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10 Great Tips On What You Should Be Looking For In A Wedding Photographer

10 Great Tips On What You Should Be Looking For In A Wedding Photographer

Here’s 10 Great Tips To Help You Choose Your Wedding Photographer For Your Special Wedding Day.

10 Tips on what should you be look10 Great Tips On What You Should Be Looking For In A Wedding Photographer

Choosing the right wedding photographer can be a difficult task for many couples. There are so many options out there, and it is hard to know what you should be looking for in order to ensure that your photos will turn out beautifully. We have some tips below on what you should look for when choosing a wedding photographer, as well as advice on how to find one that is perfect for you!

10 Great Tips On What You Should Be Looking For In A Wedding Photographer

1) Evaluate your budget

Wedding photographers can range in price from €500 to over €2000 for a single day of coverage. The more you are willing to spend the higher level photographer you will be able to book. Be sure that you know what is important for your wedding and how much money you have before booking an expensive professional.

2) Save your money.

Photography is an expensive investment, but it’s worth it to get the best possible pictures and memories. Finding the right photographer will only feel like a worthwhile investment after the wedding day. Only then can you really see the value they bring to capturing your memories.

Jamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Wedding Photography Fiona & Aaron Waterford Ireland 2021

3) What’s Your Priority?

-Think about how you want to spend your day. How much time are you really willing to give to the photographer? This will be linked in with the type of photography you want captured. For example a documentary photographer can be around all day and let you will forget he’s there, but a more traditional photographer may want to stop and pose you for many photos. Do you want a photographer for all your wedding day or do you just need one for the ceremony and reception area?

Moments - THE WESTBURY HOTEL WEDDING // DUBLIN // NICOLA & ANDY

4) Do some research.

Find out what types of photographers interest you by looking at portfolios, reading reviews from their past clients, and talking with other married couple and learning from their experiences.

5) Ask for a portfolio.

A photographer’s work speaks volumes about the kind of pictures they produce and their style. Take time to look through it before you decide on who will capture your day!

Jamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Wedding Photography Fiona & Aaron Waterford Ireland 2021

6) What Type Of Photography Do You Like?

Take into account what you want from your photos: are you interested in traditional, posed shots or more candid ones? Do you want the real nitty gritty of the day captured, the good and bad? Your photographer can provide different services to meet your needs.

7) Talk with some photographers.

Once you have a few in mind, arrange to have a chat with them in person, on the phone, or with zoom. Book with a photographer that you feel most comfortable around. A good sign of this is if they are easy to communicate with and that their style matches what you are looking for in terms of photography.

Green Wedding Photography Packages & Pricing /// My Real Name Is James

8) Prepare a list of questions

Some things to talk about are how they will be able to capture the little moments and details? Can see more images? How do they like to work? Does their ethos fit in line with yours? How much do they charge? Do they offer payment plans or packages for weddings?

9) Gut Instinct

Trust your gut. If a photographer seems off or their work doesn’t feel right, don’t hesitate to move on and keep looking until you find the perfect match!

10) Don’t Be Pressured!

Do not feel pressured by anyone! It’s important that you are comfortable enough asking questions, not just about the photography side of things but also general chit chat to get to know them. Photographers come in all shapes and sizes, so be sure you’re meeting with someone who is a good fit for the style of photos that will best capture your day.

If the photographer is just pushing sales, then that’s a good sign they’re not looking out for your best interests.

There’s no one style of photography that will work best for every couple, but there are some things to consider when deciding who to hire. Finding the right wedding photographer for you is worth it! It’s hard sometimes because there are so many, but start early in the process, be patient and make sure you’re comfortable with whoever you choose.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

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DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

Aimée and Robert’s wedding day at Cashel Palace in Tipperary, Ireland was a joyous and unforgettable occasion. The bride got ready surrounded by her bridesmaids…

Best wedding photographer in Limerick Ireland

Best Wedding Photographer In Limerick?

It’s not for me to say if I am even a good wedding photographer, let alone the best wedding photographer in Limerick, but it’s nice when you’re work gets recognised and published in the Newspaper!

The Best Wedding Photographer In Limerick? Really??

To be honest i’m having a bit of fun with this. I’m telling you, categorically, that I’m not the best photographer in Limerick. There’s definitely more talented and more experienced wedding photographers out there than me. But let me blow my own trumpet for at least a few minutes and enjoy being featured in the local rag, the Limerick Leader.

This all started when I got a random phone call one afternoon from a chap at the Limerick Leader who had stumbled upon me. He explained they like to do a feature now and again with a local photographer, their back story and some of their favourite images. Being something like this doesn’t come along very often I was more than happy to put something together! Below are the pictures I wanted to highlight as my favourite and a bit of story behind them and me. Please enjoy!

Best wedding photographer in Limerick Ireland

J’aime Jamie’s eye for a photo

WHEN Jamie Gillies first got into photography he thought the last thing he wanted to do was deal with people and photograph a wedding. It is now his passion. “Unposed, modern and creative documentary wedding photography,” is how the Carrigkerry based Englishman describes himself.

Jamie was born and raised in a little town in Kent called Dymchurch – home to the world’s smallest public railway.
“I’ve always had an interest in photography but never took it seriously until I visited the highlands of Scotland in 2015 and was blown away by how beautiful it was. I found that the pictures I took didn’t do it justice and then before I knew it I was out catching the sunrise or sunset in many places around the UK learning landscape photography.”

