Jan 10/23/26 Jan 10/23/26

The Tree - Regional Park Family Photographer

I have my go-to locations that I enjoy photographing at. Some of which have served me for a very long time, but at the same time, I want to keep things fresh so I’m always keeping an eye out for new spots. I love the outdoors and am always out and about somewhere, so sometimes, like this time, I stumble upon something really photogenic.

I was walking through the Ballincollig Regional Park, taking all the tiny trails that snake through it. At first I was distraught to see that my favourite tree in the park, an oak tree, had lost one of it’s big branches. It’s a sad sight and I worried for the health of the tree in the future (and still do). But after a while, I realized it might have just become a perfect spot for family and baby shoots.

The Tree in Question

Why is this my favourite tree in the entire Regional Park? I love the field it is in, and how knurled and aged the tree is. In a light-hearted way, it gives me such ‘Huckleberry Finn’ vibes. A place I would have met all my friends at when we were young. Where we would eat our sandwiches leaning against it’s rough bark. “Meet you at the tree!” could only mean this specific tree. It’s THE tree.

Now that the branch had fallen, it would be the perfect, wild bench for a shoot. It would have a practical seating option while still oozing this beautiful, natural aesthetic because it doesn’t have a man-made bench.

I found a couple of brave families who were willing to give this new location a go without any example photos from previous shoots. The tree itself became a focal point in about 30-50% of the photos, so that we would still have a nice balance of more active and standing shots, and showing off the park’s other beautiful spots. Like the photo below. I love how the green just envelops the whole family.

Soon after these shoots were done, a maintenance crew came in, chopped the fallen branch in slices and took it away bit by bit.

I’d like to think that these families are lucky to have a totally unique set of photos at a location that can never be replicated again!

Google Reviews

Both families were amazing and wrote me these two lovely 5-star Google reviews:

“Jan was a great choice for our newborn photos.
He chose the perfect location, was very friendly and patient.
The photos are great, and we are more than happy.
Thanks Jan!”
-Adrian

“Jan did a family photoshoot for us and we cannot recommend him highly enough!
He really took the time to make us feel comfortable, esp as our 2-year old was feeling very shy and nervous at first.
The photos came out so well, I absolutely love them.
Thanks Jan!”
-Anita

What 2027 Holds

I’m still unsure if I will return to this specific part of the park. I would love to keep it going and make it work but I do also like the idea that it was essentially just a once off for 2026 and to retire it. It wouldn’t be the first location I have only offered for a single year, like this one or this one.

For next year, I already have a few ideas of what that special location could be. But I’ll take the winter to really decide on it. Just like I unveiled this location for 2026. But it definitely won’t be the last time you’ll find me at the Ballincollig Regional Park.

In the meantime you are more than welcome to contact me here to check out my family and baby packages or have a look down below at more photos.

Talk to you soon!

More Photos

Jan 7/6/26 Jan 7/6/26

Clara - Baby Naming Photographer Cork

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!

Jan 4/21/26 Jan 4/21/26

New Location for 2026 - Photographer Cork

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.