Why I Photograph Close up To Get The Images You’ll Love

Castleknock Hotel Wedding - Fujifilm XT-5 + Xf 18mm 1.4

There is a famous quote in the photography world - “If you’re photos aren’t good enough you’re not close enough” by the legendary and often mythologised war photographer and founder of Magnum Photo Agency - Robert Capa

When I first picked up a camera I always wanted my images to be about something instead of just something. When starting out I would photograph landscapes, you know churches, ruins, Poolbeg (if you don’t know Poolbeg is the famous red and white chimney stacks located on the south side of Dublin City). But this didn’t or couldn’t hold my attention cos it’s not what drove me. As a documentary Cavan wedding photographer I quickly realised why that didn’t hit me as a creative the way I wanted it to. I wanted to be know for something more, to give people something they could cherish to leave something behind and in those first few weddings I felt I was always holding back, like I was shooting the wedding from the outside. Now my coupes loved their photos and I did a good job but I wanted more from me as a photographer and I think that comes deep from my childhood more likely my teenage years into my 20s when I just wanted more from my life. My expectation of myself is always so high and sometimes Kerri (my better half) has to be the voice of reason for me, but for me I always have to be better not only for me but for my couples the ones who put their trust in me.

Dublin City Hall Wedding - XT-3 +Xf 18mm 1.4

My favourite lens I’ve owned as a documentary wedding photographer is the fujifilm Xf 18mm 1.4. This lens changed everything for me. It’s the equivalent of a 28mm focal length in full frame terms and to the non photography folk thats kinda like the 1.2x on your iPhone. So why 28mm ? This lens made me realised I needed to get closer to my subjects to be able to make people feel like they were back there at the moment of the photo, to get more of the story in the frame but also allowing me to crop if I needed to. whats out of the frame is sometimes as important as whats in the frame. As my mentor Phil Salisbury says crop it until you think you’re right and crop it some more. If you want to see more how I approach your wedding day then click here. The couples I tend to attract are people who love photos but hate posing. Fun Couples who want to do things differently like Suzanne & Ross’ crazy fun wedding in The Medley in Dublin on new years eve. For couples that look for timeless, moment driven photos that can be passed down to future generations.

Shoot How It Feels, Not How It Looks

This is so important to me as a Cavan wedding photographer. That myself and my couples are on the same page. If you want me to have you posed in every nook and cranny in your wedding venue you then I might not be the photographer for you. Now don’t get me wrong I will do some portraits I’ll always take my couples on a wander around the venue just a quick 10-15min break from the chaos but what want for my couples is for the in between moments to become their new favourite memories. That’s what drives me thats what I want my wedding photography remembered for.

Marlfield House Wedding - Fujifilm XT-5 + Xf 18mm 1.4

Like this tender moment between between Megan and her mom in one room and her sister Amy getting her make-up done in the adjacent room. for context as a wexford wedding photographer I’m backed right up against the wall in the hallway with the two rooms split by the door frame. Patiently waiting for things to line up and sometimes thats all you need to do as a moment driven photographer is to wait and let it unfold in front of you and thankfully thats what happened here. It doesn’t always pan out but thats ok the more you do this the more you'll see the moments that your couples will come to love. thank you for reading this far and enjoy a few more images

Like What You See? Click Below And Let’s Chat About Your Wedding plans

Wedding Planning Tips 2024 - Pt1

Planning a wedding will be one of the most exciting times in your life. You are planning to celebrate your love with all your favourite people, HOW AMAZING!!! but it can be stressful and worrying if you don’t keep on top of things. The biggest strain to couples is over-spending and time running away on them, you know how it is you blink and 6 months have passed but don’t worry it’s gonna all work and out and its going out be awesome!!!

You’ve popped the question, they’ve said yes so what now??

