Couple Photo Shoot

Crossing Borders - Killarney Couple Shoot Photographer /  by Jan

I’ve left the county a handful of times for a photo shoot. I did some sports photography many years back which allowed me to travel a bit, and I’ve photographed this lovely wedding in Kilkenny but I’ve never left County Cork for a posed family or couple shoot before.

So in 2026, I have decided to officially offer my first shooting location in a different county. And which county is that? My second favourite one, the Kingdom of Kerry of course!

Soft Launch for now

I often go with my wife to the Killarney National Park and its surroundings for day trips and hikes. So we know Killarney well, but it’s an area that I am still exploring as a photographer. So for now, this is more of a soft launch with limited availability for now. But I have specific spots in mind already that I’d love to explore together with you! I’ll be mainly doing couple shoots here and a few family shoots.

The two exact spots that I am able to show off here, and which worked really well, are:

  • The Gap of Dunloe

  • Muckross House

 

The Gap of Dunloe Couple Shoot

The Gap of Dunloe is one of my favourite spots in Ireland. While County Cork has hills, County Kerry has mountains! They’re strikingly beautiful. And a little bit like with Gougane Barra, even if it’s absolutely storming and awful weather, it still translates to beautiful images! I always find it fun to stare at a barren cliff face, and slowly finding one tiny white dot after the other in the most impossible spots. These Kerry sheep are just something else!

Ashley and Michael booked me for an adventure couple shoot. I love splitting up these shoots into two chapters, one of them spectacular, natural and wild, with the other chapter being cleaner and more posed. This gives two contrasting sets of photos, especially when some couples opt to do an outfit change.

 

Muckross House Couple Shoot

We then headed off to Muckross House, after hours when all the visitors were gone and ended up having the whole spot for ourselves. I first used the house itself as a background, before then heading down to the water to feature the glossy Muckross Lake, which is right next to the bigger Lough Leane.

The light was so soft, I feel like everything was just glowing a little bit. I really liked both of these locations, and I think this was a very successful shoot.

 

5-star Google Review

Ashley and Michael were so happy with their adventure couple shoot that they left me this lovely 5-star review:

“My fiancé and I had the pleasure of having both Jannik and his wife on the day of our shoot. Jannik is incredibly talented as a photographer and his wife provided amazing suggestions and help while we took photos.

Both were professional, fun, and put us at ease! We booked an adventure session with him and would do it again. Highly recommend!!”
— Ashley
 

So what does the future look like?

I’d love to do more shoots at the Gap of Dunloe, no doubt! At Muckross, there’s also a forest that I’d love to explore more, and there are quite a few more scenic spots around Lough Leane that I have my eye on.

So if you’d like to explore these areas with me, I’d be delighted to go on an adventure shoot with you! Especially if you’re happy to do a bit of a walk with me to get to the best spots.

I hope this gives a nice insight into Killarney and its surrounding areas.

Bookings

If you’d like to book me for a couple shoot here, say hi to me here and I can let you know about my availability and photography packages.

 





Love is in the Air - Proposal Photography Cork /  by Jan

Love has truly been in the air this year! The popularity of proposal photo shoots have absolutely skyrocketed this year. I’m delighted, they’re so much fun!

Instead of writing about one specific proposal, I thought it would be fun to show off a whole bunch of proposals I’ve captured this year, with a bunch of new locations.

The Iconic Blarney Castle

First off, we have the iconic and classic location of the Blarney Castle. A perfect location that works time after time and doesn’t just offer the striking backdrop of the castle but also has the massive gardens which are so diverse. There are so many different little gardens on the property, giving endless backdrop options for the couple shoot after the proposal. From beautiful mossy and rocky areas to the Blarney House behind the castle, to the Fern Garden, the Poison Garden, the Belgian Beds, the Dolmen much, much more.

“Jannik was fantastic! I told him I wanted to propose at Blarney Castle, and he pretty much took care of the rest! He sent suggestions of good spots to propose, and detailed maps of how to get to the spot. He arrived 30 minutes earlier than us so he was ready when we needed him. Not to mention the quality of the photos he took were incredible!! I’m very happy I went with Save The Journey for my proposal photos, 5/5 stars for sure!!”
— Peter

Coastal Vibes

The new theme this year has definitely been coastal/beach. I’ve had a lot of requests for cliffs, beaches and the ocean. And I was happy to oblige.

Ben and Valeri were such an adorable couple, I was able to photograph their special moment with the Ballycotton lighthouse in the background as the sun was fading.

“Jan was absolutely incredible! I can’t recommend him enough. I hired him to capture our surprise engagement proposal, and he absolutely nailed it. Photos were amazing.”
— Ben

This Proposal Was on Fire

Then there was the surprisingly action packed proposal of Ehab and Megan. Their proposal happened during the hottest and driest time of the year. Shortly after the gorgeous proposal overlooking the Kinsale Bay had taken place, a fire broke out on the field we were shooting on. Started by a couple using a disposal tinfoil BBQ, the dry grass had caught fire and was spreading quickly. I ran over and stomped out the suddenly sizeable fire, with the help of strangers who helped out, as well as Ehab himself. The fire brigade was later there to drench the burnt area with water, making sure it wouldn’t reignite.

Their proposal was absolutely beautiful to capture, with Megan visibly over the moon! And I was really happy with the chosen location, really showing off Cork’s beautiful landscape.

“Jan did an excellent job communicating, taking + editing the photos, and was extremely personable. If I wasn’t just visiting I’d definitely come back for more photos down the road. Thanks!”
— Ehab

Picnic at the Beach

Ciarán and Marlena also had the Ballycotton lighthouse in the background but Ciarán chose a more beachy location. He was a gent and had organized a picnic, and after a couple of gulps of wine, he had the courage to ask the big question. I especially enjoyed the couple shoot we did after sunset. It was such amazingly soft lighting that made the photos look even more magical.

