Three in the morning is sleeping time if you ask me. For some, it’s the start of the working day. And if they are your client, you have to fall into step as a documentary photographer.

The same goes if your client runs their operations deep into the night. It’s not like you can ask them to bring everything forward so you can get home in time for your tea.

I’ve worked both sides of spectrum before, but last Friday I did so in one day for three separate clients. It was my longest day.

Delivery vans being loaded at O'Keeffe's Bakery, Ballincollig, Co Cork, Ireland. The bread is baked during the night by a shift that starts at around 6pm and works through to about 3am. (c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

The bakery shoot finished just after 6am; in time for me to get to my regular Friday morning BNI meeting, where I was going to photograph my SmarterEgg friend Aodan Enright giving a presentation for his promotional material.

Aodan had a six-minute speaking slot, barely enough time to get a half-dozen photographs of him in action. (c) Roger Overall 2010

By 8.15am I’d already done two commercial assignments. Normally, by 8.15am I’ve had a cup of coffee and that’s about it.

My next shoot wasn’t until the afternoon. I had hoped to have a quick nap, but there is some sort of construction work going on over the road from us – NOISY construction work. Instead, I did the post-production on the morning’s work.

After lunch, I headed off to Fota Island Resort, where I’m shooting a six-month documentary project. The plan was to photograph the staff working a wedding – a quirky twist for me.

I'm really impressed with the staff at Fota. I've photographed three weddings behind the scenes there now. They really care for their wedding guests and are never phased by any last minute or left-field requests. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Two staff helping to set up the wedding cake the mother-of-the-groom baked and iced for the couple. Again great smiles.

I’d initially thought to finish once the couple had made their entrance to dinner. However, it struck me that the hotel would benefit from a photograph of the first dance. In fact, I had in mind it would be the signature image of the night, and we didn’t have one from the previous weddings. I went home for dinner, with a view to returning in time for the start of the dancing. At this point it was past 7pm. I’d been working for 15 hours. I wasn’t sure how I’d be at 9pm, when the dancing began.

Turns out, I felt fine.

The meal was only just drawing to a close when I got back, so I took some some additional shots of staff at work. I also spotted this:

In case you're wondering: he didn't. (c) Roger Overall 2010

And then the main event.

I pre-visualized this shot. The spot of light on the floor meant that as the couple moved around the floor, they would occasionally be caught in it. Then it was a matter of hoping for a nice expression. Bingo! (c) Roger Overall 2010

This is an interesting set of images for me personally for several reason. These will become clear as you read the commentary with each photograph.

I've said before that parents are often the forgotten people on their childrens' wedding days. Despite the unfortunate positioning of the clothes line, I love this picture. (c) Roger Overall 2010

There was a strong smell of onions in the air. Hardly surprising when the groom had reversed a car over his father's freshly harvested onion crop. Here they survey the damage. A moment they'll both look back on with great humour in years to come. (c) Roger Overall 2010

A special photograph for so many reasons. It shows a small crisis involving some lost paperwork. It turned up in time, but this captures a little of the anxious moments. This is also a special photograph for a very personal reason. The priest you see here was at my father-in-law's side when he passed away and was of infinite comfort to my wife's family. He is also the man who christened my daughter. (c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

So you already know I'm the emotional sort and that I love my daughter (see previous post), so you imagine that I'm going to struggle a smidge on her wedding day. There is so much story here in the father of the bride's face as he watches the final preparations before he walks his daughter own the aisle. I see pride and I see love. (c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

I’m a big soppy softy. Seriously. And today was a big soppy softy day. Our little girl’s first day of school.

Quite how this has happened is something of a mystery.

Only a couple of months ago, I was holding her in the delivery room at St Finbarr’s Hospital. She had silver metallic eyes.

Now, mere weeks later, she’s off to school – proper school, uniforms and everything.

At this rate, I shall be walking her down the aisle by Christmas.

In the past I have been guilty of not photographing my own family life. That is a terrible admission for a documentary photographer to make. So, today, I brought my camera.