Jamie said he really enjoyed landscape photography. “The last thing I wanted to do was deal with people and photograph a wedding, how wrong I was! My friend was getting married and didn’t have a wedding photographer
so I offered to do it, loved it and now haven’t looked back.

“As a Jehovah’s Witness a bigger love I have though is in teaching people about the future that the Bible reveals to us. I moved over to Ireland 18 months ago to help the congregation in Newcastle West and ended up marrying a Limerick girl who I’ve known for over 10 years!”

The question we have asked all participants in this series is their opinion on what makes a good photographer? “When I analyse my own photography the thing that I keep coming back to is trying to let go of my fears. To not be scared to try new things, to not worry about what other people think, to get in closer, to not feel bad about standing in someone’s way and not be constrained by tradition. “So essentially what I’m saying is a good photographer is one that doesn’t stand still, is always learning, always trying and doesn’t stop.”

Ballybunion Sunset, Ireland / Jamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Landscape Photography Ireland

Ballybunion, Kerry, Ireland.

Ireland is honestly so beautiful when it comes to people and the landscapes. Ballybunion isn’t far from me and over the summer I went down one lovely evening with my wife. The camera is more of a reason to get out of the house than to come away with a great picture and it forces me to just slow down and really take in what I’m experiencing. Just after the sunset you can get some amazing colours and combined with a long exposure to really slow down the moving waves of the sea. This picture conveys how I felt that evening – calm, relaxed and happy.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Camber Sands, East Sussex, England.

Before I started wedding photography I was really enjoying landscapes. I chose this picture as it reminds me of home back in England where all my family are and who I haven’t been able to see for over a year now. My parents have this one hanging up in their kitchen. It’s also the first picture I took as part of a vlog I did on YouTube (Click here to watch it!).

Landscape photography has been heavily about finding a composition and waiting for the light to come which has heavily influenced my wedding photography. This shot involved getting up for a 7am sunrise that didn’t happen because there was so much cloud, but I waited and waited and was rewarded by the sun shooting through.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Marousjka & Nikki

Maroesjka and Nikki did things a bit different on their wedding day. They wanted to do all the family and group pictures before the ceremony at the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Dublin. Because of this we did a reveal where they saw each other for the first time which was really lovely. After the family pictures I followed them wandering around the gardens to take their couple portraits. One space we
entered had some fairy lights hanging up and I shot away as they were laughing and enjoying their time together resulting in one of my favourites from their wedding. Must also be one of Maroesjka’s favourites as she has it as her WhatsApp profile pic!

Jamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Wedding Photography Robert & Tamara Maryborough Hotel Ireland 2021

Robert & Tamara

This was the most recent wedding I shot and it was reduced to six guests. That didn’t stop Robert and Tamara finding a way to still include all their loved ones over Zoom. Throughout the ceremony they had over 200 Zoom participants join in from all over the world which was amazing! Later on they and their close family and friends joined Zoom again for speeches and a few little party games. Zoom made the day so much more and I wanted to capture a shot that showed that.


Robert and Tamara played a game where they sat back to back, they were asked questions like “who’s the messiest?” and then raised the shoe of the person the question applied to causing everyone to laugh. This was again a way of finding the composition and waiting, this time for the right moment when Robert’s arm is raised and everyone on the screen is laughing.

Award Winning Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Ian & Amy

In the build up to the dancing at Ian and Amy’s wedding, a father and his young daughter were just dancing away by themselves. When I’m capturing these kinds of moments I do love to try and make them something more and to do that means finding a good composition, foreseeing what can happen and waiting for the exact moment.

A lot of people were just sitting on the edge of the dance floor chatting to each other, so I used these two gentlemen as they were engrossed in conversation as a way to frame the dancers on the floor, waited for the father and his daughter to twirl into the middle of the frame and then took the shot.

Jamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Wedding Photography Grace & Jonathan Kinnity Castle Hotel Offaly Ireland 2020

Grace & Johnny

Family and group portraits aren’t my favourite things to photograph to be honest, but they are a great opportunity to capture some real candid moments.

Before leaving for the ceremony Grace wanted to get some family pictures with her grandad who wasn’t able to attend the wedding. In the moments between taking the family pictures are when the nice interactions happen and this was a great moment. I love pictures when there’s many things going on at once, but also added in is the compositional balance of an “M” shape.

Recently this shot came in the top 10 of the MyWed.Com Award 2020 category!

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

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DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

Aimée and Robert’s wedding day at Cashel Palace in Tipperary, Ireland was a joyous and unforgettable occasion. The bride got ready surrounded by her bridesmaids…

Wedding Photography Podcasts

The 6 Greatest Wedding Photography Podcasts You Need To Listen To

Podcasts are becoming more and more popular and theres more and more of them to listen to! So here’s a pick of some great wedding photography podcasts for you to listen to.

Wedding Photography Podcasts

Podcasts have been a favourite thing of mine for some years now. It’s been a great way to take in information, kill time on a long journey and keep my photography mind feeling fresh! The podcasts listed here are the ones I’ve found myself coming back to because they either hit the creative itch, informative or just plain funny!

wedding photography podcasts

Wedding Photo Hangover

The podcast host Steve & Dustin are 2 guys you should definitely not take seriously. This podcast is all about letting out your silly side after a hard working day shooting a wedding and it really hits my funny bone!

They cover photography news, talk about their favourite beers, what recently has gone wrong in their lives, crazy questions and situations that pop up in relation to wedding photography all with good humour and banter and sometimes they actually throw in some good advice!

