What  a great event it was last Sunday at Glasson Country House Hotel & Golf Club Wedding fair, organised by Pauline Belton of Belton Wedding Fairs. It was a great success with lots of suppliers to help each couple with their wedding day plans, ranging from flowerists, to cakes, photographers to bridal wear. Everything you need for your special day, all in the luxury of the stunning venue Glasson Country House Hotel & Golf Club, the perfect venue for your wedding with stunning views of the lake while your having your dinner with your guests. A big thank you to all the couples who came along on the day.

Below are some images from the event

All the boys from Top of the Popz

Kelly from Kelly ODowd Make up

All the girls from Grafters Hair Company and Pauline Belton from Belton Wedding Planning

Kelly from Kelly ODowd Make up

Amy from HeadStrong Millinery Design

Deirdre’s  bridesmaids wore teal colour dresses and they looked vibrant, and contrasted beautifully against the rock and green of Belvedere Gardens.

Back at reception at The Annebrook Deirdre and Ray made sure to look after their younger guests with an amazing table filled with jars of all shapes and sizes holding sweets and treats to make anyone’s inner child light up, and a fabulous chocolate fountain! The day was magical and the night was a full on party too! The staff were excellent and Deirdre and Ray whole wedding, went exactly to plan and better!

It was a pleasure to to be a part of their special day as both a friend and their photographer! .

The couple put a lot of work and detail into their wedding, Jenny’s colour scheme was black and yellow, very unusual but worked so well, even down the her fab cupcakes cake, and yellow petals on the tables, it was a fantastic day.  The speeches were hilarious, both the couple and their guests enjoyed the day immensely! It was a joy to photograph their special day! Many thanks to my assistant photographer Hatim Fassial whom did a fantastic job on the day also!

All mums and Dads have digital cameras these days, but the one question I find, they all have is how do I get a good picture of my baby/child. Yes, it can be quit difficult to capture a relatively good photograph, using a compact digital camera, that usual gives off a horrible flash effect, leaving your child looking red eyed and ghostly looking, angles is another area, parents get lost.  So today I want to give you three tips, that will solve some of these problems.

Natural Is Best

When I say Natural , I mean natural in both, using natural light and capturing your child naturally. Place your child near window light,lying down in a comfortable position or sitting. In that lighting, get some pictures from different angles while your baby is sleeping or playing, don’t tell your child to look at you, as trust me they won’t, you need to capture the moment when it happens, patience is a virtue. and when photographing kids you need lots of it, luckily I have lots of it and photographing children is one of my favorite parts of my business.

If you really want it natural, just take the photo with them in their nappy, to capture the softness of the skin. Everyone loves baby skin. Get down low, and work your way around the baby, so many parents will just stand there and take a photo. But finding new angles will really enhance your shots, and you should be moving almost constantly. Taking the shots from the ground, even laying down, can be interesting. So can looking down from higher above them, then scroll back on your camera, and see which angles suit your child best, it’s not costing you anything only your battery life and time!

Keep it Simple

Babies are so easily disturbed so keep them relaxed as possible! Give them a toy to keep them occupied, this will reduce the risk of wearing them out or upsetting them, try to keep things as simple as possible dress them in non fussy clothes, something that will fit nicely on them and not get in the way or there face, hands etc.

Play some soothing music to relax your child while taking the photos, I never do a shoot without my white noise ( down load the app)  If you want outside shots, make sure it’s a slightly over cast day so you don’t get those harsh shadows, let your child run around and capture him/her naturally!

Using Brothers & Sisters or Pets

Motivate the babies brother or sister, to become part of the image, praise them and tell them there doing a great job, looking after their sibling, Candid shots with pets or other siblings are adorable and will especially be fun for a toddler.

Conclusion

In the conclusion, it is more about timing light, and creativity than equipment, and you should always be on the lookout for your next incredible photo opportunity.

If you have some pictures you would like to show, of your own little bundle of joy! Send me a link to the photos in the comments and let us know how you took them! Hope these tips help ! Look forward to the feed back

Laura wore a stunning dress, a dress couldn’t suit Laura more than it did, everyone was in awe. I loved the softness of all the colours chosen for the day. Every element had great detail,  bridesmaid dresses, flowers all giving a very romantic feel to the day.

It’s in relation to the different aspects to look out for, in choosing a wedding photographer for your special day.

Hope it helps you with any questions you maybe having. I am always open to answer any questions you may have too! Enjoy Reading!

“Your wedding day is a pivotal point of your life which deserves significant attention, celebrating the joining of two hearts together in everlasting love is a beautiful occasion for everyone involved. You’ve chosen a date, picked a location, and chosen a band. Now all that remains are a few minor details before you can, at long last, take the plunge. Right?

Although celebrating the day of your wedding in a grand manner may seem like a daunting task that requires plenty of time, money and energy, a memorable wedding is a chapter of your life that brings some of your closest family, friends and loved ones together in celebration. Your wedding photographs will be the key keepsakes from one of the most important days of your life. Inevitably your wedding photos will even help to shape your memory of the event, so it is important that you choose the right photographer for you.

