the best man's speech, this move was certainly pulled out of the top drawer....both of you looking like professional dancers here guys!

Declan enjoying himself!

Siobhán & Colin

2011-08-09T19:14:00.000+01:00

Siobhán and Colin recently got married in St Mary's Church Headford, followed by a reception in The Castlecourt Hotel Westport.
All of the "Child Of Pragues" that were left out in Headford the night before the wedding definitely did the job.....the wedding day was hot and sunny and everyone was in good spirits.

Wedding Rings

St Mary's Church Headford

Cong, CoMayo

The Monks House in Cong Co Mayo

Cong

Alan's offers up a few words for the bride and groom

The sun goes down on Siobhán & Colin's wedding day

First dance as Mr & Mrs Lee

PCH Debs

2011-07-27T17:51:00.001+01:00

Well done to the students of Presentation College Headford (PCH) who had their Debs last week.

I set up a hi-key studio in the Anglers Rest Hotel where the students congregate before departing on buses to their destination.....which this year was the Carlton Shearwater Hotel in Ballinasloe.

Plenty of style and panache on display!!

Linda & Graham

2011-07-11T13:20:00.001+01:00

Linda & Graham recently recently got married in the most charming church that I've been in for a while in Meelick. The day was the hottest we've had this year which led to a great "party atmosphere"......everyone enjoying their drinks outdoors and soaking up the beautiful day.

Linda doesn't show any signs of nerves during the morning

Linda and her dogs at her home. The dogs were brilliant subjects for photography (as well as Linda's horse), well behaved and worked the camera well!!

Graham, Mike, Keith and Paddy chillin' before the ceremony.

church

Gerry walks Linda up the aisle

I was a bit slow here Mike wasn't I.........nearly caught you chewing the nails!!

No signs of stress or nerves here!

Linda & Graham stroll the beautiful grounds of Kinnitty Castle

Clare, Karina and Emer looked fabulous on the day....the lads didn't scrub up too bad either!

I think this image epitomizes the party spirit of the day.....all having fun with refreshments to hand!

First dance

Thanks lads for a great day.......throughly enjoyed the company of Michael Bracken on video also!!

SWPP Winning Image

2011-06-23T17:27:00.000+01:00

This image came joint first recently in a SWPP (Society Wedding & Portrait Photographers) wedding competition themed "Let's Party". The image was taken at Gearóid and Olivia's wedding in the Ardilaun House Hotel with the beautiful Olivia being the focal point of the image.

The other images in the competition were of high quality so I'm pretty happy with this result!

Boudoir Photography

2011-04-27T17:46:00.000+01:00

A boudoir is a lady's private bedroom, sitting room or dressing room. The term derives from the French verb bouder, meaning "to pout".
"Boudoir Photography" is a selection of images of a female dressed in a manner which is appropriate for her private room. I've heard a lot of discussions among professional photographers with regards to this side of their business, and in particular how popular it's becoming.....apparently there are thousands of brides in Ireland whom create an album of "boudoir images" which they present to their "husband to be" the night before their wedding.
I must admit that I had researched this type of photography.....but it didn't take me long to realize that as a male photographer, it would be quite difficult for a female to come into my studio, and within a matter of minutes, expect her to be posing.....possibly in a seductive and intimate manner....very quickly. This is something that I know I wouldn't be comfortable with, and in all likelihood, neither would the female subject!!
My friend and associate of Boudoir Girls Natalie Greer however specializes in this form of photography and I recently had the opportunity to assist her on a shoot. As I use the Canon 5D mark 2 SLR, Natalie wanted some video footage of a shoot to use marketing her business, so this was the main reason why I was present (honest to God Elaine {my wife!!})
I must admit to being a small bit tongue tied when the shoot started (....well it's not everyday that I'm confronted with a model in lingerie!!!) and it's easy to see why Natalie has become so competent at the work that she does. She built up a rapport very quickly with her subject and really helped her to come out of her shy shell. At all times she gave polite direction to the "boudoir girl" to help her get the most from the shoot while at the same time helping her to preserve her modesty. Natalie is also exceptionally good at creating themed shoots and this particular shoot was themed on Marie Antoinette. Well done Natalie and Sharon, you were both brilliant!!!
Below are a couple of images from the shoot.

