Katie and Jonny got married

This was quite possibly the most relaxed wedding I've had the pleasure of photographing. The bride and her mum had everything so completely organised that at one point we were all practically twiddling our thumbs (or we could have had we not been eating our way through the most amazing spread of sandwiches, crisps and strawberries!)It's always a really special treat to photograph people you know, and this was certainly true of Katie and Jonny's day. I've known Katie for many years, including the 5 I was her English teacher, and her dad is the principal at our boys' primary school, so it was a real joy to get to document it for them. From the preparations to the ceremony at Trinity Presbyterian and on to the reception at Campbell College, it was a day which focused on family and God, the foundations on which Mr and Mrs Lowe will certainly be building their future. And when the first dance is "Cotton Eye Joe", you know you'll never get a day like this again! 

Mr & Mrs McDonald

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and as chance would have it I am lucky to have Sharon and Paul as part of mine, even if we don't quite know the official term for your cousin's daughter and her husband! They've been very happily married for 10 years and have two completely gorgeous children and a gazillion other crazies they call brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.This summer they chose to celebrate those 10 years and the people who have journeyed it with them with a beautiful ceremony to renew their vows. And they did it in total style at Montalto Estate just outside Ballynahinch. At a time when the divorce rate is 1 in 2, it was an honour to be part of a day where a couple acknowledged the 10 years of marriage they've enjoyed so far and then pledged to continue that journey together, no matter what life throws at them.Sharon and Paul, you are amazing!

Beautiful Devon

I am so thrilled that my lovely sister is producing the prettiest little subjects for me to photograph! Not content with just one beauty, she recently added this tiny one to her family. She is actually teeny and can display around 10 different facial expressions in 5 seconds! I had no idea how awesome it was going to be to be an auntie! So before I actually bore you with my gushing, let me introduce you to beautiful Devon.

It's all in the detail :: the flowers

I'm a sucker for the details on any shoot, but especially at a wedding.  Those little things that the bride (and/or groom but we know it's really the bride!) has spent hours deliberating over, pinning ideas and dreaming about for months.  So I thought over the next couple of weeks I'd share some of my favourite details from some of the weddings I've had the privilege of documenting.And so I give you, the flowers!!

That splash of red - perfection!

Sheer simplicity in a buttonhole.

Hand tied? Yes please!

I think this is my favourite floral shot evah!!

Buttonhole perfection right there!

Just. So. Pretty.

My favourite table setting from last year!

Those sunflowers were in total defiance of the rain!

Pink and turquoise bringing the tropics to the province!

I'm so excited to see how this summer's wedding flowers shape up over the coming months!  If you're looking for a photographer for your wedding and want someone who notices the details you've spent hours thinking about I'd love to chat to you about how we could document them for you, so use that button up there and give me a shout!

Polka dots and pony tails

The biggest challenge I face on every photo shoot isn't the kids' moods or the parents worrying about getting their offspring to smile. It's the weather. Sure isn't the weather the biggest challenge to life on a daily basis in Northern Ireland?!But blustery wind and freezing drizzle did not deter these two in the slightest! They are quite possibly the most enthusiastic, obliging, camera loving girls I've ever photographed! Personality in bucketloads, which made my job easy peasy. And to top it off, they are just beautiful! Go on, have a peek at our session in the Walled Garden in Bangor.Oh I do not envy their parents in years to come as they deal with the steady stream of boys knocking on their door!!Thank you girls for such a fun shoot! I love that you wanted to do it again another day and take me for coffee! You are total sweethearts and it was my pleasure documenting these memories for you xx

A rather rainy photo session

It occurred to me recently that I never actually got round to sharing this fun photo session from late autumn, when one lovely family donned their rain coats and kicked the butt of the appalling weather! They were totally up for the fun and even some pretty heavy downpours couldn't dampen their spirits. It just goes to show that even when you can't guarantee the sunshine, you can bring your own in bucket-loads! Also, love me some sweet, lovely brothers!

                     Look at them trying to keep a straight face in the bucketing rain!! Only the tiny one managed. Love it!

And of course, when possible, you should always bring a superhero to your shoot! #goeswithoutsayingIn the event of not enough costumes for all involved, you may revert to 1970's duffel coat action, using your hood to create the magic cape!If you're thinking of having some family photos taken anytime soon, why not drop me an email via that wee contact button up there and we can chat about whether you'd look better as Elsa from Frozen or Woody from Toy Story! 

I wish that I could be like the cool kids

Really, I do!I had the absolute pleasure  of hanging out a few weeks ago with one of the coolest girls I've met in a long time. In fact, she's not just cool, she's Northern Ireland Young Musician of the Year, Cathryn Lynch! She is beyond talented, playing numerous percussion instruments like you wouldn't believe, but that aside she is just an amazingly confident young lady who has a real zest for life. It was a complete privilege to be able to capture this for her and her family!I bet you wish you were one of the cool kids now too, don't you?! 