Your Wedding photography will prove to be what immortalizes that special day,. You only get one chance of capturing your wedding day, so it is wise to hire a professional wedding photographer for this important task. Do you want to look back fondly and remember just how great your wedding was, how happy all of your family and friends were or will you look back regretfully having wished you hired an experienced, professional photographer? Remember it is not only about the present but most importantly about the future, one day your grandkids will be looking at these photos. You want a photographer who can capture the true emotion of why their grandparents fell in love, not a photographer who can cut you the best deal right now.

Although this may not be an easy decision to make, there are several key factors that I will speak about, which you should take into consideration before making your decision.
We are in a  time when technology and the Internet have made it easier for brides and grooms to research and plan their weddings, although it can be quiet daunting and a laborious task for couples , when looking for the perfect wedding photographer, as they are facing a sea of websites. So what matters most?
When it comes to wedding photography, it is important to chose a photographer with a good ‘eye’ and a style and vision that matches your own, this can be the difference between stunning photos and disappointing bland images. Photographers are individuals just like everyone else. Each has their own style. Look online at local photographers websites and make a short list of a few that you like the style of, from their online portfolio. If you can’t find a photographer you like in your area, don’t settle for one just because they are close by. Most photographers love to travel and shoot destination weddings. look at their work first. Whose work clicks with your vision of the day? If you love funky/creative photography, then those photographers primarily offering traditional wedding portraiture probably shouldn’t go on your list, and vice versa.

The next step is to meet with your short list of photographers, you have looked at their online portfolio and like their style, but now you need to know who they are, their personality and what albums they provide! As a photographer this is something I find, that is easy to overlook when choosing a wedding photographer. That’s why I think it’s important for every couple to interview the photographer they’re interested in face to face. It will be at this consultation that you will better understand if this person’s personality will work with yours. Sure, it’s just the photographer, but this is the person that you’ll be inviting to your wedding and he or she will be interacting with your family and friends. How they act in front of them will ultimately effect the outcome of your day. I’m a creative, fun relaxed female photographer and enjoy to laugh and keep things relaxed and loose. But I understand that there are times when I know I need to focus and spring into action while continuing to make things fun for everyone involved. I also understand that some people don’t enjoy having their picture taken. So the sooner the photos are done, the happier they are. Which calls for the photographer to be able to make quick decisions while being fast on their feet to photograph all needed wedding party or family group photos. This is the moment when you’re photographer will be not just talking to you but asking your friends and family to work together to create these shots. You’ll know when you meet your photographer in person, if their personality will fit with yours and everyone attending the wedding. Ultimately, if you feel comfortable with your photographer this will be reflected in the pictures. From my perspective, the best pictures are taken when your photographer makes you feel happy and relaxed!

At the consultation, ask the photographer to see a complete wedding album of a single wedding. This is a lot more important than seeing a selection of beautiful highlights from many different weddings. Also ask the photographer for testimonials from previous wedding couples, most photographers will have their testimonials displayed on their website, but if they don’t be sure to ask!

So your nearly there! you like the photographer, you like his/her style of photography, you’ve asked all the relevant questions. Now the next question to ask yourself is are they within your price range?

It’s difficult to pay too much for something you really like. Yet, price is usually the one obstacle that prevents many wedding couples from selecting the photographer who undoubtedly could give them the best value for their money. Quite often the difference between the price of the photographer you really like and one who you feel is “within the budget” is miscalculated. So what will you expect to pay for your dream wedding photographer? Well, this is determined by a number of factors, your coverage options,  your album, and the photographers reputation! Ultimately, I would suggest that you set a budget for your wedding photographs based on how important photography is to you. If you have spent significant sums of money on a stunning venue and a beautiful dress it would be a shame to then economize on your wedding photography.
I’m sure you may have heard this classic wedding marketing cliche, “when all is said and done at your wedding, the flowers, food, drink and cake will be gone, the band or DJ will be a memory. What you will be left with is your wedding photographs”. If you can look back upon the photographs and be transported back to certain moments of joy, bliss, sadness and laughter, then I think it’s money well spent. So how do you put a price on the photography!  Once you have set a budget, rule out photographers that you simply cannot afford, but keeping in mind the factors I spoke about! Do you like their work and do you get on with them? If you are lucky enough to find a photographer within your budget whose work you absolutely love, and with whom you feel comfortable, then snap them up early! Bookings are typically made between 6 months and a year of the date of the wedding, and some photographers may be fully booked long in advance.

Don’t be intimidated… there’s a lot of amazing talent out there, including someone who’s just right for your wedding. We can’t wait to meet you!”

Thank you Ann Marie and Blaine, for giving me the honor of documenting your wedding day.

Enjoy viewing their wedding!

What a fantastic night it turned out to be at Holly Blue Hair Salon, in Drumlish last night!  We had a great turn out, all our ladies enjoyed  food, wine,  free make- up trials, hair,  nails, etc. Well done to Kelly O’Dowd on her fabulous job on all the ladies make-up, To Annette from Holly Blue Hair Salon, whom did  a beautiful job on all the ladies hair, along with her stunning silk hair extensions. Dawn from teeth whitening, was taking care of all the ladies, teeth needs, and  Head Strong Hats had all her beautiful selection of hand made hat pieces ( one of her pieces I’m in love with is shown below, of me wearing it!)

Please do not copy images for copyright reasons (contact me directly for permission)

Please do not copy images for copyright reasons (contact me directly for permission)

Please do not copy images for copyright reasons (contact me directly for permission)

Please do not copy images for copyright reasons (contact me directly for permission)