Niamh & Dermot

2011-03-21T16:32:00.000Z

Niamh and Dermot's wedding took place last Friday in the majestic countryside setting of Tourmakeady Co.Mayo.
I visited Dermot (Groom) at the start of the day who was getting ready in nearby Partry before traveling on to Niamh's home house in Tourmakeady to catch some of her preparations.
Although the weather was changeable, the Gods looked upon us favourably and gave us lovely dry conditions after the ceremony. This allowed us to to go to the beautiful "Tourmakeady Waterfall" which as about a ten minute walk into the local forest (or a two minute drive if your a Bride on her wedding day!!). Fair play to the newlyweds who had brought some refreshments (beer, champagne and sambos!!) to the waterfall which ensured a very relaxed and jovial mood whilst taking images.
The reception took place in the marvelous Castlecourt Hotel in Westport.
Below is a small sample of images from the day.

One of the most enjoyable days I've had at a wedding....thanks lads!!

Mike Denver in the TF Castlebar

2011-03-11T19:06:00.001Z

Mike Denver played a tremendous concert in Castlebar's TF last Saturday March 5th. Special guests on the night included Ray Lynam (responsible for getting me addicted to James Taylor), and Philomena Begley.
Mike has established himself as the number one country artist in Irish music and it's easy to see why with the class performance that he gave. As well as being the fantastic performer that he is, he has also gathered the finest of musicians in Ireland that now are his regular touring band. If that's not enough, he has also got Michael Nestor on board as his sound engineer and in my book, he's the best sound engineer that you'll come across.....full stop!
Below are a couple of images taken on the night.

Something different

2011-03-02T13:32:00.001Z

Last Sunday, I did something which I don't do on a regular basis... a fashion shoot! The gifted Caroline Coyne was the make up artist whilst Agatha from Alchemy Hair Co was the hair stylist!

My friend and associate Natalie Herzer of Boudoir Girls was also present giving creative direction to the two beautiful models Breda and Caitríona as well as assisting with the various lighting set ups.

Normally, when doing studio shoots, I have discussions with the families/subjects prior to the day of the sitting so I'm prepared as to what they would like, and I try and ensure that I deliver that....and more! My comfort zone would therefore be in providing portraits of children (of all ages), as well as family portraits and corporate work. I also have a lot of seasonal portraits that take place on location, such as Holy Communions, Confirmations, Christenings......and of course, the most substantial side to my business....Weddings. All of this, I'm prepared for, but I must admit to being a bit nervous with regards to the fashion shoot.

I normally work on my own, so this shoot was going to be different straight away with the fact that there was a team of six people involved in the various aspects of the shoot. When your on your own either in the studio, or on location (like a wedding for example), there can be a thousand and one things going through your mind at the one time. You must digress all the information that's in front of the lens to ensure that the images are all well lit, well composed, very flattering to the people involved and trying to press the shutter at the right time to capture the right moment. While doing this, it's important to be able to communicate in a jovial manner with those in front of the lens so that they become relaxed and let their emotions flow naturally which give infinitely better results. The fashion shoot was a bit different in that I had to think out loud and let the team know where I was trying to go with an idea and vice versa.

Fashion photography is a bit different in that emotion seems to have a less significant role. The poses that are requested from models aren't what you find in a normal "lifestyle" situations.....maybe this was one of the reasons for my apprehension around the shoot. Having a team of five others around you though that you can lean on for support and ideas was certainly a help for me.

Below are a couple of shots from the shoot with more to follow over the next couple of days.

Family Portraits

2011-02-11T12:02:00.017Z

We had great fun with the kids taking this family portrait!

Over the past ten years, I used to take photos (portraits) of close family/friends in our garage. Surrounded by the sights of lawnmowers/garden accessories,golf clubs etc, the location didn't endear itself to bringing any visitors. With our family becoming larger once again in 2008, we decided to use the services of the mighty John Donoghue Construction to build an extension onto our home which thankfully would incorporate a purpose built studio.

The new studio brought a lot of new visitors to our home and my wings started to spread with regards to portraits and in particular....family portraits.

After a busy winter period, and afraid of falling into a routine of taking the "same old shots', we tried this set up which I feel works good, while at the same time being a bit different.

I don't think families should restrict themselves to the number of family portraits that they have in their home. The images below are all portraits of my family....from casual to formal...all having slightly different "feels".

As you can see, all images have the same subjects, yet have different feels and emit different emotions.