Drawing with Light
The world is my studio!
Greenery lifting the Blues
PUBLISHED ON January 11, 2019
Come December, I always dread the thought of January. A month marked by no money, sobriety and a lack of Christmas lights!
However, after the hustle and bustle of the Christmas and New Years festivities, I realise every year that I actually enjoy the peace and calm of this month. Everything slows down and so do I …
My favourite thing to do in January is to go hiking. Living in Bray, I am spoilt for choice with the Wicklow Mountains only a stone’s throw away. I try to get the whole family to come, music to the ears of our dog Joey. However, not for my 14 year old, who thinks it is booooring…
To make matters worse, I might bring the camera for some nice family photography. Needless to say that it is impossible to get a proper family portrait of all of us. Thanks to Joey I still manage to get some nice images …
If you decide to venture out for a nice hike as well, I would like to share some photography tips with you.
On an overcast day look out for clearing or open spaces to take your photographs. The forest is way too dark for photos and flash photography can be very harsh. The light on an overcast day can be ideal as it is very even, it does not give a lot of contrast and guarantees some very flattering portraits.
Always make sure that your portrait subjects are not facing the full sun as it will make them squint. However, the sun should not be behind them either (unless the sun is going down and is not as bright any more), as this will ruin your photograph. A way around this is fill-in flash, but that is for another day… Instead try to find an open space that is a little bit sheltered.
If you are lucky enough to be out on a sunny day, take advantage of the golden hour, which lasts for about an hour after sun rise and hour before sunset. The sun has a nice red light which gives everything a golden glow. Fantastic for photos.
And last but not least, try to compose your photo in a way to capture the beautiful trees, moss or leaves around your subjects. That will make your portrait truly special …
I might meet you on my next hike?
When is the right time for ‘newborn photos’
PUBLISHED ON November 29, 2018 .
When is a baby no longer ‘newborn’? That is a question I get a lot.
I always advise parents to have their newborn photos taken around the age of 7-9 days (considering that your baby was born at full-term or thereabouts). All your baby wants to do at that time, is feed and sleep. It’s a funny time as you might be convinced that your baby is going to make things very easy for you. But then… the party starts! Around the age of 9-10 days your baby will get frantic and never stops feeding for a day or 2! The famous growth spurt has arrived! Obviously, this is a very challenging time to capture the sweet sleepy baby photos. What we need is a boob or bottle at the ready to cope with these seemingly infinite cravings and capture the moments when your baby can relax for a few minutes.
After the 10 day mark, babies start to get more alert, generally. They might also start to suffer more with wind. The sleepy baby photos are definitely still ok to go for. However, it will be a bigger challenge to get your baby asleep. Also, your baby will have gained some weight and will have lost a bit of the ‘newborn’ look. After 3 weeks, I would really advise to go for photos of your baby awake, any sleepy photos will be a bonus.
Your baby will generally start to smile around 6 weeks, although I have seen babies smiling as young as 2 weeks old (and I am not talking about the ‘reflex smile’). From that time onward it is really nice to capture the interaction of your baby with you, or any siblings. Their smile will melt your heart (and mine!).
Pyjama Bottoms and Messy Floors
PUBLISHED ON November 8, 2018
Not sure of having a baby photographer? Are you thinking of all the hassle, while you have tons of other things to think about? What is my baby going to wear? I am not sure about the naked baby photos … What am I going to wear? Do I really want to be photographed?
Let me help you to make up your mind…
I love to provide the service of coming to your house, rather than you having to pack up to go to a studio. There are so many benefits to newborn photography at home. No need to worry about what to wear, your partner can continue to work from home and jump in when he needs to be in the family portrait, and your baby is in their own home so not too many distractions. I have been there, three times, and I know what it is like!
Also, please feel free to wear your pyjama bottoms, I want you to feel as comfortable as possible. Especially after a section, you need to think of you. Only a happy mum is a good mum …
Messy house? Have you seen my place? Even worse, I will only add to it, with all the stuff I will be bringing into your house. The beauty of the baby photography is that I need about 1.5 x 1.5 meters of space. So any mess around it is irrelevant.