Love listening to this one and always feel a level of emptiness when there’s a week when there’s no podcast released.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Bokeh – The Photography Podcast

Compared to the wedding photo hangover podcast, this one has quite the different take. Tone is more serious for sure, but always has some good tips or advice to take away from various parts of the wedding photography business.

Good ones to look out for are episodes #439 “How to design an effective Google ad campaign” , #429 “4 questions for better copy” and another podcast which i cant find about a company that makes and sells wedding albums which was an interesting view into how quality can really differ between album companies.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

This Is Reportage Podcast

If you’re into documentary wedding photography then you must know about ThisIsReportage.com. Alan Law, the man behind TIR, started podcasting the other year and has been interviewing all the best documentary wedding photographers out there.

It’s always a light-hearted chat about how they got into photography, how they look at things, funny situations that have happened etc. Its always interesting to me listen to these great photographers chat about life and photography and really how they’re just normal people trying their best so always makes me feel better that I’m not a million miles away from achieving what they have.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Ninedots – The Podcast For Wedding Photographers

Ninedots, like TIR, is a great photography association to be a member of. I’d highly recommend being a member, not just for the awards side of things, but actually the great learning resources they have. The awards normally have critique videos accompany them so has been great way to learn how to improve in that regard.

The podcast started the other year and has a mix of topical chat between the guys behind ninedots and interviews with great wedding photographers. Again like TIR its great to hear the stories behind different photographers and also little nuggets you can pick up from them.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

How I Built This With Guy Raz

This is in no way a wedding photography podcast, lets get that out there straight away! What it is though is a really interesting insight into some of the people behind the biggest companies in the world. How they started, how they grew, scaled and dealt with pitfalls along the way.

I included this because, even though we aren’t ever going to be an worldwide company, the people behind these companies were and are just normal people who started off with a little idea. Those stories always help when you feel things aren’t going your way or help you think about potential pitfalls that may come your way.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

The Lens Rentals Podcast

Lens Rentals is the worlds largest lens rental company. They have been dealing with everything camera related for many years now. Obviously there’s going to be alot of wisdom for them to pass on with dealing with so much equipment, but they also have a great USP in the fact the founder Roger Cicala is such a camera nerd and I mean we are talking serious nerd!

Always something interesting to learn, takes on gear ,tips on buying 2nd hand and always some really interesting rental stories!

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

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DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

Aimée and Robert’s wedding day at Cashel Palace in Tipperary, Ireland was a joyous and unforgettable occasion. The bride got ready surrounded by her bridesmaids…

5 Honest Budgets for Wedding Photographer Prices In Ireland

Most Couples Organising A Wedding Are Doing It For The First Time, So Have No Idea What Things Cost. Here’s One Less Thing To Think About When It Comes To Budgeting for Wedding Photographer Prices In Ireland.

Wedding Photographer Prices In Ireland

So you’ve got engaged and now starting the process of trying to figure out what you want with the budget you have. Likely what you thought things would cost are way more than you originally thought. One area that gets put to the bottom of the wedding budget list is wedding photography.

I’ve put together an overview of what you can expect to get for a variety of budgets when it comes to wedding photographer prices in Ireland (And really anywhere in Europe really). Keep in mind the price ranges we’ll be looking at are prices for the wedding photographer only covering a whole day, no extras like albums, prints or pre-wedding shoots.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Free Wedding Photographer : €0-€500

Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to pay anything for you wedding photographer! Well if you want you could have just that, but there will be a compromise.

Free or just extremely cheap will mean that you’re going to be using a family member or friend, someone that’s just starting out, or someone that you’ve met who has a camera and said they’d take a punt at it for you.

I’m not going to belittle anyone for taking a risk with a free or super cheap wedding photographer when you have an extremely tight budget. But keep in mind that word “risk”, its inevitably true when it comes to getting what you pay for. But on the flip side some bad pictures are better than no pictures. It a decision you need to make.

For a more in-depth look at the pros & cons of a super budget option check out this post “The Danger Of Letting Uncle Dave Take Wedding Photos”

Wedding Photographer Prices In Ireland

Cheap Wedding Photographer Prices : €500-€1000

Yes that’s right. I have categorised anything under €1000 as cheap wedding photography. That’s because as you’ll see through this post, a decent photographer for under €1000 is a bargain.

BUT (there’s that word again), again there is compromise. The likely hood is that a wedding photographer in this price range is still moving up the ladder when it comes to the various aspects of wedding photography. This could mean using not the best equipment, lack of skill in some areas, is a high volume type of wedding photographer (Quantity over quality) or just not very good and having to lessen their prices to book weddings.

Of course there are always exceptions to the case, but for this price don’t rush to be booking the first wedding photographer that comes along for your budget.

For more info on choosing a wedding photographer check out this post “6 Essential Tips To Help You Choose A Wedding Photographer“.

Wedding Photographer Prices In Ireland

Value Wedding Photography Price : €1000-€2000

As the budget rises we are now getting into the wedding photographer price range where I would think there should be a good balance of price to quality.

For this budget you should be expecting to get an experienced wedding photographer who has good quality equipment, a consistent style and delivery, can photograph a few crackers for you and will be easy to deal with throughout the whole experience.

For this price range you can also start thinking about getting a wedding photographer that fits your favourite style. For a look at the main different styles check out this “3 Styles To Choose From…“.

