The Q4 contest results from the AGWPJA are out and I achieved 10th place in the Emotions category which I’m absolutely delighted about. The associations contest is made up of hundreds of international photographers and thousands of entries and to get a 10th place is quite a feat. I’m really looking forward to creating more award winning images with my clients this year!!
See my winning image here 
click here
February 7, 2010 - 12:05 pm - Cogratulations!
February 12, 2010 - 1:06 pm - Well done. Congratulations!
I’m chuffed, honoured and delighted to say that I’ve just been accepted into the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association…
The AGWPJA upholds stringent guidelines for membership inclusion and have very strict criteria for acceptance into the association. I’m happy to say I was notified yesterday of my acceptance as a member and its given my work a real boost. I’m one of only 4 photographers accepted into the organisation from Ireland. So needless to say you’ve guessed that I’m thrilled…! Now I have to produce the best images I can and work my way up the ranks of members ..!
I originally met Dave and Florence when I was shooting Florence’s sisters wedding, so we’d already met and I was glad to be back shooting again with them. Both Florence & Dave are great people, very organised and great to work with. The day was very foggy and really cold and although we didn’t get to one or two locations I had planned, we did get to other parts of Belvedere house which ended up really adding to the images. The fog produced a great romantic backdrop on Belvedere house and although can be somewhat of a challenge to shoot in, the images we got turned out great (if i do say so myself). The day went off without a hitch and the band they hired afterwards really added well to the already joyous atmosphere. Here’s some shots from the day and below is a highlight slideshow,
Thanks Florence and Dave it was a pleasure to work with you both…
Paul – MHPHOTO.IE
The morning started early with the bridal makeup session…
Its all in the details…
Crooked ties just don’t work in the shots…
Florence looked Fantastic and was great bride to work with…
No nerve’s here..!
Fog always gives you a great opportunity to play with exposure…
End of photos but only the start of the party!!
See a slideshow from some of the moments of the day…Here
I get a lot of questions by email from potential customers and also from other photographers so I’ve decided to list some here and answer them over the next few months….
First some client questions :
1. What style do you shoot weddings?
Mainly my style is documentary, I shoot and process images with a view to creating very sharp clean colourful interesting images. I say documentary because its slightly different to the common reportage style that is popular at the moment. Documentary aims to give maximum coverage while creating a final set of images that tell the story of a wedding day. So in essence when you look through the images after a wedding you should get a real feel for the day.
I shoot this way because my interest has always been in people photography and capturing great moments while people are unaware. Of course you can mix this with posed images and even some set up shots but I try to minimise that depending on what the client wants and ensure that they feel comfortable in front of the camera. Overall I love creating exciting images that can make you smile and remain timeless. Sometimes I feel over posed images when you look back at them in years down the road will not reflect the through image of the couple on the day.
2. Do you scout a location before shooting there?
The answer is always, while I like to shoot creatively by the seat of pants, I also like to have an idea of the area and also have a few shots planned and have the lay of the land on the wedding day in my head. I think this adds to the scope of shots and allows me to think fast if the weather changes things.
3. What equipment do you use?
All my camera equipment is canon, I use only high end professional cameras and lenses when it comes to photography this is an area you just can’t skimp. I know start off photographers will use less professional equipment and this can be ok if their prices reflect that but eventually if you take your job serious you need the best gear. Image quality, reliability and durability is so important you have no choice your equipment CANNOT break down on a wedding. I have backups for everything and I also use some off camera flash if I want to control my light better.
My main equipment is :
Canon 1ds Canon 5d MKII
50mm L 1.2 lens (the L is for professional grade glass)
135mm L 2.0 Lens
24-70mm L 2.8 Lens (workhorse lens)
70-200mm L 2.8 Lens
16-35mm L 2.8 Lens
24mm L 1.4 Lens
I use canon flashes mainly off camera.
If you have any questions you’d like me to answer just send them to the blog contact from and I’ll include them on a future post.
See our 2010 special offer available if you reserve your date before January 31st…
To all I worked with in ‘09 and to all my 2010 customers who I’m looking forward to working with…
Happy New Year….!!