What is my baby going to wear? In baby photography, as with most portrait photography, you really want to focus on the eyes. I would suggest for the baby to have a wrap draped around him or her, or to be swaddled. This keeps it very simple. I will bring a lot of wraps and muslin cloths with me. If you like it, you can go for the naked look. I always make sure that no ‘bits’ are shown.
If you don’t feel like being in the photo, that is absolutely fine. We just focus on your little baby. It took me about 3 months after the birth of my children, before I felt presentable again.
My aim is to make the session as comfortable as possible. No rush, the baby takes the lead and we take everything as it comes. I only book one session a day, which allows me to spend all the time we need with your baby.
For any other concerns you may have, just send me an email : karin@janssen-photography.ie.
#newbornphotography #babyphotography #newbornshoot #babyshoot #babyphotographer #newbornphotographerwicklow #babyphotographerwicklow #newbornphotographersouthdublin #babyphotographersouthdublin
Sun, Sea and Smiles
PUBLISHED ON May 15, 2018Leave a comment
I had the pleasure to photograph a beautiful family in the stunning surroundings of Brittas Bay. It was cold day in April but the sun was beaming and so were the family. I love Brittas Bay: there are so many nice locations, in the dunes as well as near the water and on the beach. For the small ones it is like a big playground. No better way to get some natural photographs.
CATEGORIES BEACH SESSION, FAMILY PORTRAITS, MINI-SESSIONS, NATURAL LIGHTING PHOTOGRAPHY, PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY•TAGS CHILDREN PHOTOGRAPHY, FAMILY PORTRAIT, KIDS PHOTOGRAPHY, MINI-SESSIONS,PHOTOGRAPHER WICKLOW•EDIT”SUN, SEA AND SMILES”
Blooming in the Green
PUBLISHED ON April 23, 2018Leave a comment
I love doing a maternity photo session outside. It is just so pretty. Especially this time of the year when all the flowers are opening up. So I was delighted to do a maternity session for Emina and Dennis in Stephen’s Green. After all the snow and horrible foggy weather we were in luck, it must have been the first reasonably warm day of the year. The flowers were definitely telling us that spring was upon us. We had a nice stroll around the park and took advantage of all the pretty spots around us. Here are a few examples.
CATEGORIES BABY BUMP PHOTOGRAPHY, MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY, PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY, PREGNANCY PHOTO SESSION, PREGNANCY PHOTOGRAPHY•TAGS BABY BUMP PHOTOGRAPHER, BABY BUMP PHOTOGRAPHY,MATERNITY PHOTO SESSION, MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER, MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHY, PREGNANCY PHOTO SESSION,PREGNANCY PHOTOGRAPHER, PREGNANCY PHOTOGRAPHY•EDIT”BLOOMING IN THE GREEN”
Mini-sessions at Killruddery House Gardens
PUBLISHED ON April 11, 2016Leave a comment
Once the flowers are coming out and the sun returns, please don’t miss the Mini-sessions at Killruddery House gardens. About once or twice a month I venture out to the beautiful surroundings of Killruddery House gardens to capture a lot of gorgeous smiles and little giggles with Rhodondendrons and lush greenery as a backdrop.
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Please join me on one of these sessions. We meet at the entrance to the gardens, from here we walk to a nice spot to take a family picture, this will help the kids to get used to me and more importantly my camera! After this it is just playtime for the kids, the more fun they have the better images I will get. The idea is that the kids are doing their thing, running around and being kids, as this will allow for a very natural and happy portrait. The session takes about half an hour but this depends on the children. Some children just take a bit longer to get into the swing of things.
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Once we are both happy with the photos that I have taken, I will edit them and give you 15 digital images as part of the deal. This means that you can print the photos yourself. I also have a 8×10′ print included in the deal.
The biggest challenge is …the Irish weather! Obviously, I will reschedule if it is raining. This has already happened a few times. A grey sky can actually be more flattering than sunshine in a photo. However, the main thing is that you are happy with the photos so if you prefer a sunny day we can reschedule if the day does not turn out to be like that.
