11/25/10

Anatomy Of A Wedding Day #12 – Carina & Julian

The weather this year in Ireland has been exceptionally good. Even the autumn days have often been crisp and dry, with lots of sun. Usually it just rains.

I’m often asked about the best light for photography at weddings. There is no right answer really, just preferences.

On the one hand, overcast days provide nice, even light. No harsh shadows and for the most part easy exposures. Simply watch for the moments and you’re in business.

On the other hand, bright sunny days give you hard light, with very little in the way of transition between light and shadow areas. This is more difficult light, but it is much more exciting to work with as a documentary photographer. It gives you pools of light, it gives you back light, it gives you light reflecting off surfaces – plenty to play with.

Carina and Julian’s wedding day in Co. Kerry was one of those superb autumnal days with lots of magic light. Magic people too.

Here are some faves, with the occasional anecdote or caption.

Scene-setting photographs are important for wedding coverage. This is all about the autumnal colours of the reflective leaves. In addition, the rocks are integral to the location, as you'll see below. (c) Roger Overall 2010

White tie - you can't get classier. And hand-tied too. (c) Roger Overall 2010

The reaction from the guest on the far right is great and adds immensely to the photograph. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Bride sharing a joke with her friends on her wedding day

Groom and best man talking at a wedding in Sheen Falls

Two worlds. My favourite kind of photograph. (c) Roger Overall 2010

The groom standing tall at his wedding in Co. Kerry, Ireland, Europe

There is something heroic about the groom in this photograph. I was too close to include the top of his head and all of his hands, but that only adds to giving him a sense of being a man of substance - someone bigger than the frame. (c) Roger Overall 2010

An almost perfect photograph, foiled by the sloth of my 5DII. I anticipated the kiss, saw it coming, fired the shutter in advance to make up for its ridiculous shutter lag - but got there a nanosecond too early. Nevertheless, it still works as a photograph. Terrific light, story and cute flower girls. What more do you want? (c) Roger Overall 2010

This is my favourite photograph of the year so far. It has everything for me. The bride caught in the light as she walks down the aisle. Her husband-to-be watching her. The radiant smile on her face. This is why sunny days can be so thrilling for documentary wedding photographers. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Church interior during a wedding in Co. Kerry, Ireland

Wedding ceremonies are still predominantly religious affairs in Ireland. The story here is in the gesture of the Christ figure, blessing and watching over the couple. Leaving the photograph in colour accentuates the statue as your eye is drawn to the red robe. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Groom laughing with a guest at his wedding in Co. Kerry, Ireland

The hug at a wedding in Co Kerry, Ireland

Groom and a friend at a wedding in Co. Kerry, Ireland

Bride enjoying a laugh with guests at her wedding in Ireland

Bride and groom laughing at a wedding in Co. Kerry Ireland Europe

Documentary reportage wedding photography by Roger Overall

Wedding guests and the bride laughing at a wedding in Ireland

This kiss I did get. And it's the important one. And a reflection into the bargain. Lordy, I'm predictable. (c) Roger Overall 2010

If you’d like to hear what goes through a wedding photographer’s mind on a wedding day, I recorded a series of AudioBoos throughout the day. If you do listen to them, you’ll hear how Butter-Fingers had a scare early on in the day.

11/16/10

Anatomy Of A Wedding Day #11 – Katie & Kevin

I’ve been shooting a long-term documentary project behind the scenes at Fota Island Resort in Co. Cork – a great project to be doing. In the process, I’ve photographed three weddings from the hotel’s point of view.

A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to photograph a wedding from the bride and groom’s perspective at the resort.

Wonderful couple with a great group of guests. Lots of smiles and emotion. And a great rehearsed first dance.

