Should you Feed the Photographer at Your Wedding?

Should you Feed the Photographer at Your Wedding?

Ooh, good question. If it’s me, no. But that’s not true for all photographers.

For me, when you sit down for your meal, that’s my time to put my feet up (it’s a 12 hour plus day for me remember). I do some equipment checking / cleaning etc as required. Maybe later I’ll snack from your evening buffet if you’re having one. Continue reading Should you Feed the Photographer at Your Wedding?

Moneyreagh Water Tower

The old water Tower on Galloway Hill, close to Moneyreagh, Co. Down is listed on the community website, https://moneyreaghdistrictcommunityassociation.btck.co.uk/ as being one of the significant landmarks of the village!  It is certainly visible for quite a distance around, but as a landmark it probably lacks a little in the beauty department.  Still, I suppose its mostly only seen in the distance, as this photograph, taken from Tullyhubbert Road shows, and from a distance it doesnt look too bad.

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Fujifilm X-D2 200mm lens, f/9 @ 1/250th sec on ISO200.
 

So, in the interests of bringing its lovely ‘landmarkedness’ to the wider public, I drove up Tower Lane to reach said monument to the human desire for thirst quenching wateriness, and record it from closer distances. Continue reading Moneyreagh Water Tower

A Much Loved Dereliction?

There’s a derelict house on Sourhill Road, Ballymena, which presents the passer-by with some interesting contradictions.  The house is or rather was, a beautiful building, – almost an enigma, in its construction and decor, with beautiful colours, and fascinating roof patterns, and yet on even a casual inspection it is crumbling and decaying with broken slates and rotten timber.  It is unoccupied and abandoned, but sits in well kept extensive grounds, with mown grass and a well kept gravel path.  Its windows and doors have been removed and replaced with boards, but the boards have been painted to look like… windows and doors!

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This place is derelict, but someone still cares for it! Continue reading A Much Loved Dereliction?

Weston’s First Birthday

Studio photography is great fun!  And one of the best sources of enjoyment is when parents bring their baby into the studio for a ‘Watch-Me-Grow’ Baby’s First year Package.  Its great to see them develop their own little personalities, and to help their families remember those exciting early days.  Weston has just finished his ‘Baby’s First Year’ and he s=ceebrated with a fantastic Batman themed photoshoot, complete with a batman cake!

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Continue reading Weston’s First Birthday

St John’s Church, Donegore

I’ve often driven along the M2 between Antrim and Templepatrick, and wondered about the little church, nestling up in the trees above the moterway.  Today my curiosity got the better of me, and on the way home from a wedding I drove up to the church to get a closer look.  It’s St John’s Church of Ireland, and it sits amidst a churchyard with some very ancient graves and tombs.  Continue reading St John’s Church, Donegore

Can we shoot children?

Should we ever make/share photographs of children on the streets or public places without asking for their parents’ consent?

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The question arises because of the photograph above. I was in the Guildhall Square in Londonderry, photographing the fountains, when this little girl ran right into the spaces between the water sprouts and began to dance about. (It was so unexpected that I didn’t even get time to refocus or adjust the camera to include her feet and legs.)

Continue reading Can we shoot children?

Knead Some Dough?

Watching Bethany, my granddaughter making chocolate chip cookies, I was intrigued by how her hands kneaded the dough, and caught just a few of the moments on the Fujifilm X-T2.  I kept the aperture wide open to reduce the depth of field, and blur the background as much as possible.  Difficult enough exposures, for the kitchen was quite dark at the time, and ISO was 12800, so some of the images very noisy indeed.  However…

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Continue reading Knead Some Dough?

Commercial and Family Photographer