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One final tip if you consider to join me on a session: bring some sturdy shoes, no heels! The paths can be a little bit muddy. That all adds to the fun.
For more information and any upcoming dates, have a look at my website: Killruddery Sessions or you can find me at the Killruddery Farm market once a month on a Saturday, just look out for Janssen Photography.
![DSC_0020[2]](https://i1.wp.com/janssen-photography.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/dsc_00202.jpg?w=1860&ssl=1)
CATEGORIES CASUAL PORTRAITS, FAMILY PORTRAITS, MINI-SESSIONS, PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY, PORTRAITS•TAGSCHILDREN PHOTOGRAPHY, FAMILY PORTRAIT, KIDS PHOTOGRAPHY, KILLRUDDERY, MINI-SESSIONS, PHOTOGRAPHER BRAY, PHOTOGRAPHER WICKLOW•EDIT”MINI-SESSIONS AT KILLRUDDERY HOUSE GARDENS”
50 shades of green in Mountshannon
PUBLISHED ON July 10, 2014Leave a comment
Last Tuesday I ventured to pretty Mountshannon for a photoshoot. The people who asked me to take the photos are from America and spend two weeks in Ireland. They really wanted an ‘Irish’ background for the photos and hoped that the back garden of their holiday home would do the job. Well, in my opinion it was a case of 50 shades of green, you couldn’t get more Irish … I loved the scenery …
CATEGORIES PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY•EDIT”50 SHADES OF GREEN IN MOUNTSHANNON”
The proposal at the Cliffs of Moher
PUBLISHED ON April 4, 2014Leave a comment
Last week I received an email from a guy called James from America, who was looking for a quote to capture him proposing to his girlfriend Alyssa at the Cliffs of Moher. He was going to be there last Monday 31/3 on his tour around Ireland. I love these kind of requests, they are so exciting. I was very lucky because James decided to go with me. The days prior to Monday we plotted and schemed a plan together … We had to make sure that Alyssa would not notice me before the proposal.
They had to come from Killarney that day so we were going to go with 11 o’clock in the morning, hoping that the sun would not be too much in the lens, as the best views were south facing. I wanted to make sure that I was going to be there early enough to get ready and to check out the spot where it was all going to happen.
I first went over to the spot near the O’Brien’s tower, the highest viewpoint. We had already decided that this was going to be the best location because the views are the best from here. I marked the spot where I wanted James to kneel down in order to have the best background views.
To pass the time, I took in the views litterally. After all, I had to look like a tourist!
By the time 11 o’clock came, I was weak in my knees with the nerves. However, I had to wait a bit longer. Around 11.30, I spotted a girl with a grey dress and black leggings (James had emailed me that morning with a description of their clothes). They were walking uphill, I disappeared behind the tower, being the tourist again. James had planned to walk around the tower to make sure I was there and he was going to look out for the mark on the ground. When they came around he spotted me. They walked up to the north side and back again. At that stage I was in the spot where I had to be, ready to go. It was such a busy spot, there were people all around us … James walked over to the spot but Alyssa had other plans, she was too cold and wanted to go down. James convinced her to come over. They had a little chat, I suppose also waiting for everybody around us to clear off. But then the moment arrived and James went down on his knees producing the RING (I could have gone down with him, my legs were like jelly). I felt like a real papparazzi photographer, shooting away. And then the other big moment: she said YES! It was lovely to watch and capture.
After this I made myself known to them. We had a few more photos and then they left to continue their trip to Galway. It was definitely one of the highlights (litterally) of my photography career so far!