Preparations before a wedding Co. Cork, Ireland

A guest laughs with the groom on his wedding day in Co. Cork Ireland

A Cork bride gets ready outside the church on her wedding day

Bride and groom greet their guests at a wedding in Co. Cork, Ireland

The bride wipes away a tear at a wedding in Co. Cork, Ireland

Wedding guest photographer in Co Cork, Ireland

Bride and groom wedding cake decorations

Bride in front of a window at Fota Island Resort

Guests celebrating at a wedding in Co Cork

Bride and groom dancing at their wedding in Cork

11/12/10

Dr Ivan Misner Book

10/21/10

Anatomy Of A Wedding Day #9

Wedding photography of a flowergirl, Co Kerry, Ireland

Wedding photography of a flowergirl and shoes at Ballyseede Castle, Co Kerry, Ireland

Wedding photography of a guest hugging the groom, Fossa, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Wedding photography at Fossa church, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Wedding photograph of a bride approaching Fossa chruch, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Flowergirl at a wedding ceremony in Fossa, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Photography of a wedding ceremony at Fossa, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Wedding photograph of Fossa church, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Photography of wedding guests at Ballyseede Castle, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Guests laughing at Ballyseede Castle, Co. Kerry, Ireland by wedding photographer Roger Overall

Wedding photograph of a guest at Ballyseede Castle, Co. Kerry, Ireland

09/6/10

The Longest Day

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.

O'Keeffe's Bakery - Loading Delivery Vans

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

O'Keeffe's Bakery - Loading Delivery Vans - Corporate documentary photography photojournalism by Roger Overall

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 Enright - SmarterEgg - Speaking at a BNI meeting in Cork, Ireland

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:

Little boy eyes the cake at a wedding in Fota Island Resort, Cork, Ireland

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

And then the main event.

Bride and groom dance at their wedding in Fota Island Resort, Cork, Ireland

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

09/1/10

Anatomy Of A Wedding #6

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.

Wedding Photographer Cork Father Of The Groom

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

Wedding photography of a groom and his father Cork Ireland

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

Wedding photographer back stage at a wedding in Co Cork

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

Wedding photography of a guest at a wedding in Cork, Ireland

Wedding photograph of a father of the bride in Cork Ireland

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

Bride and veil, Cork wedding photographer, Ireland

Bride Groom Glandore Wedding Photographer Cork

08/4/10

Lost in Translation

Being a documentary photographer is all about capturing the truth.

Kinda.

Sometimes the truth can be a bit slippery.

Take this photograph from a recent wedding for instance.

The mother and father of the bride at a wedding in Glandore, Co Cork, Ireland

What is going on here? Is this a slap or a caress? A gesture of anger or one of affection?

You can’t really tell.

As a documentary photograph, it’s a bit of a dud. Had I been less trigger happy and had I pressed the shutter a fraction of a second later, the story would have been clear. It is, in fact, a gesture of affection between the bride’s parents.

I thought I had something special, caught in the light of a summer’s day. When the shutter clicked, my heart lifted. I felt a real sizzle of excitement. When I saw the image on screen, my heart sank at the missed opportunity.

It happens. It’s part of being a documentary photographer. Problem is, what I do is important. Not heart-surgery important for sure, but I am given the privilege to photograph important moments in people’s lives and record them for posterity. So it really, really bugs me when I miss one – even by the slimmest sliver of a second.

07/15/10

PictureBoo – 15th July 2010

This week’s PictureBoo gives a little insight into photographing in public for an annual report.

I’ve also had a request for a longer post about shooting documentary work for corporates based on this assignment, and that will follow soon, most likely in the form of a permanent article called called “The Art of Documentary Corporate Photography” to accompany the articles on wedding photography.

Meanwhile, hit the play button or the link below the photograph to hear its story.

Centra employee helping a customer with her shopping

CorporateBoo #3 – Musgraves

06/3/10

A Shift?

I don’t do colour wedding photography. Not much anyway. That’s what I tell everyone. Pigs’ll fly before I shoot lots of colour.

Thing is, is that really true?

Looking at some of my latest work, I have to ask whether I’m experiencing a shift.

Take these photographs from a recent wedding, for instance. It was only after I’d uploaded them on to the blog (originally with the intention of running them without text) that I realized half of them were colour pictures.

Is it a blip? Or the start of a bigger development in my shooting style? Should I even care?

Maybe not. But in light of what I’ve said about colour photography in the past, all I can say is that if you are a pig farmer you’d better go and check your livestock are still on the ground.