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