Professional Wedding Photographer of the Year 2014
To me, shooting the perfect wedding picture isn't just about how the day looked but how it felt. That's why I love this winning image - it's informal but captures the emotional intensity of the moment.
Lee and Michelle's wedding was in the summer of 2014 at Gorey Castle and Victoria College's Great Hall, where this shot was taken. When it came to the couple's first dance, the sun was in exactly the right place and these incredible god rays were streaming through the window. I asked Delta AV team to fill the hall with smoke and took this shot. It's special when everything comes together, a beautiful location, a stunning couple surrounded by their friends, a unique emotional moment and that amazing light.
My style's quite different from the traditional idea of wedding photos, it's about authenticity and emotion, capturing the true personalities and the colour of each wedding. I never have a set way of shooting. Every couple is different and it's important that we connect. After all, my role is a storyteller, focusing on the story of their day, with all its atmosphere, fun and beauty. It's always a pleasure when I work with couples who give me the freedom to be creative and capture the natural emotions of their wedding.
What's next? Well I've been fortunate enough to work on a number of destination weddings with some great couples and there's something very special about photographing abroad. Travel is something I love, and I find so much visual inspiration from arriving in a new location. Your senses are alive and that energy and heightened awareness translates into creative imagery which really captures the unique details of the wedding day. There's definitely a trend developing towards destination weddings, and I'm looking forward to photographing more unique events like these in the future.
