DONEGAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY - JOHN AND SUZANNE - THE RED DOOR, FAHAN

Having been good friends with John and Suzanne for a long time the thought of capturing their historical day had me full of excitement for a long time and when the day arrived it became a true priviledge. It was a beautiful experience on so many levels. I was introduced to so many of characters from theirs lives and shared the many emotions of the day through my lens. The ceremony at the Red Door was intimate and full of splendour – the sun rays shone through the conservatory windows onto the happy faces of friends and family . In the short period of pre-sunset time we had at the beach we got so busy and had so much fun. We spent the evening in the cosy surroundings, often nipping out for photos then returning for fireside stout and good cheer. I hope you enjoy this small sprinkling of their joyful day……

Wedding at The Red Door, Fahan, Donegal, Ireland
Donegal wedding photographer, Derry Wedding photography

Derry wedding photography, Ballyliffen wedding photography, Donegal wedding photography, Inishowen wedding photography, Redcastle wedding photography, Red Door Fahan

"....I can't wait to see my wedding photos...." ..Donegal wedding photography

"....I can't wait to see my wedding photos...."

 I thought I'd share some photos from my own wedding day and perhaps a few thoughts on seeking my own wedding photographer.
First of all - I am a wedding photographer, but more importantly to me I am a passionate pleasure photographer - I spend my weekend shooting photos, capturing moments and landscapes, trying out new gear and experimenting. Given this, it was obvious to me and my wife (who was my cheif photographic assistant waaay back!) that hiring an amazing photographer to shoot our wedding day was to be the priority, and then trying to achieve a wedding event that was not only very personal but as original and fun as our brain/ cash power could manage. It took a while to find a good fit for us - a professional with not only the skills and the portfolio to impress but with the personality that it would make it a pleasure to spend a wedding day with. We chose Leo and Kirsty - a super twosome from Cornwall to spend our day with. Photograph-wise the experience was phenominal - we had so much fun, we courted like teenagers, we pushed the limits of what we thought we would do. We all got equally wet and covered in sand!
 The feeling of receiving our wedding photos to look at was simply beautiful. A small selection of
them are in the slideshow below. These and more will fill our wedding album; a book of sheer joy and a document of not only our day, but our lives as a young couple. I hope you enjoy these few minutes of our wedding experience........

(Link to slideshow below)

https://vimeo.com/52687918



Ballyliffen wedding photography, Derry wedding photography, Donegal wedding photography, Inishowen wedding photography, Redcastle wedding photography

10 TIPS TO LEAD YOU TO OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY GREATNESS !

1. Get off your arse and make it happen. Forget your fears of getting dirty, wet, chased, scoffed at, scared. Amazing results can come from really taking a chance and stepping outside your comfort zone. Be it rising at 5am to take a landscape, driving to a mountaintop at midnight to shoot long exposures, setting up in the town centre on a busy saturday to shoot portraits. It may seen lightly insane to begin with but after a while it will seem normal - allow the madness in!

2. Invest time in your photography - set aside time for personal projects, follow them through. Spend your hours behind the lens rather than in front of a screen. They say it takes 10 000 hours or more to become an expert at anything - every hour you have your camera in your hand you are 1 hour closer to that goal.

3. Invest ca$h in your photography - good gear really does help. I'd suggest stretching your budget to buy the very best you can afford everytime....and then saving for another month. Have a bit of dignity and steer clear of cheap brands. A good camera body can be faithful for 10 years, a good lens for 20 !

4. Go your own way - not only a very fine Fleetwood Mac song but a good rule for life. Follow the example of the greats definately but also take a risk and tramp your own path and put your own creative stamp on your efforts. Try a new approach from time to time, try a different angle, lens or lighting technique. Enjoy the beauty of a prime lens, use your legs for the zoom function. Get weird!

5. Shoot Raw - this can really give your shots some powerful dynamic range and depth and potentially save an over or under exposed photo. Remember - the skies in our country are grey or blue the last time I checked - not white!

6. Embrace the conditions - when life gives you lemons - make lemonade, or better still make yourself a stiff gin and bitter lemon. Do the very best with what you have, where you are. The weather is balls, don your raincoat and shoot some dramatic skies with external lighting. The cityscapes are grim and grimey - juxtapose some beautiful portraits within the rugged bitterness. Accept, don't expect.

7. The only real wisdom is knowing that you know nothing - a quote from Nitzche or Socrates or Jackie Charlton or one of those great philosophers. Never rest on your past glories, always strive for new and better. Life's, and indeed, photography's possibilities are endless.

8. Learn from your mistakes. Balls ups are a great teacher, especially those really major ones (I have known so many). Instead of being discouraged, use each of these mishaps to your future advantage. 

9. Be social - whether it's inviting someone along to shoot together, joinig a photo club or asking an athlete or musician to shoot them completely out of the blue, go do it. There's  magic in folk!

