Portrait Photography

Stephen - Sports Photography Cork /  by Jan

I’ve been taking photos pretty much my whole life, but it really started in 2010. That’s when I started working in the film industry. At first I was documenting my life on set, behind the scenes with a trusty analogue camera and a couple of rolls of film bouncing around in my sling bag.

After 5 years in the film industry, I wanted to move away from moving images and I became fascinated with stills. I explored every facet of the photography industry, trying to find my niche and what suited me.

I just followed what I enjoyed doing at the time. And that turned out to be a lot of sports photography around 2016-2018. I photographed it all, from boxing and MMA, to car racing to hurling matches and more.

That time taught me so much about photography and how to capture the perfect moment. I then slowly settled on what I really wanted to do and you can see that reflected on my website now.

So when Stephen got in touch with me, it took me right back to that 2017 period. It was such a fun throw back! Stephen is a para-athlete from Canada, who was visiting Cork for an extended period for several endurance races on his hand bike and also some duathlons.

He needed/wanted some training photos and portraits in Cork for his online presence, as well as for his sponsors; L’Hippopotame Athlétique, who make his performance wear.

Sponsor

His sponsor L’Hippopotame Athlétiquemake his performance wear.

My aim with this shoot was to give Stephen a large variety of photos that could be used for many different applications. So we did some photos with the flash, some without, some with special effect filters, some really wide shots, some extreme close ups, mostly horizontal but also some vertical photos.

There are photos that really focus in on him, where as some are beautiful landscape shots, showing off the beauty of Cork.

Using the flash was a really cool addition to this shoot that I enjoyed using a lot. I wanted to really convey the speed that Stephen was able to hit. It also really draws the focus more onto him, and his sponsor’s white top.

This mix of photos then became a really well rounded gallery that I hope will serve him for a long time! It was also fun to dip my toes into this action photography again. I always enjoy mixing things up as I feel like it improves my overall ability as a photographer.

If you would like to find out more about Stephen and his journey, you can check out his Instagram here and if you’d like to book me for your sport, say hi to me here or go to my contact form here!

Graduating UCC - Graduation Photographer Cork /  by Jan

It’s graduation time again!

Every year I walk to UCC with some camera gear, walk onto the premises and wish I could have gone here for my college years! I love this campus, especially the main courtyard looks so beautiful and impressive, the grounds are always so well taken care of. There’s so much greenery around, and it just has a good vibe, to me it does anyway.

The great thing about photographing graduates is capturing the relief that all the hard work has finally paid off and seeing that excitement for the future!

Here, I had two very different graduates. First we have Clarissa, a foreign student from Kentucky who would be returning to USA shortly after this graduation, so it was important for he to do the shoot with her friends and mother. Then we have Edel, the wife of a dairy farmer from West Clare, who will be using her husband’s farm as a place of therapy for children.

5 Star Google Reviews:

These graduation photos are always so much fun, and again, with UCC as your shooting location, it makes it so easy to get some great shots here. Even if the weather is being very Cork sometimes. Which explains Clarissa’s lovely review that she left me:

“Jan was fantastic! The photos are beautiful even though the weather wasn’t. Definitely would recommend!”

And Edel followed it up with a review of her own:

“Absolutely delighted with my photos, he was such a gentleman to work with & put us all at ease. My photos are stunning. Thank you Jannik”

I’m already looking forward to the next graduation! If you would like some memorable photos of a once in a lifetime milestone, contact me here, I’d love to do a photo shoot with you!

And remember, besides graduation portrait photography, I also photograph the following:

• Couples Photography in Cork

• Family Portrait Photography in Cork

• Wedding Photography in Cork

• and more!

Adventure Family Photo Shoot Package Cork /  by Jan

Last year I launched these ‘Adventure Couple Shoot Packages’ which was especially attractive to couples visiting Ireland. A kind of destination couple photo shoot for people travelling the world! Click here to see that gorgeous engagement photo shoot.

I have now expanded these destination adventure packages to family shoots as well.

What is an Adventure Photo Shoot?

Good question! They are for those couples and families who are up for a memorable adventure and are looking for a whole experience, not just a photo shoot.

This is what you’ll be getting over a regular family shoot:

As a contrast to the photos on this page, this is an example of a regular family portrait shoot which was photographed at Fitzgerald’s Park in the heart of Cork city. These vacation family portraits are lovely memento for families who are on a tight travelling schedule.

With the adventure shoot package, however, we’ll visit several locations in the beautiful countryside of County Cork, stopping along the way to take some fun family photos and showing you these gorgeous spots of Ireland. Each adventure package and the location options are customizable, depending on what you want to experience. You can enquire here for more details on that.

As an example of these ‘Destination Adventure Family Photo Shoots’, I would like to introduce Joan and Mark, and their daughter Mallory, to you. They chose the Castlemartyr/Ballycotton package as their locations.

Coming from the deserts of America, they wanted to have a destination family portrait shoot and an anniversary couples shoot in a location that completely contrasts their landscapes at home. It should all be green nature, with the vast oceans and sheer cliffs in the background. That lush and moist nature. Maybe a little too moist on days like today! Haha! But we made it work and had so much fun nonetheless.

Bouncy Grass

Mallory especially was enjoying the “bouncy” grass that grows on the top of the cliffs.

We started off the shoot at the gorgeous Castlemartyr Resort, which is where Kim and Kanye stayed while they were travelling around Ireland. And if it’s good enough for them, then it’s good enough for you and me!

The resort has this beautiful garden in the back, wedged in-between the golf course and the old castle ruins. There are so many great spots to photograph at in this small area. From the pristine garden which looks like a miniature maze, to these classical steps, and of course, the castle ruins which is the fundamental part of the Castlemartyr Resort.

Heading indoors, a visit to the Knight’s Bar is a must. With the classic decor and paintings on the walls, it’ll feel like taking a step back in time.

Continuing on with this family travel photo shoot, we headed out to Ballycotton, a small coastal town just a 15 minute drive away. It is famous for its seafood, the cliffs and the Ballycotton lighthouse which is located on a small island off-shore.

This shoot took place at the end of winter, just before the start of spring. And even though we didn’t have gorgeous sunlight like with the adventure couple shoot I photographed here as well, I still really love the way these photos came out. They’re just so much fun! And big props to these three for bearing this kind of weather that they’re not used to at all!

Google 5 Star review from Joan

These will be mementos that the three will cherish forever. And that makes me very happy and proud. This is what Joan had to say about the photos:

“What an incredible human and photographer! We booked Jannik having written a few emails back and forth and viewing his work on his website and Instagram and we're so beyond grateful we did.

He is a kind and patient person who inspired our six year old to have fun on our shoot. He found some brilliant locations to photograph us at and the end product was beyond our expectations. We are thrilled with how everything turned out and couldn't have asked for a better experience and product.

We love the photos he created for us and will treasure this time for years to come!”

If you are interested in a destination photo shoot like this, be it a family and/or a couple shoot, contact me here. I’d love to meet you and make your holiday even more memorable!