Wedding Photographer Prices In Ireland

Average Wedding Photography Price : €2000-€4000

Sounds crazy doesn’t it! €2000-€4000 for wedding photos?! Well according to OneFabDay.Com thats the typical cost. It also mentions in that post that the average wedding cost in Ireland is €28,000!

It makes sense though that if you are spending €14k on the venue plus everything else that goes with it you’d spend good money on a really good wedding photographer. If you have the budget then that’s awesome and go make the most of it!

What can you expect for paying that much for a wedding photographer then? Well you will be expecting the highest level of award winning photography, professionalism and some just amazing photos.

For this budget you should be aiming for either a high end fashion magazine style wedding photographer or an amazing documentary style wedding photographer. Learn more about why “documentary wedding photography is so awesome”

Wedding Photographer Prices In Ireland

The Best Wedding Photographers Prices : €2000+

We are now in the highest echelon of wedding photographers. You are now paying for almost celebrity status wedding photographers. For this money they should have won multiple national and international awards, have photographed celebrity weddings, produce the most stunning photos, have the best equipment, and just be obviously on another level from everyone else.

There’s not much more to add about this price range other than I’m jealous if you can afford this!

what is documentary wedding photography

Why is Wedding Photography So Expensive?

There’s alot that goes into wedding photography behind the scenes. Its not just what you see on the day.

For reasons why I charge what I do check out my post “The Unpopular Answer To Why Is Wedding Photography So Expensive?

Wonder what I charge? why not enquire and see if it works for your budget?

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

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DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

Aimée and Robert’s wedding day at Cashel Palace in Tipperary, Ireland was a joyous and unforgettable occasion. The bride got ready surrounded by her bridesmaids…

what is documentary wedding photography?

What Is Documentary Wedding Photography & Why It’s So Awesome!

Documentary Wedding Photography Is The Hottest New Thing In Wedding Photography, What Is Documentary Wedding Photography & Is It For You?

What Is Documentary Wedding Photography?

Documentary wedding photography is capturing moments throughout the wedding day that aren’t planned, posed or guided. Its completely candid, natural and raw photography. Because the documentary wedding photographer won’t force any situation by asking anyone to pose or smile, it means the bride & groom and their guests can really enjoy the day.

As the term documentary suggests, the wedding photographer is documenting what happens throughout the course of the day. It’s also know as reportage or photojournalist wedding photography. Whatever term is used, the driving force of the style is telling the story of the day through pictures.

what is documentary wedding photography?

What does a Documentary Wedding Photographer shoot?

There’s no limits to what a documentary wedding photographer will shoot throughout the wedding day.

As mentioned the driving force of the style is telling a story, so events that happen throughout the day that highlight what the day is about will be captured.

Take For example the speeches. These are always part of the day, but every speech is different. There will be certain fleeting moments when a joke is made, a heartfelt expression of love, an embarrassing story, a fleeting glimpse, hug or kiss will happen. Those are the real moments of the story of the day that connect the couple with their guests and a documentary wedding photographer will really want to capture.

Something that will

Award Winning Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

What Sets Documentary Wedding Photographers Apart?

Like any profession, not all documentary wedding photographers are the same.

What sets a real documentary wedding photographer apart from the rest are the moments they capture from the day.

The example of speeches is one that would be expected to be captured, but what about the things that happen between the speeches and the dancing? The moments between walking down the aisle and the reception. There’s always something going on!

The moments are one thing but the extra special difference is how they take the photos. Composition, lighting, layering, editing, photo selection, all these things take a lovely moment and make it amazing!

Best Wedding PhotographerAward Winning Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Will Documentary Wedding Photographers do Group Shots?

The dreaded phrase that anyone hates, photographers and guests alike! The group shots.

They are still so important to family to have on the mantel piece, they’re an integral and expected part of the wedding day.

So yes, documentary wedding photographers will photograph the group and family shots. They’re a small part of the day which will soon be over and will let your documentary wedding photographer carry on with taking candid photos.

On a side note, some of the best pictures come from the moments in-between the posed pictures. There’s always a good laugh, funny look, awkward moment, that brings about a great photo that I always like to add into the couples final delivered pictures.

Delightful Wedding at Fernhill House Hotel // Clonakilty // Cork // Award Winning Wedding Photographer Limerick IrelandJamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Wedding Photography Fini & Harley Fernhill House Cork 2020

What is Bridal & Groom Prep Photography?

Bridal & Groom prep photography is a great way to document your wedding day.

The prep is a major part of the day. The bride & groom will spend hours getting ready, in their own ways, to look their best for the moment they see each other to make their vows.

It’s always a time when the bride & groom will spend time with their best friends and family, sharing laughs and tears.

The wedding day goes by so quick and so much happens that documenting the day as a whole is a great way to bring back all those memories that made that day so special.

what is documentary wedding photography?

Why is Documentary Wedding Photography Popular?

Documentary wedding photography has been driven to be more and more popular because of the advances in technology.

Cameras are faster, lighter and not limited by the amount of film left. Add on to that every person has a camera on them at all times and social media, it’s a natural progression that brides & grooms are looking for something extra from their wedding photographer.

what is documentary wedding photography

Why is Documentary Wedding Photography So Awesome?

Really good documentary wedding photography is just so awesome because you cant help but stop and stare.

That raw emotion, screaming laughing, tears of pure joy, a warm embrace, the subtle look across the room at each other and the many other moments that happen from the wedding day really interest us as humans.