10. Listen to Black Sabbath.

Contents of Jay's satchel

Nikon D800 - this is some weapon. I'd imagine in the future this controversial camera carry legendary status ("remember when Nikon released that 35mm camera with a 36mp sensor ?? woow madness")
Nikon D300 - fast shutter rate, pretty cheap second hand. Good enough for most work.
70-200mm lens, 50mm 1.4, 16-35mm, 16mm fish, 55mm macro lensware
Nikon SB800/ SB28 flashes - I need a flash with the following functions - ON/OFF, UP/DOWN AND A PLUG, nothing else. forget about TTL, ITTL, ISO guides, strobe capabilites - it's just a light FFS!
Quantum flash - maximum power lighting.
Flash triggers - for remote flash work.
Tripod - Jessops £40 series, light and sturdy.
Remote shutter trigger - the can help push your camera to its creative limits - e.g. 1 hour exposures, time lapse sequences, etc, etc. 
Matt, blanket - for lying about the muck - as useful as anything else in my bag.
Adobe photoshop and a few choice plug-ins
4 Guinness

Derry wedding photography, Donegal wedding photography, Inishowen wedding photography, Ballyliffen wedding photography, Redcastle wedding photography

DONEGAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY - BOBBY AND CHARLENE - AUGUST 2012

A few images from a very fine wedding, shot in Derry and on the hills of Donegal, August 2012.

BOBBY AND CHARLENE - AUGUST 2012 from jay doherty photography on Vimeo.

Notes from a DIY altar

A good friend had told me it would be like this and he was so right. In my nags I stood at the bedroom window peering out at the cloudy but dry day outside, feeling totally elated. Naturally high, a feeling not unlike xmas 1986 (the BMX year), I stretched and headed downstairs to feed the cats and put the kettle on. It was the day I was to be wed to my ultimate female, Kazoo, the 1st September 2012. After a quick but thorough shower and an intense 20 second yoga routine I juked through the fence to my ma’s house for a bacon buttie and the first of taste of what was to be thee social occasion of my youngish life. Hug number one, photo number one, glass of champagne number 1, many, many more of each to come. Rigged out and fresh we climbed aboard the Bambi campervan, with best man and brother DD riding shotgun and photographer in the back, documenting the journey like a Formula 1 race (a race that wasn’t to venture beyond 40mph). On the outskirts of Buncrana our chariot coughed and spluttered but that was only to be expected from the 1989 engine, but onward towards the hills of Donegal we sped, onwards into the unknown with song our hearts and hope in our minds. 2 miles later we sat at a layby, the van had lay down, 15 miles short of our destination – a scenario too far fetched to be real. I had opted for a more old school experience but this was a little on the extreme side.  The 5 minute rest she was allowed seemed to do the trick and forth towards the almighty Mamore Gap, where the landscape and geography are enough to ignite the fires of any soul. We stopped again for an engine break and to flag down a tractor for a few photos. As we attempted the climb over the Mamore gap in the campervan the sound of pain could be heard for miles around, the black smoke notified wedding guests of our imminent arrival. Make it we did, just about, with the aid of the choke, several push starts and a few offerings to St Anthony. If this session of fear and raw nerves in the van served any purpose it was that I kept my mind of the fact it really was my wedding day so regular fears such as ’will the bride turn up’, ‘will the weather be OK’, ‘will I faint at the altar after boking down my shirt?’ simply did not enter my mind!!
 One thing I had not really had time to consider during the past few weeks of intense preparation and labour was that today you really are a rock n’ roll star – although it was still me beneath that tweed suit, folk seemed to greet my presence with a mix of tears, cheers and beers. This was a truely beautiful and comforting feeling. I was now within an hour of the ceremony and a few dozen metres of my bride who was hopefully still in the area, at our own private thatched cottage having her makeup pasted on. As we made our way towards the marquee we stopped at a few stone walls and cottage scenes with my parents and groomsmen for photos, met friends and relatives for more. Our photographers Leo and his wife Kirsty were with us at every step, like a good solid roadie crew. Leo had treated us to not only the finest digital equipment but a vintage film camera shooting square format black and white images, which for a photo nerd like me, was a proper treat. Cars, buses and donkey drawn carts arrived from all corners of the land and a few from overseas. Faces from my recent and distant pasts, smiles and kisses were flowing like Uncle Arthur’s porter. The emotion level crept skyward, I hugged deeper than I thought possible, as these beautiful friends assembled to wish us well and join us in celebration. It really made me realise that nerves and fear, the mad amounts of cash invested, the 1 million phonecalls and arrangements, the decor, the screws and nails seem almost insiginificant. The love that now surrounded us was really the only thing that mattered. I was handed a bottle of Black Bush at the door of the ceremony as a prop for a photo and it tasted silky smooth, the nerves were numbed a slight. I held it like an infant with their bo-bo. Inside the marquee, on rows and rows of hay bales, were our friends. The murmur of reaquintance and laughter all around, and a sense of joy – it fills my heart with joy to this day knowing that folk made great efforts to be part of this. As a wedding photographer I had attended over 50 weddings in the past 4 years alone and thought myself well versed in the ways of matrimony but nothing could have prepared my for the situation – a time to stand up and be counted. “Tonight LIVE on stage folks – ME!” There’s this place deep inside a man that’s under lock and key most of his life but today the gates were open for all to see. Tears of pure joy and mixed with a nervous uncontrollable laughter- a taste of the greatest emotion a human can feel. The crowd was hushed by our fine friend and registrar Owen, and the music began. Karen’s uncle John, Inishowen’s answer to Robert Plant got the guitar kindled up and the sound of ‘She moved through the Fair’ came from our sister Grainne. ‘There’s no place to hide now young Doherty’ I could almost hear my granda Davy whisper from the heavens. The wind outside whistled through the heather, the waves in the nearby beached crashed on rocks driven by the incoming storm, the turf smoke from the cottage blew sidewards and there was I, stood alone at the alter. A gasp from the crowd told me that the time had come, I took a massive deep breath, glanced skyward then turned to meet my bride.........

DONEGAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY - ROCK THE DRESS 2012

ROCK THE DRESS SESSIONS 2012  - Conor and Caroline

There's perhaps there's no finer way to lay your cherished wedding dress to its vacuum packed rest than a 'Rock the Dress' photo session. These were shot on a beautiful sunset on a hilltop in Donegal, perhaps one of my personal favourite places to be. Conor and Caroline rocked out with the best of them. The craic-o-meter was clocked at 90 all evening !

Donegal wedding photography - Gary Mills and Ciara Burke @ Culdaff House and The Malin Hotel, 16th June 2012

 This was a truely beautiful day, even if the weather may have suggested otherwise. It was people involved at every stage who made it so. Gary and his family, the Burkes, the church folk, the guests who cheered like it was a football match after the kiss at the altar, the fine staff at The Malin Hotel, and most definately the bride and groom really did themselves proud. Gary gave the impression that had just inherited the world that day, he was a man content and truely satisfied. They were open to all my suggestions for photos, they battled the weather when necessary and beamed throughout the day. We were lucky to have had the chance to work alongside you all, lucky to have the fine Culdaff House and it's amazing indoor lighting for photos, and the barn outside offer some good sheltered variations. Ciara was a natural model in front of the camera, I'd say she would tell me to give over for saying that but she had the looks and the moves of a professional, no doubt you will agree. Days like these really do make what i do the greatest profession in the world. I hope to bump into you all again at some stage, Jay

ROCK THE DRESS SESSIONS 2012

A 'Rock The Dress' photo session is a fine excuse to don the wedding dress one more time and make for the beach or the hills for some fresh, fun and sometimes hair-raising photos. Caroline and Conor needed little persausion to sign up, and my brother David was there to capture some behind-the-scenes action. Hope you enjoy, and I most certainly hope some of you are keen to push the boat out a bit and join the fun on your very own 'Rock The Dress' photo shoot.

*filming and edit by DD at 'Dainty Vision'

JAYDORDZ from David Doherty on Vimeo.

Donegal wedding photographer - Michael and Christina - Ostan Gweedore

 I've known the Bateson family for 2 decades now and was thrilled to be shooting another family wedding for them. This time it was Michael, the youngest but most fearless of them all, marrying his childhood sweetheart Christina from the wilds of Dungiven. The Ostan Gweedore Hotel sits proud on the hill above the stunning strand of Bunbeg, home to the famous shipwreck as seen on many's an Irish postcard, and housed friends and family, old and new of the Bateson and McCaul variety.
 We had an amazing experience, a day (that turned into a weekend) filled with craic and love. The weather was it's usual brutal self, but the brave and the bold took to the beach for some dramatic photos, and a bit of horseplay. Creamy Guinness, hot whiskeys, fine wines and Major fags all helped take the edge of the cold weather!
 Christina, although self-confessed as being very camera-shy looked truely amazing and naturally beautiful  when the camera was on her; she could pose like a pro! Michael and his whole crew were a blast and it really helped to maximise the fun potential at every stop. I felt blessed to be part of their day, and will always cherish the experience.
 Bunbeg, Gweedore and the whole region - amazing part of the country, I suggest you visit as the landscape and the local hospitality are a real treat. Can't wait to return....(in a few weeks)

 

shooting Riggy Raw

Shooting photos in RAW format has taken some time to get used to, and to truth be told I was dragged into it kicking and screaming 'I don't want to, I don't want toooooooo' . Shooting Jpeg is faster, easier to work with as the file is much smaller and semi-processed for you and is fairly close to being print and internet ready straight from the cmaera. RAW however is a different kettle of fish. The files are large and cumbersome in comparison, it takes the camera longer to write them and they need converted via a RAW convertor before I even begin to spring clean them in photoshop (multiply this time by several hundred photos taken on the wedding day and what you have is a lorryload of extra work on your hands). However, the results can be beautiful, the range of tones and detail much greater, and there's a margin for error on the photographer's behalf that is very useful, i.e. over or underexposed areas canbe rescued.
Below is a photo from a wedding last week, as an example I've attached the original Jpeg and a processed RAW version side by side for comparison.

Anyway, now I've emptied my brain onto this page I must get back to the hoovering. I hope this will inspire those non-RAW shooters to give it a try, and my future brides to take comfort knowing that they are being shot in RAW format!!

Good day to you