Niamh and Nicky, Elegant Christmas Wedding at Tankardstown, County Meath Ireland

Christmas weddings are very popular with Irish couples, and for a good reason. Everyone is home at the holidays, in a good mood, and the twinkling lights are very festive and romantic! But Christmas weddings and winter weddings can be a challenge for photographers....especially those in love with beautiful flattering natural light like moi! 

The day of Nicky and Niamh's wedding it rained, and was extremely windy and cold. The cozy olde world elegance and warmth of Tankardstown was especially inviting! Thankfully Niamh and Nicky's ceremony was early (please winter brides...schedule your ceremonies for 1pm!!!), and we were able to get a few photographs outside before the magical winter light went away. You can't even tell how freezing cold Nicky and Niamh are and I thank you immensely for suffering for art!

Niamh's gorgeous gown is Amanda Wakely from Myrtle Ivory. It suits her quiet elegance perfectly I think! Especially with her Charlene Theron-eque hairstyle expertly coiffed by hairstylist to the stars, Michael Leong. Classic make-up by Adele Miley, and the flowers were bound to be amazing by the wonderful French Touch. Niamh and Nicky's cake was a perfect "cheese" cake by Sheridan's Cheesemongers of Dublin...like a Renaissance painting!

Hope you enjoy the low-light black and white film portraits from Niamh and Nicky's beautiful day! A big congratulations to the bride and groom and all the best in your new life together! 

Favourite Photographs of 2012...Personal Work and Collaborative Shoots

As a professional photographer, paid work like photographing weddings is what keeps me able to pay my bills. If people didn't see something unique and that they connected with emotionally, then I wouldn't be able to continue doing the work I love. I get so much inspiration through weddings and paid shoots, but I really learn about photography and taking risks by my own personal work. This is mostly shooting life around me...everyday scenes of my life in Ireland, the kids, family, visiting my family in the States, nature, patterns, shapes, and color. Collaborative shoots with other creative Irish vendors is important for me too. I participated in two collaborative shoots this year. The first was a shoot at Ashley Park House in Nenagh which was featured on 100 Layer Cake, One Fab Day, and Confetti magazine. And the second was a shoot at Dromquinna House which has been featured on One Fab Day and part of it will be featured on another blog soon. 

So here is some of my personal work from 2012, a most amazing year for me. I'm partial to the film images and so a lot that you see here was done on medium format and 35mm film. But there is also some digital as well as I'm not a one trick pony! And the most amazing photographic technique I learned this year was wet plate collodion...one of the first forms of photography printed on glass and metal plates. If you are in Ireland, inquire with Monochrome Meath in Trim about workshops. 

Let me know which are your favorites!