CATEGORIES PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY•EDIT”THE PROPOSAL AT THE CLIFFS OF MOHER”
Family Photo Essay
PUBLISHED ON March 27, 2014Leave a comment
It’s been a very long time since I wrote a blog about photography but I have a few ideas so here we go. I just wanted to share the ‘Family Photo Essay’ project. The idea is to take photos of everyday situations at home to make a story. It’s really the every day things that are special. “As parents, these are the little moments that we live for, the ones that make our hearts swell, the ones that reflect the spirit of the people we hold most dear”. I made a start with it yesterday and this is the result. I am planning to take some more in the next few days …
| With her teddy Momo |
| Having a quiet moment |
| And back in actionHomework |
| Conor going to sleep |
| Nite, Nite, Momo |
| Abby my eldest, having the telly to herself .. |
| Abby my eldest, having the telly to herself … |
CATEGORIES CASUAL PORTRAITS, FAMILY PORTRAITS, NATURAL LIGHTING PHOTOGRAPHY, PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY,PORTRAITS•EDIT”FAMILY PHOTO ESSAY”
The world is my studio!
PUBLISHED ON July 8, 2009Leave a comment
I had a fab time today for my little photo session. The light conditions were perfect. A little bit overcast and not too bright. My two models were in posing mood, well one of them really. My son Conor is not really into the photo thing. It’s amazing how many photo locations you can find in a small forest at this time of the year. There are flowers everywhere, the moss is a lovely green-red colour and the whole place oozes green. It was gorgeous. Anyway today was a real fairytale and here is a little sample of today’s work, I will get this printed on canvas …
CATEGORIES NATURAL LIGHTING PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOGRAPHER, PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY, PORTRAITS•EDIT”THE WORLD IS MY STUDIO!”
Portraits, portraits, portraits
PUBLISHED ON July 7, 2009Leave a comment
Soooooooooooooo excited about my new project. I did a few shoots during the past few weekends to get some photographs for my portrait portfolio. I am planning a big session tomorrow with my daughter Abby & son Conor. It will be a great challenge and I have some great ideas about it. Bear with me for a few shots on this site over the next few days. I also have some plans with my hairdresser, again more about this will follow shortly!CATEGORIES NATURAL LIGHTING PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOGRAPHER, PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY, PORTRAITS•EDIT”PORTRAITS, PORTRAITS, PORTRAITS”
Inspirations
PUBLISHED ON April 2, 2009Leave a comment
I love searching the internet for blogs of photographers who I admire. It’s a great way to learn some new things as well. Yesterday, I stumbled upon a photographer whose work I absolutely adore. Her name is Maria Murray, she is based in the UK (www.mariamurray.co.uk). She does wedding and portrait photography.I was particularly interested in her portrait photography. She gave shape to ideas which I had in mind but was not sure on how to realise them. She does quite some portrait shoots outdoors and that’s where my interest came in. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I would like to do some natural-lighting portrait photography but was not sure if there would be a market for it. Well, looking at her photographs, I am sure there must be. The only thing missing for me at the moment is a portfolio. In the near future I will start looking for some volunteers to pose for me, and who do not mind to have their photographs published … Watch this space!CATEGORIES PHOTOGRAPHER, PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY, WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY, WEDDINGS CLARE•EDIT”INSPIRATIONS”
Coffee-table books
PUBLISHED ON March 27, 2009Leave a comment
My next big thing is a well-designed, personalised and unique wedding album. I am a big fan of the new style coffee table books. They are so versatile and allow for a lot of creativity. Every page in the photobook is a work of art: all the material that I use for the photobooks would have been part of the wedding. For example, for one wedding, which took part in Castle Leslie, co Monaghan, I used the wallpaper in the hotel as a background for the photos in the album. Another great advantage of the photobooks is, that it is so easy to use text in it as well. I can scan everything, from menus to invitations or parts of speeches, it all adds to the personal character of the album. The result of it all is, a collection of mementos of the big day. An album that people will really look into, rather than the polite leaf-through.
Although, traditional albums do not offer all the items mentioned above, they are unique in their own way, they have a classy look, and maybe their simplicity defines their exclusivity.CATEGORIES COFFEE-TABLE BOOKS, WEDDING BOOKS, WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY•EDIT”COFFEE-TABLE BOOKS”OLDER POSTSSearch for:
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