This is what I call her "You're An Idiot" look. I get it a lot. There is a chance I'll get it even more when she is a teenager. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Mummy knows how to get round it, mind. (c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

Helping mummy keep it together. (c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

She just knows how to find the right light. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Tag - You're It. Best friends Lucy (left) and Emily playing after their first day at school. (c) Roger Overall 2010

It’s good to be busy, so I’m not complaining. Here is a selection of photographs from five shoots in the past five days.

Corporate Assignment 1. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Corporate Assignment 2. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Corporate Assignment 3. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Wedding Assignment 1. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Wedding Assignment 2. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Episode 4 of The Circle of Confusion went live earlier today, along with a blog post that contains pictures and a bonus track.

Another selection of favourites from a recent wedding with commentary.

I have two photographs of this exchange between the bride and the flower girl. This is my favourite. Just. The other was taken side on with a wide angle and shows more of the room. The light on the bride's face is more pleasing to me in this one, taken with a standard lens. There is great story here and you can almost write the dialogue yourself. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Men do love their flowers. I'll be honest, I was concentrating on the page boy. That was where the story was. I was aware that the groom's father had a bunch of flowers as well, but only noticed afterwards that he was examining them - mirroring the little boy's movement. (c) Roger Overall 2010

And he was the well-behaved one. (c) Roger Overall 2010

On an average wedding day, a couple gets to spend surprisingly little time together - or at least time when they can have a private exchange. Holy communion is usually the first chance they get, and often they take it. I always set myself so that I have a clear view of the couple, just in case. I love the echo of the couple's intimacy and the exchange between lads on the front bench. The bride's gesture is also wonderful to me. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Weddings are happy occasions. This says everything. (c) Roger Overall 2010

What caught my eye here initially was the light in the entrance, which lit up the bride. The guest, a very dapper man dressed in black tie, was also waiting for them to come in. He makes this picture. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Something different. I like the almost total blur of the first two people compared with the relative lack of it for the second pair. (c) Roger Overall 2010

A missed opportunity - sort of. I have a series of shots of the couple as they walked down this corridor. This is the best one in terms of the bride's reflection in the glass frames. I've chosen it because the reflection was what I was after. However, there is a picture a few paces earlier where the couple are smiling at each other. Unfortunately, they are too far back to be reflected. You win some, you lose some. This is still pleasing to me because the bride looks so contented. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Back home from a short trip to the motherland, I’m reflecting on the photographs I took while I was away. Mostly, they were for fun. On two occasions I got serious: the photographs of my brother at work, and a series of photographs that I’m keeping up my sleeve as a surprise.

In all cases, they were taken with a 50mm lens.

Regular readers will know that I generally favour a wider field of view. However, the 24mm lens I own is fairly big and heavy. I didn’t feel like bringing it along to the Netherlands. Besides, this year I’ve been shooting more with the 50mm anyway.

Eight days with just the 50mm has made me realize just how versatile a lens it is. Just take a peek at the pictures I posted over the last week. In some instances it feels like a telephoto lens; in others like a wide angle. Quite remarkable.

I’m not going to say that only having a single focal length takes a bunch of decision making out of the equation, allowing you to concentrate on the photograph… Ah… I just did. Sorry. It is true though.

The main point I want to make in this short post is this: spending time with only a single focal length is a great training exercise. Thoroughly liberating, it also forces you to get to know the focal length intimately – its strengths, its weaknesses and, most importantly, its possibilities.

My only complaint? That I have to gaffer tape on the lens hood to stop if from dropping off. How is it that lens manufacturers can design and produce such wonderfully advanced optics, but not a lens hood that will stay put?

A quick post tonight with an update on the IPPA council elections.

I was elected to council, for which I’m very grateful. A number of people took the time to email me directly with their support at the time of the election, and several have done so since. Such support means the world and I’ll get back to everyone who emailed personally over the weekend.

The new council doesn’t take on its mantle until October, but in the meantime a big Thank You to everyone who voted for me. Like I say, it means a lot.

Yesterday evening, my brother assembled the bike that reigning Four Cross European champion Joost Wichman will ride at the World Championship event in Mount St Anne, Canada, in a couple of weeks’ time.

Triple Four Cross European champion Joost Wichman (left) talks to RSP/KTM and Dutch national team mechanic Jason Davies as the latter assembles Joost's World Cup bike. (c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010

(c) Roger Overall 2010