Especially when that moment is captured in a way that has great composition and light, it really does captivate us.

If you want captivating, stop and stare modern, unposed, raw and real photos of your wedding, get a documentary wedding photographer – Perhaps try me out at MyRealNameIsJames. (Shameless plug I know!)

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

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DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

Aimée and Robert’s wedding day at Cashel Palace in Tipperary, Ireland was a joyous and unforgettable occasion. The bride got ready surrounded by her bridesmaids…

6 Essential Tips To Help You Choose A Wedding Photographer

6 Essential Tips To Help You Choose A Wedding Photographer In Ireland

Here’s 6 Essential Tips To Help You Choose Which Wedding Photographer In Ireland To Choose For Your Special Day.

Finding The Right Wedding Photographer In Ireland For You.

1) Where To Start? – Choose A Wedding Photographer Style.

There’s alot of wedding photographers to choose from, just one search on google will throw up so many options!

Well my first tip would be to actually really think about which style suits you best! This will quickly help you remove alot of options because they just won’t connect with you when you get the pictures through.

Don’t discount how important the style is, by connecting with a photographer that gets how you think will make a massive difference to you enjoying the pictures of your day.

To help you understand and choose between different styles check out this post.

Wedding Photographer In Ireland

2) Research – AKA Googling

Now you have a rough idea of the style you like you can start the journey of research!

When searching use extra terms to help narrow the list. If you like Traditional then perhaps search – “traditional wedding photographer in Limerick”

Find directories for wedding photography styles you like. For example as a documentary wedding photographer I am found at Thisisreportage.com, Nine-Dots.com and fearlessphotographers.com.

Other general directories to look at are MyWed.com, OneFabDay.com and WeddingsOnline.ie

Try to choose at most 10 potential photographers, then you can start to narrow down some more…

Wedding Photographer In Ireland

3) Personality – Or Lack Of!

Remember whoever you choose as a photographer will be around you all day!

Personality is going to be a big decider for you, more so than alot of other things really. It’s a deal breaker if you get on with the photographer or not.

The easier you can get on with a photographer with just having a chat over the phone the easier it will be on the wedding day.

Personality will come over in the website and “about me” section, but really it will only show when you start to communicate. Any photographer worth their salt should be more than happy to have a chat on the phone with you, it doesn’t even have to be about the wedding!

So dont be afraid to ask to speak, it will really help you make a choice.

Jamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Wedding Photography Fini & Harley Fernhill House Cork 2020

4) Budget – Better Photographer, Less Hours.

We can’t the money thing. Everyone has a budget, as much as we want to go crazy and have everything for the wedding day!

Wedding photography is an area where the money you spend doesn’t show it’s value until way later down the road. It’s years later when you look back at the photos that will make you glad that you spent that bit more to get the right photographer.

I’m not saying spend loads of money, but invest it wisely for the photographer. My advice would be its better to spend the money on a better photographer for less of the day than an ok photographer for the whole day.

Jamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Wedding Photography Fini & Harley Fernhill House Cork 2020

5) Extras – Hidden Value

It can be easy to look at the value extras included in a wedding package can bring.

Pre-Wedding shoots, albums, usb sticks, a 2nd shooter etc.

Wedding albums for example can be really expensive, especially if you’re getting a high quality one. It’s easy to overlook these are hand made one offs and not see their value years down the line when you’re still looking at it. So generally a package including an album will be better value than getting the photographer to add it on after the wedding.

Award Winning Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

6) Reviews

Reviews are definitely worth reading. My rule of thumb is that the longer the review, the more the couple loved the photographer.

They can also help you areas where a photographer added value to the couple. E.g helping them out in some way, knowing how to do a tie, got on with the family etc.

7) Extra Free Bonus Tip – Sooner Is Better

Photographers only have so many days that they are free to shoot. Especially if they are a sought after photographer, they can be booked up fast. So don’t waste time in looking.

By looking earlier you actually give yourself more time to choose. The last thing you need is to be chasing around potential photographers, finding they’re all booked up and settling on one just because they are free.

Also if you’re booking at least a year in advance, you might even be able to book your wedding photographer at cheaper rates then if you leave it later. This is because suppliers will normally increase their prices year on year, so you can lock in their current rates before they’re put up.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

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DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

Aimée and Robert’s wedding day at Cashel Palace in Tipperary, Ireland was a joyous and unforgettable occasion. The bride got ready surrounded by her bridesmaids…

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Looking For The Best Wedding Photographer? Here’s 3 Styles To Choose From…

The best wedding photographer doesn’t mean they are the right one for you. Let’s look at the different styles and which one is right for you.

The Best Wedding Photographer In Ireland?

There’s many things to sort and arrange for your wedding – the venue, the dress, the guests, and that’s just the start. A lot of these things can be easy to sort because you know what you want. When it comes to the wedding photographer though, it can be very confusing as we have no idea what we want or need!

Most people will just google “best wedding photographer” or “top ten wedding photographers” etc. But just because they are hailed as the best, does that mean that their style will work for you?

Whatever your budget the photographer is deemed an essential for any wedding day. This article is to help you narrow down what style best suits you so you can be happy as you look back at your wedding day in years to come. There’s three main styles – Traditional, Contemporary & Documentary.

Best Wedding PhotographerAward Winning Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Traditional Wedding Photography

Traditional wedding photography is the one we all know. Pretty much every wedding you’ve been to would have been this style.