Wishing for BJJ Lessons

Alberto was a real romantic as well. Having previously been at the Blarney Castle before, back in his single days. He walked down the wishing steps, wishing to find someone to spend the rest of his life with. This year he was able to return to the wishing steps with his long term girlfriend who he met at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes, and asked her to marry him. What a beautiful story coming full circle!

“Jan was amazing to work with. He helped me plan for an engagement at Blarney Castle. He suggested the optimal time of day for lighting as well as location for the best shots. Coming from the states I was a bit intimidated with planning an overseas incognito engagement photoshoot but Jan talked me through everything and we successfully pulled it off. 10/10 would recommend!”
— Alberto

From Down Under to the Emerald Isle

Liam and Lisa’s proposal was especially scenic I thought. The two Australians were touring Ireland and Liam thought it would be the perfect time to propose. We did the shoot by Charles Fort in Kinsale and it’s quickly become one of my favourite new spots. With just a small couple shoot afterwards, we got some lovely candid and intimate shots.

Surpriiiiise!

Family Shoot Turned Proposal

A big ruse to make the surprise even bigger!

Another proposal that really stood out to me and was unique, in the sense that I’d never photographed a situation like this before, were Ettiene and Kyra. They were visiting their Ireland with their family and pretended to book me for a family shoot. Little did Kyra know that it was actually all a big ruse to surprise her with the proposal. We started the shoot with some family photos, and before we knew it, Ettiene was down on one knee and poor Kyra was in tears. Happy tears of course! And so were the parents. It was such a heart jerker to capture. Beautiful!

“Such a great experience. Jan is an amazing photographer but also an amazing person. Added so much beauty to our special engagement.”
— Kyra
“Jan We had an amazing photoshoot with you. Such a great and kind person. The photos came out even better than what we could’ve imagined. Thank you so much for capturing our amazing day in pictures that we can keep for forever.”
— Ettiene

Another Surprise!

Along similar lines, Phil and Susan didn’t have anyone at the proposal itself but to Susan’s surprise, all their friends were waiting for them, ready to mob them with hugs and prosecco after she said yes. Poor Susan needed some recovery time after that one, being positively overwhelmed! Phil had chosen the UCC campus as that was where they had met.

Marriage Stone

I think this was the longest I ever drove for a photo shoot within County Cork, not the furthest but the longest. But it was definitely worth the drive. This proposal took place at Kilcrohane, near Sheep’s Head, where you’ll find the Caherurlagh Marriage Stone, a location that was very symbolic for the planned proposal but also a favourite hiking spot of Emily and Evan. The scenery was absolutely striking and gorgeous. I couldn’t have asked for more, plus it was fun to incorporate the marriage stone into the couple shoot.

If that still isn’t enough proposal content, here are three more standalone blog posts:

And if you would like to book me for your proposal, get in touch with me here to find out about pricing, packages and availability. Do let me know if you have any specific spot in mind or if you would like to got to one of the above locations.

L&S - Proposal Photography /  by Jan

If it isn’t clear by my numerous Ballycotton blog posts, Ballycotton is one of my favourite spots for a photo shoot! And this shoot was a very special one that has to top the list. It was stressful, secretive, blustering but incredibly emotional and beautiful as well. This was such a complex situation.

Liz and Steph were visiting from America and it was Liz’s plan to propose to her partner, Steph, in Ireland. Their friend Katrina was with them for a short part of the journey, and under the guise of being a hobby photographer and friend of Katrina’s, I was able to tag along to Ballycotton to shoot this special proposal.

I met them in Ballycotton, pretending to see an old friend I hadn’t seen in years and meeting two friendly people. The picturesque coastal town would provide the perfect backdrop for what was to be an unforgettable moment in Liz and Steph’s lives.

We made our hellos and I eventually let them down to the rocky beach next to the harbour with the famous lighthouse in the background. The anticipation in the air was palpable. From Liz anyway. I took a couple of shots of the couple, capturing their genuine smiles and the love between them. And then gave Liz the nod to do her thing. Liz, barely able to contain her excitement and eager for her moment, got down on one knee and proposed to the very surprised Steph. She said yes!

Now freed from the constraints of the "hobby photographer", I was able to fully embrace my role as their engagement photographer. Much to Steph’s shock!

I guided them to different spots along Ballycotton, capturing the beauty of the moment as the sun was setting. It was a blustery and wild evening, with such soft lighting. It was gorgeous. This isn’t usually the time of day I would photograph but I love the feeling and the vibe of these photos. And Steph’s lovely ginger hair is such a beautiful contrast to the cloudy and stormy sky.

Another successful proposal done!

LGBTQIA+ Friendly Photographer

I also want to take this opportunity to say that in my eyes, love is love, and it should be celebrated. Throughout my career as a photographer, I've been approached by LGBTQIA+ couples who seem concerned that I might not photograph them. I'm a big supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights and want everyone I photograph to feel comfortable and safe, no matter who they are or what they're family setup might be.

So if you’re looking for a photographer who is willing to create that safe space, say hi to me here!

5-star Google Review

“Jan went above and beyond for my proposal by putting his acting skills to the test along with getting some beautiful shots of the big question. Jan’s communication was top notch throughout the months of communication leading up to the day. He never missed a beat when plans changed and made the day very special for my and my now fiancée. I would recommend Jan in a heart beat for anyone’s special moments. Thank you!!!!”
— Liz