Family Photography

Longueville House - Historic Family Vacation Photography /  by Jan

It was a cold winter day, the air was brisk but the sun really came out in full force for this shoot, shining its golden rays, which I was very thankful for! I love sunny and warm looking photos!

The shooting location; the Longueville House. An over 300 year old Georgian country house situated just outside of Mallow in County Cork.

I had the pleasure of photographing this large family group who came to Ireland on a big family vacation. And what a way to vacation in a historic mansion like this. Consisting of 21 family members, this wasn’t an easy task to capture so many people! So, I broke it down into groups.

First we started with a group photo of everyone on the beautiful steps at the front entrance. It’s always great to get the whole family together once in a while, which makes a group photo essential!

We then headed indoors. Using my professional lighting setup, we captured some indoor moments in this incredible living room, oozing with historic charm. Here we did some group photos that mixed the individual families, like the grandad with all the grandkids, or the grandad with his adult kids, and more.

After those photos were done, I was able to focus on each individual family and/or couple, capturing such fun and relaxed photos. Even the farm dogs got involved in some shots, much to the delight of not only the kids but also the adults! These springer spaniels were living their best lives on this 400 acre property.

With so many beautiful corners and spots at the Longueville House, I was able to give each family their own unique set of photos in different locations. One family got the greenhouse, the others got to go to the vintage courtyard, the others to the gardens. It was so a joy to work with such a fun family at such a gorgeous venue.

It was effortless. Laughter echoed, jokes flowed, and everyone was just themselves. No rigid poses or forced smiles; just a group of individuals enjoying each other's company. And I think it really shows in the photos. It felt more like a casual gathering than a formal photo shoot.

Good times, good vibes, and a camera capturing it all.

5-star Google Review

They even left me this lovely 5-star Google review:

“We gave Jan a challenge - to photograph our family of 21 people, ages 2-80, at Longueville House. He rose to the challenge and then some!

Jan is not only talented and creative, he’s also a lot of fun to work with. He scouted several locations around the property and captured each group beautifully.

I’m so happy that I found the Save The Journey website and reached out to Jan to capture our memories. He was quick to respond and professional though out the process, including returning all of our edited photos in less than a week.

Do yourself a favor and book Jan for your photography session!”
— Sheila

So if you would like to book me for a vacation family photo shoot or a family reunion, say hi to me here. I look forwarding to meeting you and the family!

70th Birthday at FOTA Island Golf Club Cork /  by Jan

Birthdays are always special occasions and a great opportunity to invite your favourite people and have a big party. Having said that, some birthdays are bigger than others, and in my experience as a photographer, the 70th birthday always seems to be the most celebrated!

Yvonne's 70th birthday party took place at the illustrious FOTA Island Golf Club, just outside Cork city. With the event room placed right next to the lovely greenery and on the edge of the golf course, it wasn’t just a lovely venue but also a blast to photograph. The place was buzzing with more than 100 guests. It was a mix of family and friends, all ready to celebrate Yvonne’s big day. And you could tell she was having a great time, running around welcoming each group of guests that were arriving and introducing everyone to each other. This made capturing the event a breeze!

It’s magic!

As part of the entertainment of this evening, there was also a magician roaming around, delighting the guests with fun magic tricks. People were laughing and freaking out in equal measure by these party tricks. As you can tell by their reactions, it got a great reaction!

Yvonne was also absolutely delighted with her presents, being gifted several art pieces from local artists. It's always so much fun to see someone really enjoying their special day.

Now, let's talk decorations; from a wall full of donuts calling your name, fancy cocktails flowing, and the name "Yvonne" was shining in mirrored letters. Plus, there was a photo backdrop where guests could snap selfies with funky sunglasses and hats, or have me do a photo shoot with them.

I moved through the crowd, capturing all of these lovely, candid moments of laughter, cheers, and the occasional gasp of amazement from the magician, it was a blast to be a part of this birthday party.

Yvonne's turning 70, but you wouldn't know it from the energy in those photos. Here's to keeping the party going!

Vacation Family Photo Shoot at Irish Castle /  by Jan

Ireland is the vacation spot for so many tourists, and besides the Guinness and the fun culture, it’s not hard to see why. We have so much history in Ireland! Almost 600 years after initially being built by the Lord of Muscry, the Blarney Castle now serves as the perfect family vacation photo shoot location. What a turnaround!

I always enjoy photographing this gorgeous Irish castle, not just because of it’s imposing beauty but also because the gardens that surround it are so varied. They make for such a fun location to do these family vacation shoots at. I think the photos really reflect that fun! Exploring the grounds together with mom or playing with dad, this is fun day out!

We even added a couple shoot for parents, Patrick and Kristin. Much to the amusement of little Charlotte and Victoria who were giggling away during the couple photo shoot.

The Blarney Castle is of course famous for visitors kissing the Blarney Stone, but in my opinion, no trip is complete without visiting the witch in the wooded area. She is thankfully not a real person, during the day at least. She is now entombed in the Witch’s Stone, next to her kitchen. Visitors leave behind coins for her. For good luck and to keep her at bay. We, of course, obliged as well!

The Witch’s Stone

Make sure to leave some coins to keep her at bay!

These historic castles in Ireland are such a beautiful location for a family photo shoot or a castle couple shoot like this proposal shoot I did at the Blarney Castle as well.

If you’re visiting Ireland or if you’re a local and want to do something similar, feel free to contact me here. Or for something different, feel free to have a look at my wedding photography in Ireland here.