Traditional would be characterized by mostly shots of the groom & bride and group photos. The photographer would be working to a “shoot list” with set pictures being choreographed and captured as similar as possible at every wedding they shoot.

It’s traditional because its a tried and tested formula that works and that means you wont get any surprises as to what pictures you’ll be getting.

Best Wedding Photographer Jamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Wedding Photography Fini & Harley Fernhill House Cork 2020

Contemporary Wedding Photography

Contemporary wedding photography would be influenced very much by fashion magazine photography.

It would be traditional wedding photography but with the shine,polish and extra professionalism that high fashion photography has.

This style does need extra time with the bride & groom to capture that high end look. It also means the couple being very comfortable posing in front of a camera for an extended time.

It will result in amazing looking portrait bride & groom photos for you to print out and hang above the mantle piece.

Award Winning Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Documentary Wedding Photography

Documentary wedding photography involves capturing what happens on the wedding day without interfering with it. It means not asking anyone to pose, capturing the best and worst of the day.

Its a very hands off style with little interaction with the photographer, letting you enjoy your day.

This is my favourite style, as it means really capturing the memories from the day, not forcing a glossy version. To me these are the pictures that in years to come will help take you back and relive your wedding day again and again.

Which style of wedding photography should I choose?

Which style you choose to capture your wedding day should be one that excites you. Whether you want the fairy tale contemporary portrait shots , the raw documentary, or the safe traditional, choose a style that will bring you a smile years down the line.

Perhaps to help you get an idea what style you like, look through your friends wedding albums and see what pictures stand out to you. Think about what pictures you have in your house, the style that they are. Look on wedding blogs at featured weddings and also images on Instagram and Pinterest that speak to you.

Understanding the different styles when you look at photographs will help you decide which style to go for.

Of course all these styles can be done together. All the photos in the examples are ones I took. I like to think there’s a time and a place for each style. My priority is to capture the raw emotions of the day with documentary, add some beautiful portraits for the couple (although I aim to do it with a “hands off” approach to posing) and still get those traditional group shots to put on the mantle piece.

Get in contact to discuss what you’d like and we can see what we can create together.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

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DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

Aimée and Robert’s wedding day at Cashel Palace in Tipperary, Ireland was a joyous and unforgettable occasion. The bride got ready surrounded by her bridesmaids…

Award Winning Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Emerging Award Winning Wedding Photographer – 3 Winning Images

Recognition as an award winning wedding photographer is not only rewarding for myself, but also a way to show you my worth.

Award Winning Wedding Photographer? – NineDots, TIR & WPJA

There’s alot of photography awards out there to win, covering alot of different disciplines, from Landscapes, portraits and of course, weddings. Within the wedding segment of awards there’s alot of different ones to enter, but for myself I’ve only ever entered awards that I’ve personally aspired to win.

The wedding associations I’ve always had high regard for because they’ve helped me define the type of wedding photography I love to do, the standard is super high, and I just respect what they do are – NineDots, This Is Reportage and The Wedding Photojournalist Association.

Each of these I am members of and find the photography they promote as really inspiring. It’s helped push my photography, made me work harder and at the end of the day help give the lovely couples who I photograph better memories. Hopefully this is just the start and there will be plenty more to come as I continue to learn and work harder.

To win awards from NineDots and WPJA is amazing for myself, but the elusive one I really wish to win is from This Is Reportage. To me TIR is THE award to get! But I digress, please check out the award winning wedding photographs I managed to take, how i took them and what awards they won.

You can also click on the logos to see amazing photos from other award winning photographers.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland
Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland
Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Jump

This moment was born through just being ready to shoot at any moment. It was after the ceremony, everyone’s excitement had peaked and now the mood was becoming relaxed.

At this point its easy to take a moment for yourself to relax, but there’s always something going on. Across the room I happened to see this little girl jumping up and down and then the lady she was with joined in.It was a blink and you miss it moment, but I was still ready to go so managed to grab this exact moment they were both in the air!

Super happy this has won 2 awards, One from Ninedots and another from WPJA.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Food In My Teeth

Fini & Harley’s day was done a bit different to alot of couples. They wanted to do a reveal and their couple photos before the ceremony. This photo was taken whilst they were just hanging out before the ceremony, with the family still tweaking things around them.

This photograph is the kind of photography I love to do. As Fini’s mum was having her hair adjusted Fini’s sister there was a great interaction between Fini & Harley as he was checking his teeth in the mirror. I could have just taken the photo of Harley checking his teeth, but I love to give photos more context. I always enjoy photos were there’s different things going on in a room and this to me encapsulates it.

This was a Purple award winner from WPJA which means it was awarded by 2 out of the 4 judges on the panel.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

Broken Brolly

After Ian & Amy’s ceremony, the rain really started to come down. The couple and the bridesmaids lined up at the door to be escorted to the cars with the brolly, but the strong winds were too much for the brolly!

This is one of those moments during the day that no-one plans but can be a small memory from the day. Again by just showing one element, in this case a broken brolly, wouldn’t mean much. But by Showing the bridesmaid at the door waiting whilst the groomsmen runs back with the broken brolly gives the photo all the context anyone needs to understand the funny moment from the day!

