Brosnan Photographic

Last week I shared a post on my approach to engagement shoots with a few photos from two recent engagement sessions. Today I’m sharing one of those shoots with you!

First up is Rachel and Simon. I had this crazy idea to find a vintage airplane and take inspiration from the new tv series Pan Am. I quickly got Ciara from Style Serendipity on board for help in styling the shoot. She pulled everything together from the luggage, woman’s magazines, to the wardrobe. After a long time searching I came across Newcastle Airfield which houses a dozen or so aircrafts, a few which belong to some pretty important people. The fantastic Rosa Ospina was on hand for hair and makeup, creating a true 1960s look for Rachel. Everything was styled to suit the 1960s era with original luggage, clothing, and even the Cessna Skyhawk airplane was from 1960. Simon’s look was inspired by JFK’s casual style and love of cardigans. The very appropriate air ticket ‘save the date’ was created by Pretty as a Picture especially for the shoot.

The idea of a travel theme shoot was quite fitting for Rachel and Simon as their own engagement took place abroad in the South of France. Their wedding will be later this year in Cork and I can’t wait!

Newcastle Airfield also offers sky writing for anyone interested in something special for their wedding day.

Happy Valentine’s Day! I have a special little post for you today. With it being a day about love I thought it appropriate to write about engagement shoots. I want to share my tips and insight on getting the most from your session and share my approach. Whether or not my couples have considered an engagement shoot I always encourage them to take advantage of the idea.

There are a few reasons why an engagement shoot can be a useful tool for your wedding day. Firstly, you’re further establishing your relationship with your photographer. We’re always more comfortable with someone we know than with someone we don’t know. That extra hour we’ll spend taking snaps we’ll also be chatting and getting to know each other. After spending an hour in front of the camera you’ll know what to expect on the wedding day. You’ll also be more confident that I CAN make you look good even if you feel a bit shy! One good tip with your engagement session if possible is to schedule it about a month to two months before your wedding so it’s still fresh in your mind.

Couples often ask me “where should we take the photos?”. I generally say to choose a location that is special to you. A park, a beach, or your favourite coffee shop works wonders. My suggestion is when you’re choosing a location with lots of landscape try to find a secluded area, when you’re going for a city location people passing by adds a good element, but when you’re on a beach or in a park you want to make sure there isn’t someone lurking in the background.

Here are a few more suggestions to make the most of your session:

• Dress up for the occassion.
• Replace one or two items of clothing with something fun. A pearl necklace, a dickie bow, or colourful heels.
• Colour-coordinate outfits but don’t be overly matching.
• Avoid wearing too much black.
• Wear bright coloured earrings or a short necklace to bring attention to your face.
• Have your hair/makeup professionally done.

 

Now I want to tell you about how I approach an engagement session. I prefer to get stuck into the shoot rather than meeting up for a chat first, most couples are a little nervous so I don’t like to make you wait any longer for your shoot. Generally a shoot lasts an hour, but it’s not continuous ‘in front of the camera’ for that hour. I like to keep the session light. We’ll do a lot of walking and talking during the session. When I spot somewhere pretty I’ll have you stop and tell you how to interact with each other to get the best results. Sometimes I’ll just snap away while you’re walking together. I find that’s the easiest way to get you warmed up to the camera. And one thing I can’t express enough is not to worry about nervous giggles. Your nervous giggles will come across as a natural smile in a photo.

If you have more questions about my engagement shoots please drop me an email! Keep an eye out on my blog for more photos on these two engagement sessions!

Last November I had the pleasure of photographing Shauna and Kieran’s wedding at Ballymagarvey Village in Meath. A superb wedding venue, it has so many charms. Shauna and Kieran were married in Rathfeigh Church. It was a frigid but thankfully dry day, though, the wind was strong which made it feel much colder. When we arrived at Ballymagarvey Village we managed about 10 minutes outside for photos. But I always say it’s worth braving the cold for the photos! Thankfully Shauna and Kieran trusted me and they got some fab portraits.

Shauna and Kieran are a great looking couple. They spoiled me on their engagement shoot and I knew it would be the same on the wedding day. Shauna looked like a Grecian goddess in her Jenny Packham Saskia dress. The gorgeous bouquet by Appassionata matched the navy bridesmaids dresses. I loved the little touches at the wedding reception, but really loved the wedding cake with it’s tea cup cake topper and wooden ‘Time For Tea’ sign.

I really enjoyed being part of Shauna and Kieran’s wedding. It was a very relaxed, warm and cozy party. And I wish Shauna and Kieran all the best on their new adventures in Dubai!

Special thanks to my second shooter Tanya Colcough who joined me for the day!

In October I had the pleasure of photographing Andree and James’s wedding at the Cliff Town House in Dublin. You may remember their beach engagement session from earlier in the year. Andree and James’s wedding was also featured in the current issue of Image Magazine.

Andree and James had a lovely relaxed wedding. They were married in the Unitarian Church on St.Stephen’s Green which meant no long journeys from one location to another. Andree got ready in the Cliff Town House. My favourite detail was her birdcage veil that was handmade by her crafty mother. Andree wore a stunning Jenny Packham dress and a pair of gold tone Buffalo shoes. She also handmade her Dolce Vita rose bouquet; flowers from the market wrapped with a bit of twine. She added a few lovely touches throughout the day such as lanterns hanging from the church pews and their initials which were bought in Avoca. But the best bit of the day were their wedding portraits. The lovely soft light and their naturalness with each other was a winning combination. I happily could have spent hours photographing the pair.

On the wedding day I had a bit of an embarrassing moment when I found out the groom had a twin. Or rather didn’t find out until I said hello to James and it turned out to be his brother! But we laughed it off. Later in the evening he gave one of the best bestman speeches I’ve heard. But what really had everyone in stitches was when he pulled out a life size cardboard cut out of James, or ‘cardboard Jimmy’ as he was nicknamed. Cardboard Jimmy even made an appearance on the dance floor. What a fun wedding! To Andree and James, thank you for letting me be part of your wedding!

Back in October I had the pleasure of photographing Anne Marie and Oisin in Phoenix Park. It was a rainy day but with the help of an umbrella we made the most of it. Sometimes I just love the mood that comes with grey skies. I was delighted the pair were up for a bit of kissing in the rain!