Noelle and Stephen married at the beautiful Clogoghue Church in Newry before heading to the Ballymascanlon House Hotel for their wedding reception. Here’s a few more from their day!

‘What’s your plan?’. I’m sometimes asked this by officials and videographers not used to witnessing documentary wedding photography in action. Perhaps expecting to hear of a litany of orchestrated scenes and staged moments I usually now reply simply, ‘to take some pictures’ (sometimes I’ll add ‘documentary style’).

It can leave some a little confused though. I remember one officiant at a particular venue a couple of years ago, who after standing beside me for a minute or two and not actually seeing me take any pictures (or heaven above, direct or order anyone around) asked ‘so – you are not going to take any pictures then?’.

The thought that I may have actually been observing what was happening right in front of us and waiting for the decisive moment to take my picture had simply never occurred to him. I can only imagine that they are so used to seeing photographers taking over the day and controlling the events week in week out that there cannot be an alternative.

So my plan is a little like the girl in this week’s picture. :D

To look.
To notice things.
To observe.
To capture.
Real moments. Real people. Real events.
Without being seen (preferable).

That’s the plan!

There’s a split second in every moment, but particularly during a first dance, where the emotion and movement in a scene really comes to the fore. It’s hard to describe, but recognising it comes with experience and a little bit of intuition. You have to anticipate that split second just before it happens.

I just loved how the groom Stephen here has spun his bride Noelle around and as she turned into the light I saw her expression and pressed the shutter release on the camera.

I took a few more images after this one but the crowd in the background and light in this image help to make it stand out for me. As with all of the pictures I shoot at a wedding I hope it will take my clients back to the feelings they had at this very moment.

I’ll be showing more images from Noelle and Stephen’s fantastic wedding next week.