This was a Blue award winner from WPJA which means it was awarded by 3 out of the 4 Judges on the panel.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

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DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

Aimée and Robert’s wedding day at Cashel Palace in Tipperary, Ireland was a joyous and unforgettable occasion. The bride got ready surrounded by her bridesmaids…

The Coronavirus and Weddings Battle - Guidance & How I Want To Help You. Award Winning Photographer Limerick Ireland

The Coronavirus and Weddings Battle – Guidance & How I Want To Help You

The world’s been turned upside down and arranging a wedding during a pandemic isn’t easy. Here’s the latest guidance and how I want to help you. – Updated 03/11/20

Latest Coronavirus and Wedding Guidance for Ireland – Update 03/11/20

With the ongoing Coronavirus and weddings battle the Irish Government released its Plan for living with Covid. This has a 5 level roadmap which includes specific information for weddings. As of it’s release Ireland is at level 5.

Before at level 2 meant you could have up to 50 people in attendance, which includes the couple and staff. Originally a move to level 4 & 5 meant only 6 guests, as of 21st October though the Government has given special exemption to weddings. Instead of 6, you can now have 25 guests. This number doesn’t include the couple getting married and the suppliers, so that’s 25 actual guests you can invite. Also before the changes only the couple could travel to a different county to get married with guests not being allowed to do so. The update also means guests can travel outside their county to attend the wedding.

Other points to notice are –

  • Overnight accommodation is permitted as well for the couple and 25 guests
  • Wedding suppliers are allowed to travel to the wedding venue
  • No music and dancing are allowed
  • Hair & Make-up services aren’t permitted at venue or home
  • Weddings must finish at 11pm with everyone vacated the reception space by 11.30pm
  • Restrictions to last 6 weeks until 2nd December, although there will be a review after 4 weeks.

Social distancing guidelines and health protection protocols are in place and these will affect how your day will be celebrated. Another area to look at is the guidelines for the hospitality industry released by Failte Ireland. These have specific recommendations for weddings also.

Here is a quick guide to show the amount of guests depending on the Covid Level –

Guests

Travel restrictions

Level 1

Up to 100 guests for wedding ceremony and reception.

No Travel Restrictions

Level 2

Up to 50 guests for wedding ceremony and reception.

No Travel Restrictions

Level 3

Up to 25 guests for wedding ceremony and reception.

Can travel outside county to attend wedding.

Level 4

Up to 25 guests for wedding ceremony and reception.

Can travel outside county to attend wedding.

Level 5

Up to 25 guests for wedding ceremony and reception.

Can travel outside county to attend wedding.

Failte Ireland Hospitality Industry Guidelines

  • Under Government Public Health Advice there can be a maximum of 50 people in the function area including employees.
  • The function area must be self-contained and only one function per area / room.
  • Businesses must follow updated Public Health advice to ensure that all wedding guests leave the function/bar areas by 11.30pm.
    Public Health advice states that these areas should be cleared of all guests by 11.30pm. However, this does not include staff members who will carry out closing procedures.
  • Face coverings should be worn by employees in customer facing roles where no other protective measures are in place e.g.
    protective screens and where physical distancing of 2 metres* is not possible.
  • Face coverings should also be worn by guests when arriving to and leaving their table.

On Arrival

  • Where possible, guests must be directed to enter and exit through separate doors that are automated or manually operated by an employee. Doors may be propped open if fire regulations allow.
  • Hand sanitisers (including touchless dispensers where possible) must be readily available at each access point. These must have a minimum alcohol content of 60%. Signage must encourage all guests to use this when they enter and leave.
  • Prominent signage must explain current physical distancing practices. This must be accompanied by clear and visible markings that illustrate the safe distancing protocol.

Drinks Reception

  • Service stations must use physical distancing queuing systems.
  • Tea/coffee/drinks and canapé stations must be managed by service personnel. There must be no self-service stations. Canapés must be in individual portions.
  • Remove as much loose furniture (e.g. sofas, etc.) from the room to ensure maximum space for physical distancing.

Dinner Reception

  • Entrance doors should be opened whilst guests are entering the dining area.
  • Review the seating capacities to meet the current physical distancing guidance. There must be adequate spacing between customers at each table in accordance with Government physical distancing guidelines.
  • Hand sanitisers (including touchless dispensers where possible) must be readily available. Consider providing hand sanitiser on each table. These must have a minimum alcohol content of 60%. Signage must encourage all guests to use this when they enter and leave.
  • Management must ensure appropriate signage is in place to welcome guests and reassure them that employees have been trained in line with the Government’s Public Health advice.
  • There must be no shared items at the table. Instead:
  1. Water jugs must be poured by service personnel only.
  2. Salt and pepper shakers, butter dishes should be available only on request.
  3. Instead each guest should be given individual portions/sachets.
  • For the meal service:
  1. Face coverings should be worn by staff during the service of the meal
  2. There must be no family-style service of food
    (i.e. no shared vegetable/gravy dishes, etc.).
  3. Wedding afters must be served directly to each guest fully plated.
  • Ensuring distancing on the dance floors:
  1. Signage on tables and dance floors must ask guests
    to respect physical distancing guidelines.
  2. Employees must monitor and manage distancing.

Additional Considerations

  • All third-party suppliers must ensure they adhere to the Governments Public Health advice.
  • Multiple gatherings are allowed in venue facilities provided they are in separate defined spaces and there are systems to prevent intermingling in common spaces (e.g. entrances, exits and toilet facilities).
  • Limit the number of service personnel per group of guests to the smallest number that is practical.
  • Where at all practical, service personnel should provide services to only one gathering and should not move between multiple gatherings in different venue locations.
  • Where possible, facilities such as toilets should not be used simultaneously by multiple gatherings. However if they are cleaned in between usage, they may be used separately by different gatherings, within the same time period.