Easter photo tips and ideas

I feel very bold even writing that title! This is by no means a professional 'how to' post. It's just a few ideas that might help you document your Easter business of egg hunts and days out in a slightly different way than usual. And they can all be taken with whatever camera you happen to be using, whether it's a fancy DSLR, a point and shoot or your phone. It's a true saying that the best camera for the job is the one you have with you! Get up closeAll too often we try to squeeze as much as possible into the frame of our camera, but the result is that there is no real focal point. The eye skips all over the image and doesn't really have anywhere to land. But when you start to zoom in, you create a real point of focus. So think about what it is you want to capture and then get in close! With phones  (iPhones in particular, in my experience) it helps to move physically close to keep your picture sharp. Get the actionI bet you've spent a lot of time and had a lot of arguments with kids over getting them to stand still for the camera - I know I certainly have. So I eventually gave up! And I'm so glad I did. To be honest, I'd rather have a slightly blurry shot of the kids having a great time running around than a perfectly sharp one of them glaring at me with red eyes from all the crying over smiling for the camera! So forget perfect and go for action. You really won't be disappointed!   Record the craftIf it didn't already come home from school, it's bound to be in progress on your kitchen table! Or maybe you have somehow escaped the Pinterest inspired glue-fest that happens most holidays in our house! When I was sourcing photos for this post, I came across these from a few years ago and they really made me smile. So even though the mess at the time had me running for the hills, I am glad I stopped to take these photos. Again I went in close and didn't even have the boys in the photos (Patrick was actually scowling in one of them and it has the potential to ruin our fragile pre-teen relationship!). I miss the days when they asked to do things like this.  Get up close with the animals If you have small kids, there's every chance you're going to encounter some animals this Easter! We are big fans of Castle Espie WWT and when the boys were smaller, The Ark Open Farm. The temptation when you're there, however, is to take the same photos you took the last time of your kids feeding the ducks or looking at the cows and pigs. For a change of perspective, why not let the animals take centre stage? These photos were all taken on my iPhone and edited using Instagram.  Don't forget the flowersThis is such a great time of the year to capture the beauty of spring around us. (Ok, I know it tried snowing on the first day of the holidays, but work with me!) Even in my driveway I'm met with the buds and blossoms of forsythia in my neighbour's garden, and I find it hard not to take a photo of cherry blossom trees anytime I pass them! Even the humble daffodil looks stunning when the light hits the petals just right. So go on, be brave and look foolish standing under a blossom tree to get the blue sky coming through the branches. If I can do it, so can you! The proof is right here - tree photos again taken with iPhone and a few odd looks!  Think about the lightI have a complete obsession with light, but that's a whole other blog post! What I will suggest for now is that you look at where the light is. Is it shining on your kids' faces? If so, they're going to squint and you'll have shadows everywhere in your photos. Early morning and late afternoon light is perfect for good photos, and I almost want to dare you to try shooting into the sun! If you get the subject of your photo in front of the light, you can get stunning silhouette photos. Honestly, it's worth a try and practice does make perfect.  Get in the shot!I know, you hate having your photo taken! It's the one comment I am guaranteed to hear on any family or wedding shoot. And I hear you! I hate it too. But you need to be in the shot. Even just one or two. Your kids will thank you for it in the future, and they won't think you look awful. They'll just be glad to have photos of them with their mum or dad. So stretch out your arm or grab a selfie stick, put the camera on the timer or give it to someone else, and then push the button. Be present and be documented. You won't regret it!  I hope these ideas are helpful to you and that you have a wonderful time over the Easter holiday whatever you're up to!  Feel free to share your photos taken using these tips over on my Facebook page, and if you've any suggestions for other tips you'd like to see in future blog posts, give me a shout!

Four generations

When I'm asked to photograph a tiny baby with her mum, nana and 2 great grannies my heart actually skips a beat and flutters for a while! It's such a privilege to capture moments like this in a family's history, and getting a sneaky cuddle myself was a total bonus! I've known this family for a long time and it was a joy to see the angst-ridden 12 year old girl from the days of yore all grown up and transformed into an amazing woman and beautiful mum! Such a blessed little baby with all this love surrounding her.I've endorphins running wild just looking at these photos again! If you'd like more information on newborn sessions you can get that from the menu, or to book just fill out the contact form!

Dear mums

I wanted to let you know that you rock. Really, you do!  Just stop and think about it for a minute.How many birthday parties have you organised, sent invitations to, made party bags for, ferried your kids and their friends to and from, and held back all those thoughts about more Lego and how there is no need for McDonald's Happy Meal toys?How often have you cleaned a nappy that was just so awful you wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy? Or wiped noses that just refused to stop producing snot for actual weeks on end?What about the tears and bad dreams you've soothed away in the wee small hours? And the fads you've indulged so your kids wouldn't be the odd ones out in the playground (thank you Bumpeez!)Could you even begin to add up the hours you've spent shopping for food, making food, feeding the food to the kids, wiping the food off the child/table/wall/high chair/yourself? Or could you work out what percentage of your day you spend worrying about your children's anxieties, health, progress or crazy hair?And that's before we even think about the physical toil these small people have taken on our poor, lovely bodies!So I want to say again, you rock! Truly. Nobody else could do for your kids what you have done and keep doing. And even if they don't always show it, I thought I'd remind you. Because my camera has seen it so many times and it never ceases to amaze me! So I give you - mums! I would love nothing more than to capture your amazing mum super powers for you too. You can contact me via the button at the top to book a session or to buy a voucher for a mum you would like to celebrate. These moments should be documented. Mums are worth celebrating. Truth!