Family Portrait F.a.q.

I’m a Northern Irish Family & Wedding photographer most passionate about capturing moments here on the Emerald Isle of Ireland. I cover weddings all over Northern Ireland but Don’t be afraid to ask me if you’re planning a destination wedding or a wedding at the very bottom of Ireland because I travel there too.

I offer three main packages that include a lovely range of bespoke items such as, prints and albums. I also have a new micro wedding package for coverage up to four hours. Use the contact form to get in touch for prices or pick a package below if you are ready to book.

Sure we accept all payment methods and can arrange payment plans on request for large orders.

Sure all I need is a photo of the wall it is going to be displayed on with an a4 page stuck to it so I can get sizes accurate

I try and keep my family photography very natural, capturing the action as it happens, so it’s lots of fun and not too much posing. I feel this will bring out the true character of your children and will also make the session more enjoyable.

Exactly what you like – you all want to look and feel like yourselves. As a guide simple clothes tend to work best and avoiding logos and stripes is preferable. Layering works really well for creating different looks and a change of outfit can be a good idea for very little ones.

Ideally wear what you like and, most importantly, what you feel comfortable in. Too vague? Okay, so here are some other tips:

***Try to avoid black on children because it overpowers them (though if you love it, we can work with it). Navy, however, works great. Also, if you are an adult and wear black, try to break it up with a necklace or accessory.

***Avoid bright pink. Yes, I know it’s pretty. Yes, I know little girls love it. But bright pink doesn’t photograph well (yes, this makes me sad too). Patterns with pink are fine as long as there are other colors as well. (Also try to avoid bright red).

***It helps to put the younger children in the brightest color; in group photos, this helps them stand out despite their small size.

***Try not to have one child in a bright color and one in a pale color, unless the child in the bright color is significantly smaller than the child in the pale color. (The risk is that one child will dominate the photo and one will recede.)

***YOU DO NOT NEED TO DRESS UP. Really.

***For women, I like to take action shots, so flats work better than heels. If you really want to wear heels then consider bringing along a second pair of shoes.

***No hats with a brim (or your face will be a big shadow).

***I take photos from a lot of different angles, so if you are feeling body conscious, wear something slightly baggy.

I’ll get in touch a couple of days before the shoot (after consulting the weather forecast) and if it looks like rain we can either reschedule (if you’re keen to have some photos outside) or go ahead. We can still get a fantastic variety of photos in
your home and kids in wellies, jumping in puddles, are very photogenic!

No matter how attractive/skinny/young you are, always be aware of the possibility of a double chin. So stick your neck out a little farther then you normally would (I’ll let you know if it looks odd).

Always remember that the camera can’t differentiate between a fake laugh and a real laugh. So laugh. Often.

During group photos, try to look at the camera, not at the kids (unless I ask you to look at the kids or it is a candid). Often, when I go through the group photos, it is the adult who is scowling.

Smile often. In daily life and in photos. It makes everything better.

Sessions can take place either in your family home, local park or another favourite Northern Ireland location. Both rural and urban settings work really well.

Yes, I will spend some time taking some relaxed portraits of you together as a family, as this can be an important record for you too. But I spend more time letting the action happen naturally and capturing the moments as they unfold.

Well, no matter how hard we try, sometimes this happens. But in my experience, a photoshoot goes for about 1.5 hours and unless a child is extremely tired or sick, they usually don’t have the determination to stay mad for that long. They almost always come around, the problem is that I often lose parents along the way.

Nothing is worse than a group photo with happy kids and scowling parents.

So be patient. Be silly. And don’t get discouraged.

Also, TRY NOT TO THINK OF FAMILY PHOTOS AS A MEANS TO AN END AS MUCH AS A FUN EXPERIENCE IN ITSELF. RUN RACES. MAKE SILLY FACES. TELL STORIES. ENJOY YOUR TIME TOGETHER.

And laugh a lot.

Usually if adults are laughing, kids feel the need to laugh too. And if things totally go south, let’s talk. Free make up sessions can be scheduled at a later date if things really aren’t working out.

Here are some ideas:

***Let’s make it a scavenger hunt shoot. Look for acorns, find big leaves, etc. Eventually they’ll adjust.

***Include new/old toys in the photos. After I arrived for one family’s photos (in their backyard), the mom brought out a brand new bubble gun and an airplane toy. The kids had a blast – running, playing, and forgetting about the camera. The resulting photos were incredible.

***Always promise them something at the end – a small new toy, a trip to an ice cream shop, a movie, etc. It works.

***I asked a regular client for her advice and this is her response – “We talked about having you come over for pictures for weeks . . . We made it a fun thing. . . like the kids were having a friend over for a playdate. They were watching out the window for you to come. They were excited to show you all their toys. I would suggest that parents talk to their kids a lot about it — set expectations . . . I feel like a lot of times parents don’t include kids in the plans for the day and catching them by surprise isn’t usually good!

It’s great if you can bring along some of your child’s favourite toys, games, balls, kites, bubbles – anything that you enjoy doing together as a family. Snacks are also a good idea to boost your child’s energy levels.

A week or two after the shoot your edited images will be available for viewing in a private online gallery.

After viewing the images your online gallery will be open for 7 days, giving you plenty of time to decide which products you’d like to purchase.