To me, good reportage wedding photography means following the story and in a sense, retelling that story through pictures (certainly not in directing it).

Weddings hold a deep sense of mystery to me. When I turn up at a wedding I have no preconceived ideas about how things should look or what might happen. Out of respect for the wedding, I don’t believe the photographer should impose himself on things at all. I’d rather record the day in such a way as to create images that are authentic and that can be enjoyed for generations to come.

I find that photographs that come from real moments are inherently more powerful and authentic than anything that is stage-managed.

There should be nothing random about a so-called ‘candids’. Wedding photojournalism is about really poignant moments that can mean a lot to the people in those photographs. Nor is it defined by an absence of formal photos or portraits.

There are some real wedding photojournalism myths around.
At a wedding last week I was asked about the photograph I posted recently on my blog of the little girl cooling down her tea. The question was along the lines of ‘what was the relationship of that little girl to the bride and groom?’ and ‘was it just a lucky shot?’ Well, she was their flowergirl. So I obviously knew that she was pretty important to the bride and groom. If you keep a close eye on things, get in the right positions and are quick then the rest just falls into place. Part of the equation of a great photograph is anticipation.

One of my most treasured photographs is of my own Mum when she was about the same age at a wedding at the very same venue (Belfast Castle). The picture was probably considered to be somewhat of a throwaway print back in the 1960’s because it was shot on the fringes of a large group formal. My Mum’s not looking at the camera and it’s not a ‘formal’ portrait, but, to me, that little photograph means the world.

I’m quite perceptive as to what happens around me and I learn quickly on a day who the important characters are. At each wedding, I will focus on telling the story through the bridal party and the main characters.

I don’t take photos of absolutely everyone though – to do that is simply unrealistic and would involve lining absolutely everyone up for what would essentially be endless simple record shots. These days, guests with their digital cameras are more than capable of getting ‘record’ shots of people. I believe a photographers skills are worth much more than that.

Where the skill lies these days, is in anticipating and reacting to what’s happening around you. Your ability to relate to people and create images out of the life that’s around you. Also, a photographer is usally hired for their eye – their ability to see a picture, if you like.

Another myth is that somehow wedding photojournalists don’t ‘do’ group shots. That’s just not true.

Years ago, when wedding photographers shot with medium format film, consider that there were just ten shots on a roll of 120 film. Wedding photography was all about the photographer having control over people and how those people were presented to the camera. Mysteriously, with some wedding photographers, this obsession continues on to this day.

Of course, the other side is that there are also a lot of photographers who think that it’s ok simply to turn up with a digital camera and ‘machine-gun’ a wedding and then supply the client with a thousand ‘candid’ images that haven’t really got any coherent thinking behind them.

That, to me, isn’t story telling – that’s just random shooting and hoping for the best.

Good photography is carefully considered and it takes years of practice.

Making pictures is what I love doing. You put a camera in my hands and I’m happy to find great pictures everywhere.

Una and Seamus were simply a delight to work with – I’m so blessed to have such lovely clients!!

They tied the knot earlier this month in the beautiful St Joseph’s Church in Ballymartin, County Down and then travelled to Ballymascanlon for their wedding reception.

Una got ready at her parents beautiful new home less than a mile away from the church. Saint Joseph’s itself, is one of those places that can offer up very challenging lighting conditions. Lots of low directional autumnal lighting outside, combined with a long narrow design, featuring lots of dark wood and large bright windows, can give many photographers plenty of trouble. However, with a bit of thought and creativity and an understanding of light, the pictures can be magical.

I have to say that Una and her four bridesmaids looked like they enjoyed every single second of the day!

These are some of my favourite images:

My thanks go especially to Una’s Mum, Maureen and Dad, Dan for welcoming me to the house in the morning and to Father O’Hare for officiating in what was to be his last ever wedding, before he retired.

With best regards,
Dylan

On 26th September I was back in Bangor, North Down for Claire and Simon’s wedding at Saint Comgalls and their reception up at Clandeboye Estate. Their little pageboy was mystified at everything, Claire looked simply stunning and the church had this beautiful low light that I love to work in. Simon got very emotional at the end of his speech and that sparked a few tears from Claire – what a moment! Yesterday, I got a lovely message from them on honeymoon after they’d seen their photographs. I can’t wait to see them both when they return. Here are some of my personal favourites from the day.