After the 2010 National Photographic Awards, I made a bold statement. I wouldn’t be entering any more photographs of children. It is too easy to score well that way.
I’m now somewhat regretting that pronouncement. Well, part of me is. The lazy part. This is by far the bigger part of me, so it gets a lot of airtime in my head.
There is a panel of four photographs from this wedding alone that would make a very decent stand at the national awards. Each photograph shows the same little girl.
My lazy voice notwithstanding, none of her photographs will go to the awards. This year, I want to concentrate on the bride and groom. It is their day after all, and I want to show that in my awards entries.
At least, here in Ireland… 
These photographs are from a wedding I covered in May. Superb, warm, loving couple.
The bride's family are big greyhound enthusiasts and this scene-setter at the house in the morning helps tell that bit of the story. I was helped by some people coming out of the house to greet me over on my right, which distracted the dog for a second. It's the mimic of the head direction that makes this work. (c) Roger Overall 2010
Flower girls are an endless source of great photographs. Rarely do they do as they are told. Boredom prevents them from doing so. And they often escape into their own world of play when they can. This was captured just before the ceremony, after the girls had marched dutifully for the third time down the aisle to prove they knew what would be required of them. (c) Roger Overall 2010
What can I say? Pure genius by the little girl. Talk about scene stealing. This was taken with a 135mm lens - a rarity. (c) Roger Overall 2010
When you're bored, you're bored - so you make your own entertainment. Everyone else was busy with the signing of the register. (c) Roger Overall 2010
Veils, wind. It's a familiar story. The bride's wonderful warmth here adds dynamism to the photograph as well. In terms of photography, it was a case of looking for the expression. The veil is an added bonus. Documentary photography for me is about emotion first. Any additional occurrences are extras I take gladly, but you need to lay the foundation first by looking for the emotion. (c) Roger Overall 2010
I love the tenderness here. (c) Roger Overall 2010
The older guests at weddings are often overlooked by photographers. In a way it's understandable. They are often there at the parents' request. While I do try to concentrate on the younger guests, I like to keep an eye out for older guest interaction. They could be a favourite great uncle, after all. (c) Roger Overall 2010
Two worlds exist beside each other - one of my favourite themes. (c) Roger Overall 2010
Children and sugar. 'Nuff said. From a photographic perspective, this was something of a grab shot, as the boy announced what he was going to do and then did it before the words had fully left his mouth. (c) Roger Overall 2010
And here she is again. This time in discussion with the groom. I like the way that her hand gesture is mirrored to some extent by that of the groom's mother in blue. I've tried this picture cropped tighter to exclude the window highlights at the top and the two men at the far end. The crop makes the picture claustrophobic; leaving it uncropped keeps the context and depth. (c) Roger Overall 2010
The parents are often the forgotten players on the wedding day of their children, so I try hard not to. I love this interaction between the bride's mum and the groom's dad. (c) Roger Overall 2010
This is all about the ring. I was able to get quite close with a 50mm lens without the couple noticing me. Until the shutter clicked. Taken on a Canon 1DS Mrk II - a camera whose shutter lives up to the brand name. I sometimes wonder whether I should wear earplugs. (c) Roger Overall 2010
Getting an interesting shot of the cutting of the cake can be hard. So I leave it to someone else - as shown here. (c) Roger Overall 2010
I love the look on the bride's face. It conveys so much. Photography of the speeches is all about reactions to what is being said. Usually, you get a couple of outstanding speakers at Irish weddings, and there are lots of great expressions. Rich pickings for a documentary photographer. (c) Roger Overall 2010