1. Pick Your Venue.

I would say that the very first thing to do is settle on your venue. Now, I don’t mean, rush off and view that place you’ve been ogling on Instagram, booking it on the spot and figuring out the details later. Before that, you really need to get clear on what you want from a venue. Yes, the heart element should be strong in this decision, but you should try to let your head take the lead on it. A venue is so much more than a famous view and cool chairs. It has to function the way you need it to and have people running it who will make your life easy and your wedding day seamless. Do you want a “traditional” church wedding? Do you want a humanist ceremony? An all in one from a hotel ? Or do you want the very popular city hall and a restaurant for the reception, these will all factor in the timeline for your wedding. Once you have a date secured with your venue, then book your key suppliers, having ensured that the date you’ve chosen is going to give you enough time to lock in the vendors you really want and to be able to comfortably afford your dream day.

2. Create A Timeline.

Create a detailed planning timeline as soon as possible. Including every single thing that is needed to make the wedding happen in the way that you want it. Everything from chasing RSVPs, to choosing the first dance song, to picking suits, hairdressers to flowers to should get a week on the calendar, and this way, broken down into a task or two a week, it shouldn’t seem so daunting. Delegate the responsibilities between both yourselves and people who are willing to help out. 

If like me you are a fan of a techy solution, here’s some apps to help you on your way

• Postable - for collection addresses for invitations

• Top Table Planner - for designing your table plan

• Appy Couple - for keeping your guests up to date

• Spotify - hear a banger on the radio that you know will have people up dancing save it to a playlist and send it to your DJ

• Wedding Snap - Collecting Guests' Photographs you can never have too many eyes on a wedding day your photographer can’t be every where all at once so getting your guests to upload their pics helps - bonus its a free content creator ha

• Tripit - For planning that perfect honeymoon

3. Research Your Vendors.

The best way to find vendors that you really vibe with is to go on a social media deep dive. Find a local vendor you like a lot and follow them online to get a sense of their personality and who they are as a person and business. they are the people you will likely spend the most time with on a wedding day so not only do they have to be good at what they do, you have to like them as a person

My advice is to pick your top 5 vendors in each area and go down the list from 1-5 ie top 5 photographers top 5 Make up artists etc this way you will end up with vendors you love.

Weddings At Medley- Dublin - S&R

Medley is a unique wedding venue housed in a renowned Dublin landmark – the Old Irish Times Building on Fleet Street. Located in one of the city’s most historic districts and surrounded by the impressive architecture of Fleet Street, College Green and Trinity College, the venue has been extensively refurbished to the most exacting standards while retaining its warmth and charm. This was the setting for Suzanne and Ross’ epic New Years Wedding.

Medley’s stunning mezzanine area comfortably seated all 100 odd guests, in fact it offers seating from 6 up to 150 with additional space to seat a further 100 downstairs. They can accommodate up to 350 after-dinner guests in total, so nobody has to miss out on your big day. The experienced team of friendly and dedicated staff will work with you to plan your party and coordinate every detail on the day and Dave and the team were on point and can’t be faulted in any way.

Choosing Moya Corcoran an accredited humanist celebrant to marry them. Moya’s chilled and relaxed nature matched them so well and was well and truly a match for Ross’ cheeky nature ha. A stunning ceremony that had one of Suzanne’s oldest friend singing them in and on the exit of their ceremony. There was plenty of laughs throughout and a brilliant way to spend a New Year’s Eve in Dublin.

If you’re planning a wedding and you really, really want to wow your guests, hold it in Medley. There’s no wedding venue like it in Dublin City. Medley is housed in the old Irish Times printing press and has been beautifully preserved in all its unique charm. It is one the most historically significant landmarks in Dublin, opposite Bowes pub where you can have a quick pint before the wedding party starts. With a Mezzanine floor above, the space is flexible and can be arranged to suit your wedding on the day.

The themes of international cuisine resonate in Medley with special menus created specifically for your event. There’s a dish preparation area where you can see Andrew and his team performing their magic, a great cocktail bar stocked with famous labels and exclusive vintages and, wait, is that a dance floor?