Well… its been a while since I’ve had time to blog and my new years resolution will be to blog more and talk more about photography. I’m working on a few projects so my time has been limited. So here’s a launch back into it…
Aoife & Marc where married in November. What can I say… the door struck me, not in the face (!!) but it was a really cool red door, I loved it. When I walked into the house I knew it would work well for some nice shots of Aoife… I never know what to expect when I enter someone’s house on their wedding day, sometimes its busy, sometimes its quiet, this house was just right…warm and friendly. Aoife has a real classic photographic look and a bubbly spirt, she was great to work with and I have to say I enjoyed this wedding from start to end. A manic rush ensued not by the bridal party but by me, I felt I had loads of time but the panic set in when driving from Dublin to the knightsbrook trying to cross a M50 with a jackknifed truck….needless to say some smart driving (by my gps) got me there with enough time to capture a few shots of Marc before the ceremony began.
Marc looked cool and calm. When I met him a few weeks before the wedding he struck me as a really relaxed guy, no worries there… (although I think a few pre-wedding jitters were there on the day, but hey he’s human)… a great match…. both really nice, both photogenic.. so thanks guys it was great to work with you…
Many thanks… Paul – MHPHOTO.IE
Watch out for a shot of Marc & Aoife in the next edition of Irish Brides Magazine..(recent weddings section)
So heres some shots from the day….
He was wow’d…
That red door…
Although Grandad gave me looks when I took his picture, he didn’t seem to mind when he was getting a kiss..!!
Way to calm for someone about to get married…!
Anyone dare object…? (A great catch of expression here by Elaine, my assistant)
Trim Castle provides such a great backdrop for wedding photos…
The stone, wood and expressions work great in black and white…
I love the speeches its my favourite time of the day… the rush is over and even though I’m there to work I always find myself in bits laughing… especially when the best man is this funny…
Marc can get his own laughs..!!
A perfect ending….
See a slideshow preview here
December 16, 2009 - 8:35 am - The photos are fabulous, possibly the best wedding photos I remember seeing. No artifitial posing, all so happy, natural and inforgettable! Lucky to be dressed like this in November! In Moscow it's -24 now, we are wearing skiing outfits, thermal underwear and tempted to put on good old Russian felted Valenki...
December 16, 2009 - 11:04 am - Thanks Luiza...:-)... glad its not that cold here!
December 22, 2009 - 9:50 pm - Nice work Paul! It's nice to see more photographers embracing this natural style of shooting!
January 27, 2010 - 9:09 am - Beautiful series!
What can I say… My blog has cob-webs! I need to get back blogging, I’ve been busy so i just didn’t have a chance. But I’ll be back to it next week. Working on edits at the moment of a recent weddings so that will be a nice place to start..!
Until then …!!
Luiza and Joseph had their post wedding party in Dunsany castle on the 12th of September. It had been raining for about 2 weeks before hand but lucky enough the weather cleared and we were presented with a beautiful day. This suited the surroundings perfectly, Dunsany Castle is a beautiful place and it was a joy to shoot there.
Luiza and Joseph are a lovely couple and the day went off a treat. Joseph’s knowledge of the surrounding area and history is impressive, I found myself listening in at times forgetting I was there to record the day! (well almost forgot).
The couple and guest spent some time walking the grounds and the orchard and marked the occasion in a really great (and green) way by planting a young Oak tree.
Here’s a selection from the day…!!
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October 13, 2009 - 9:24 am - Really great Paul! Lovely lighting in some of them. Love the way you've edited!
October 23, 2009 - 9:04 am - Good selection. We are still working - making selections for ourselves and the guests - with the lot we got from you. Great amusement, fun memories and really artistic photos... Indeed, light is exceptional, as well as composition and the mood you captured.. We were very lucky to meet you, thank you so much for the work
Even when the weather is dull and rainy… There’s always an old tree to find shelter!..
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October 21, 2009 - 7:01 pm - LOVE these!! Makes me want to hop in a swing myself!
by Paul
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