To view Government Public Health measures currently in place, click HERE

Jamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Wedding Photography Fini & Harley Fernhill House Cork 2020

Coronavirus & How I Want To Help

The issue for alot of people I have spoken to is that of the unknown. Even though we have these mid-term guidelines, it doesn’t mean that anyone can plan for the real wedding they want. It might be you have to or want to postpone the wedding to another date, so you can have all those you love there for the big day.

It would be a shame that you can’t have the day you want because you’re locked into using a particular venue date, or you lose money because a supplier isn’t willing to work with you. Not only can these things result in losing money and frustration but also a bad taste in your mouth about how a supplier has dealt with you.

Jamie Gillies / My Real Name Is James Wedding Photography Fini & Harley Fernhill House Cork 2020

Because of this and because I really want you to really enjoy your day I have been following these principles –

  • Work with you rather than against you.
  • Be flexible with moving dates.
  • Issue refunds if I dont have a new date available.
  • Open to changing and tailoring to your photography needs if things suddenly change.

Ultimately I want you to know that I’ll do my best to look after you, help make arranging your wedding smoother and help you avoid unnecessary headaches!

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

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DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

Aimée and Robert’s wedding day at Cashel Palace in Tipperary, Ireland was a joyous and unforgettable occasion. The bride got ready surrounded by her bridesmaids…

Award Winning Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

The Unspoken Truth About Your Wedding Photo Copyright and Monkeys…

You may not realise it but just because you paid someone to take photos of your day doesn’t mean you own the photos. Here’s an overview of your wedding photo copyright and what a monkey has to do with it!

Your Wedding Photo Copyright

The first thing to touch on is copyright. We hear the term but don’t always understand it fully. Copyright is “the exclusive and assignable legal right, given to the originator for a fixed number of years, to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material.” – Lexico.com

In the EU artwork is automatically copyrighted upon creation of the work. No registration is needed.

This means that because your wedding photographer pressed the button on the camera to take the photo, they automatically own the copyright to that picture.

Wedding Photo Copyright

Monkeys

This is where an interesting case came up a few years ago. In 2011 a british photographer, David Slater, travelled to a national park in indonesia to take pictures of the wildlife.  He wanted pictures of monkeys, the monkeys were scared of him so he left his camera set up on a tripod and let the monkeys be curious and actually snap a few shots by themselves!

This picture went a bit viral. Problem is wikipedia tagged it as public domain (which essentially means something isn’t protected by copyright law) for the reason that as Mr Slater didn’t actually take the picture he didn’t own the copyright and monkeys cant own copyright. Mr Slater asked wikipedia to remove the picture, wikipedia didnt.  Then in 2015 PETA sued Mr Slater on behalf of the monkey. It got thrown out of court, PETA appealed it ending in an out of court settlement. Really this issue hasn’t been fully settled. 

As silly as it is, this story highlights how serious copyright is taken. So basically don’t let monkeys take your wedding photos, but on the other hand it would be cool to have monkeys take your wedding photos (they just probably won’t let you use them because of the copyright thing)

Faithlegg Hotel, Waterford, Ireland

What This Means For Your Wedding Photos

So what does this mean for you as the purchaser of a wedding photographer and your resulting photos?

This is down to the discretion of the photographer.  A wedding photographer should have terms and conditions regarding what you as the buyer can do and not do with your own wedding photos.

The wedding photographer should grant you a license to use the images for certain things. For example using on social media, sharing with friends and family and printing. Really within reason you should be able to do whatever you want with them. 

The only time a photographer would likely have a problem is if you edit and share them in a way that reflects their work in a negative way. Also most of the time the photographer won’t give you permission to sell on these photos for profit.  If you did want to sell the photos then approach the photographer and I’m sure you’ll be able to broker a deal.

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

What This Means For The Photographer

The photographer is likely going to want to use some of the photos they took of your wedding as promotion material.  Weddings aren’t a return business so new customers are always needed and new, fresh photos are a continual part of bringing in customers.

You do have a level of protection. The photographer needs a model release to use a photo from each individual in the photo.  I say level of protection because it’s not a black and white thing. It all depends on the use (is it commercial), whether it was taken in a private or public place, and who’s in the picture. For a more detailed insight into this side theres a good article at https://thelawtog.com/wedding-guests-need-sign-photography-model-release-form/

Rule of thumb would say that for a wedding, which would be considered a public place where photos would be expected, that the photographer can use the photos how they would deem fit.

If you would like your wedding photos kept private, then have a chat with the photographer, they should be willing to help you out and work with you to provide a solution that works for you both.

Conclusion

The wedding photographer is an artist you are commissioning to document your day.  Photographs are creative works, and the copyright law exists to protect the artist.

Any wedding photographer worth their salt should let you essentially do what you want, within reason, with the photos though.  It’s down to you to check what the photographer will licence you to do with your wedding photos and if you feel it’s not what you’re after, talk to them.  

Check out my terms and conditions for copyright licensing and model release info. If you’re not happy with it, talk to me, I’m a reasonable guy!

Documentary Wedding Photographer Limerick Ireland

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DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // CASHEL PALACE // CO.TIPPERARY // IRELAND // AIMEE & ROBERT

Aimée and Robert’s wedding day at Cashel Palace in Tipperary, Ireland was a joyous and unforgettable occasion. The bride got ready surrounded by her bridesmaids…