Yes it is. As soon as AndreaJones sax player and the dj got going there was no stoping the chaos. the bells hit midnight and the crowd went wild and I loved every second of it!!!! Than yo to Suzanne and Ross for trusting me with their day it was FECKING AWESOME!

Let’s Work Together.

Like every wedding photographer on the planet this is what we live for and if we could we would shoot weddings 365 days a year but that’s physically impossible. So if you think I'm the one for you? Don’t delay and ensure your date is available as space is limited. Instagram or Facebook will be the quickest response but for booking please fill in the form from the link below and check your spam cos your reply could end up there, I'm so excited to see what we can create together.

Best Of 2023 Wedding Photography Cavan

2023…. what a year!!! I can honestly say it’s been a year of absolute learning. Whether that is in photography or personally all know is I’ve definitely grown in both. I always stumble on these best of posts just because I put so much of myself into every wedding that I never know what to chose at the end ha but below is a selection of shots from this year they’re in no particular order. I’m so thankful for everyone who put their trust in me this year, but we are only getting started 2024 we are gonna go bigger and better.

Theres been so many wins this year. I got into the I.P.P.V.A, I went to my first DocDay conference and met so many amazing photographers. I can honestly say that this has been the biggest influence so far in my career. I got to do a work shop with the amazing Kevin and Annie Kheffache, two of my biggest influences in wedding photography. I met Dave Cremin who is up there with the best of street photographers in Ireland seeing that man work on the streets was amazing and I really should do a post about my street photography and I built so many relationships with fellow photographers and I feel like I finally found my people.

2023 has been the first full year of Forged In love photography after my rebranding and moving to Co. Cavan wedding photography, I discovered google is a full time job on its own when you own a business ha and I can say my mid year identity crisis is fully behind me. I moved more to a documentary style but I can’t help myself with the creativity sometimes ha but for 2024 my goal is to show people who they are at their wedding so focusing more on the connection and moments between the people in front of the camera.

Everything you see on my website is Real. Real People, Real Moments from real weddings happening in real time. There is no A.I trickery in any of these images (besides tidying up any distracting elements etc )

I’m so thankful to my couples for trusting me to capture the moments that matter the most to them. They are all shot on FujiFilm Cameras between the X-T5 and X-T3. I’m so happy to be going into 2024 with a camera system (I’ve upgraded to 2 X-T5s now :) ) that allows me to get up close and is unobtrusive to people allowing me to shoot weddings in the style I love and I’ve finally settled on my colours that I’m so happy with now.  I’ll never stop learning and improving as much as I can as long as people want me to shoot their weddings I’ll bring my personality and style to every wedding!!!

“For the ones who don’t mind getting the dress dirty, looking silly in love, will give it socks on the dance floor, who care more about how the day feels to how it looks, who want real emotions, real moments and real memories to look back on.

Weddings At Clanard Court Kildare - N&J

If luxury country chic weddings is right up your street then the Clanard Court Hotel in the heart of Kildare has got you covered. This award winning 4 star family run hotel is only one hour from Dublin, 45 mins from Kilkenny and 30 minutes from Haas, Newbridge, Carlow And Portlaoise . Emma and the team specialise in tailor-made weddings and providing only the very best for your dream day....all this and so much more.

Their dedicated Wedding Team, attention to detail, delicious food, stunning décor and excellent service mean that your special day will be everything you dreamed….and more. They pride themselves on offering each couple personalised attention to ensure every aspect of their special day captures the essence of your union.

With stunning features like the candlelit indoor ceremony in our beautifully dressed chapel-style space or outdoors in our Secret Garden. They welcome all Civil Ceremonies and have a unique and wonderful Little White Chapel as well as the Garden available. Spacious rooms for getting ready and four posted bed in the gorgeous victorian style bridal suite.

