Here are the rest of my favourites, click on the multi-directional arrow at the bottom right to view full screen.

For this particular wedding, we decided to use the same location where the brides mother had her wedding photographs taken. We also re-created a shot of the brides parents on the same spot where they stood for one of their own wedding photographs 40 years earlier (or as close to the spot as we could guess!). I also managed to get some shots of the bride getting ready that morning with a large print from that same image in the background which tied things in nicely from a storytelling point of view.

Sadly, the brides mother has passed away in the intervening 40 years but the images remain as powerful as ever and hopefully one day, her daughters wedding photographs will also serve as a reminder to the next generation of how beautiful she herself looked on her wedding day. Few things last as long as your photographs as they truly are an investment in your family heritage.

Here is an example. My cameras like many others read the amount of light in a scene it is pointed at, takes the data to the CPU and then computes (based on comparisons with thousands of scenes in it’s database) what the right level of exposure should be. They do all of this in milliseconds. Hugely impressive stuff when you think about it! So you have this amazing technology but you really need to switch it all off and work in manual mode to get the shot as you see it in your head because no amount of technology will do that for you. Spotting a moment, spotting potential in a location and being able to assess light are all far more important things to consider than the gear you use. The shot has to come from you, not the camera!

For the record, I use Nikon cameras and both Nikon and Tokina lenses. The important things to me are the layout of the controls (can you work quickly), how the thing balances in my hands, toughness and reliability. Everything else is a nice to have rather than a necessity. Over the years I have found that Nikons have always worked first time out of the box, have proved very reliable and survived all sorts of downpours and falls. It’s important to be able to trust your equipment and of course to have plenty of backup. Remember though at the end of the day, cameras are only tools - they won’t necessarily make you any better.

Live your life to the full
Any day could be your last
Follow your hopes and dreams
Leave the bad stuff in the past

RIP Dave Lynch, deepest sympathy to all friends and family.

Here is a slideshow of some of my other favourites. Click on the muti-direction arrow on the right to view full screen, then just use the left and right arrows to cycle through them:

Some might ask why would I sponsor you to go on a motorbike run?? Well it’s not all fun. We will be taking in some of the most twisty treacherous roads in the two counties with all the usual hazards found in such places (100ft drops, sheep, stray dogs, 20mph 1992 Carinas, killer potholes and all manner of agricultural contraptions…). So I’m kidding, it’s all big fun

Seriously, if you don’t fancy sponsoring me, you can always donate directly to the charity via their site (www.beeforbattens.org). Check it out for more information - it’s a very worthy cause.

They can also cover ceremony music, the drinks reception and of course the DJ. You can choose your own music or use their own repertoire but either way, they really can get the crowd going. To discuss your needs, speak to Barry McGrath:

+353 85 157 3000
+353 76 670 9911
barry_s_mcgrath@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/barrymcgrath

Thanks!

Even though we both have personal pages, we don’t go on there touting for business since it’s really a place that people go for a bit of down time or “me” time. Almost every photographer uses social networking to attract new clients but we can’t see ourselves doing that right now, even though some colleagues are saying it’s the smart thing to do.

As a wise old saying goes, when you see all your competitors going in the same direction, run like a crazy man the opposite way. That is partly why we hardly advertise at all now and also why we stopped attending the wedding fairs/shows years ago. Although I’d never say never, you won’t find us bragging or tagging on Facebook just yet

In the coming months, we will also be renovating our home to accomodate a funky new office and reception area which is a project we are really looking forward to. The images on the website galleries have been updated and we have freshened things up a little on the site, so if you haven’t yet visited have a look around to get more of a feel for our work.

Spring is coming and a busy Summer up ahead - don’t you just love this time of year!