Family Photography

Clara - Baby Naming Photographer Cork /  by Jan

Baby naming ceremonies are becoming more and more popular these days and I think they’re great occasions to have!

It’s always so sweet to see the godparents stand in front of all the friends and families and declare their support to the child. The parents also have the opportunity to formally introduce their newborn to everyone that is important to them. To just have that moment where everything comes to a brief stop, where we aren’t just focused on the day-to-day chores, work and groceries. But a moment where everyone can acknowledge their support for the newborn. It’s a lovely tradition!

Cork County Cricket Club

The naming ceremony took place at the Cork County Cricket Club, a place I know well as I photograph Cadence’s annual summer BBQ party there. And for those people who regularly read my blog, yes, it’s not only a familiar venue but also a familiar face! That’s Geraldine, the officiant from the Inchydoney wedding that I posted just a few weeks ago. It’s always great to bump into familiar and friendly faces again, and Geraldine especially is great at her job and I always enjoy catching up with her! We’ve had the opportunity working together at several weddings, and now, a baby naming ceremony.

Group Photo!

The sunny weather that day allowed us to take these beautiful family photos with Clara, the main attraction that day, with her grandparents, parents, godparents and other friends and family members. I especially love the big group photo we took, with all of the guests on the porch. With the sunlight and the distinct facade of the Cricket Club, it made for such a unique photo that couldn’t have been taken anywhere else. And I love that! Everyone was there that day just for Clara.

 
 

Clara’s Baby Shoot

Parents Emma and Tony, also had me over at their house for a baby photo shoot, several weeks before the naming ceremony. It’s always such a pleasure to witness these different stages in families’ lives over a couple of months or years. Just like I’m now so fortunate to see couples go from a maternity shoot, to a few months later when I’m seeing them again for a baby photo shoot. It’s incredible to be a part of that!

We did the baby shoot predominantly inside, as it was a cold and miserable day but with my lighting equipment, I was able to create these bright and sunny looking indoor shots! A break in the weather also allowed us to go outside for a few minutes to add more variety to the gallery of photos.

Baby Shoot

“Parents Emma and Tony, also had me over at their house for a baby photo shoot, several weeks before the naming ceremony.”

Clara was amazing, with her big eyes and cheeks, she seemed so unfazed by the camera! I love the photos and moments I was able to capture both at their home and at the baby naming ceremony!

Google Review

Emma and Tony were also delighted and they even left me this lovely 5-star Google review:

 
“Wonderful photographer and wonderful photos for my daughter’s newborn shoot and naming ceremony. Jan was so lovely and made us all feel so comfortable. Highly recommend!”
— Emma
 
 
 

Baby Naming Ceremony At Home

Emotional

“…it even made for some teary eyes during the ceremony.”

Another baby naming ceremony that was so beautiful, was for Eve. The parents Darren and Laura hosted the ceremony in their own home. They were able to clear a room for the ceremony and with a personalized cake and the decorations, it made for a very inviting environment. And again, it was lovely to hear the everyone’s commitment and intentions for Eve. It was so emotional that it even made for some teary eyes during the ceremony.

We then had the most beautiful natural light for these family photos, while the nosy neighbours were curious and wondered what we were doing.

Nosy Neighbours

“…while the nosy neighbours were curious and wondered what we were doing.”

Another Google Review

Darren and Laura were also delighted with the photos and also wrote me a lovely 5-star Google review:

 
“Jan photographed our daughters naming ceremony in our house. The photos are stunning. Jan captured the day beautifully. We couldn’t be happier with the photos.

We will be using Jan again and would recommend him to anyone looking for a photographer to capture their special moments.”
— Laura
 

Contact

If you have a christening or a baby naming ceremony coming up that you would like to have photographed, say hi to me here. I’d love to send you my baby naming and christening photography packages and most importantly, photograph your ceremony!

New Location for 2026 - Photographer Cork /  by Jan

I’ve been a professional photographer for quite a number of years now. I think it’s been 12 years by now. Wow, how time flies! And as we enter a new year, I’ve decided to mix up some of my shooting locations and add some new spots to the list. I’ve quietly tested some of these locations last year and this is a location that I am now sure of!

The location is Fota House and Gardens! So here are some shoots I’ve shot there.