The little white chapel offers a totally unique experience and a beautiful backdrop of the barley fields perfect for those intimate ceremonies. Absolutely stunning on a summers day!!!

The romance of their sublime, crystal-chandeliered Garden Ballroom will have your loved one truly lost for words. Opening up on to a beautiful Garden Terrace and Secret Garden, our Garden Ballroom boasts floor to ceiling windows that allow access and a view of the idyllic private gardens beyond. This stunning space accommodates up to 250 guests and the Hotel also has smaller private spaces for more intimate weddings. Plus there is a Kids VIP Den safely tucked into the side of our garden space to keep your younger guests entertained too.

Thank you so much Natasha and Jay for trusting me to capture your awesome day and hopefully I’ll be back to Clanard Court soon. I’ve got some more ideas I haven’t done yet :)

Let’s Work Together.

Like every wedding photographer on the planet this is what we live for and if we could we would shoot weddings 365 days a year but that’s physically impossible. So if you think I'm the one for you? Don’t delay and ensure your date is available as space is limited. Instagram or Facebook will be the quickest response but for booking please fill in the form from the link below and check your spam cos your reply could end up there, I'm so excited to see what we can create together.

Weddings At Dunboyne Castle Hotel, Dunboyne -Dan & Georgia

Dan and Georgia…. From forgiving him for falling asleep before their first date at jimmy Chung’s Chinese in Dublin aged 16 (r.i.p Jimmy Chungs) to saying I do 9 years later. These two knew no matter where they are going in life they’re gonna do it together. Perfectly balanced, a bond most search for their whole lives, the yin to his yang and a shared love for a pint of the black stuff these two are made for each other.

Situated just 20 minutes down the motorway from the Dublin, Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa offers a luxurious setting away from the bustling city life. The Tara Suite, can accommodate celebrations with up to 220 of your most awesome and favourite people for you to eat and dance the night away as elegant lighting highlights the high ceiling, covering your reception in a glamorous glow. Intimate ceremonies can take place in the Drawing Room, which features a picturesque fireplace for couples to use as their altar backdrop. A detailed chandelier hangs overhead for a classic aesthetic. The hotel also features 145 bedrooms and suites detailed with modern amenities to give visitors a relaxing overnight stay. Also available is the Synolda Suite, a welcoming get-ready suite for you and your loved ones to prepare for the altar in style.

With a dedicated team working to make your big day run as smooth and stress free as I’ve seen, Dunboyne castle is the perfect setting for people looking to get married in Meath.

Dunboyne Castle Hotel is a stunning Georgian mansion, built in 1764. The property has been thoroughly renovated in recent years but retains the charm that makes it so popular among newly engaged couples. The estate also offers a rich history, having been built on the site of the original castle. This was destroyed in the 18th Century Cromwell invasion, and the ruins can still be viewed on the grounds.

However, the rich heritage of the estate is just one of the reasons it has gained a reputation as the top wedding venue in Meath. With a choice between the Georgian Drawing Room and contemporary Tara Ballroom, weddings with up to 220 guests can be held in the hotel. They operate a one wedding a day policy and are delighted to help you celebrate your special day. Discover what’s on offer in the Meath wedding venue, and imagine hosting your celebrations with them.

Thank you to Dan and Georgia for trusting me to capture day. It was a blast!!! and thank you to the guys at Dunboyne Castle hotel for looking after me, I’ll see you soon!!!

““So in love with all the photos! Gonna be so hard to pick for the album. I’ve been saving and sending them to everyone”.”

— Georgia

Let’s work together.

like every wedding photographer on the planet this is what we live for and if we could we would shoot weddings 365 days a year but that’s physically impossible. So if you think I'm the one for you don’t delay and ensure your date is available as space is limited. Instagram or Facebook will be the quickest response but for booking please fill in the form from the link below and check your spam cos your reply could end up there, I'm so excited to see what we can create together.