A Surprise Visit

Was this a photo shoot or really just a big ruse? I’ve gotten quite experience with a good ol’ ruse, if you’ve read my proposals blog post here. Those proposals often include a lot of secrecy and cunning!

In in this secretive case it was a birthday. Gitana’s 50th! She was under the impression that we would be doing a small photo shoot with the local, immediate family members before they headed off to Cobh for a nice lunch.

But there was a big surprise awaiting her! As we were doing the shoot with careful positioning and backs turned to the entrance, who’s that in the background? They aren’t regular visitors. It’s Gitana’s extended family and her siblings coming all the way from America. They haven’t seen each other in years! Cue the tears…

I went into full wedding photographer/paparazzi mode to capture all these beautiful emotions! This was so heart warming to photograph, and just like with the proposals, I was delighted that the surprise worked so well and I didn’t have to be secretive anymore! Once everything had settled, we could start the actual photo shoot in the gardens at a nicer looking location.

 

So many different gardens

And this is where this location really shines! The individual gardens are so handy to have as a photographer, and in such a small proximity. Each garden is beautifully manicured. They each have a different layout and look, some have trees, some have hedges, but they all have different flowers. Then we also have these structural elements to work with, like this pavilion.

Add in the stairs and we have the perfect spot especially for bigger family shoots for groups over 10 people. The stairs make for great group photos, and the different gardens allow for each sub-group of the family shoot to have a different looking shoot, while still looking cohesive.

 

Don’t forget the forest

If these gardens aren’t your vibe, and you’d like something wilder, the forest is also a beautiful spot and is open more hours in the year than the gardens. Here is also my favourite spot; the moss garden!

Choosing one of my bigger photography packages would allow you the option to go to both locations.

 

Maternity Shoots

If you’ve been keeping an eye on my blog, you’ll know that I’m now also doing maternity photo shoots. This family friendly location works so well for maternity shoots, and, it could be a great spot to come back a few months down the line with your newborn!

So what about babies?

Talking about newborns, what else would work really well here? Well, this a great spot for baby shoots as well.

It doesn’t just work because it looks amazing, but also because it’s close to the city, meaning little travel, a large variety of backgrounds in a small footprint and something that’s often overlooked, access to toilets in case of a diaper change.

 

Always Handy to have a Roof

Plus the pavilion offers some protection from light rain, while the green house can be a life saver in case of sudden and unexpected downpours.

The green house is only open at certain times of the year, but it’s a great backup to have.

Bookings

If you would like to book in for a family or baby shoot here, contact me here for my family and baby packages, and most importantly, my availability.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Forest Adventure - Midleton Family Photographer /  by Jan

Family Photoshoot

Daniel initially contacted me, he wanted to book a family shoot as a mother’s day present for his wife Shona. Now that’s a great present, one that will always be remembered! Kids grow up so fast and it’s great to pause every now and then and capture the whole family together.

What An Adventure!

Daniel chose the bigger family package that I offer with around 45 photos, and I think this shoot perfectly shows the variety of shots I am able to get with that package. At the beginning of the photo shoot, I usually start with the well behaved posed family photos. Everyone is on their best behaviour.

As we continue the shoot, I am able to capture more candid shots of the kids having fun and let’s just compare a posed group photo from the beginning of the shoot, to one I took at the end. The first one you would send to family members, maybe make some postcards of and the next one is one you would have on your fridge door. Such different vibes.

Couple Shoot

The great thing with the bigger family package is that we can also squeeze in a small couple shoot for the parents, who are sometimes left behind a little in a photo shoot when it’s usually the kids who the focus is on (pun intended). Although Harry was itching to be a part of this too!

It’s always so much fun to photograph the kids having fun and running around. I give them some directions at times, like smelling all the flowers. But then other times, they just surprise you with what they get up to and they’re suddenly climbing the wall ruins. Haha!

I think we all did a great job of getting the balance just right of having loads of fun candid moments, while still having loads of lovely posed group photos that you would frame and put up in the house.

Midleton Location

These woods, near Midleton, have quickly become a favourite of mine. It’s disorientating because they’re so close to the ocean, they’re filled with sea air. It’s so odd being able to smell the ocean in the middle of the woods. At least to me. But I love how wild this forest looks. It’s not immaculately looked after, and that gives it so much character and its own kind of beauty.

Hi!

I’d love to come back here again, so if you would like to do a similar kind of family shoot with me, say hi to me here. I’d love to hear from you!