Family Photography

Kai's Doljabi - Cork Family Photographer /  by Jan

Certain photo shoots are funny little windows into someone else’s lives or cultures. This was one of them. Having never been to South Korea or knowing too much about Korean culture, I got to be a part of this interesting tradition. I was invited to photograph little Kai’s doljabi.

For those unfamiliar with the ritual, Doljabi is a Korean tradition where a one-year-old child is placed in front of a carefully selected array of objects. The item the child chooses is believed to symbolise their potential future path. For example, a pencil speaks to academic success, while a stethoscope could indicate a career in medicine, and money suggests a prosperous future.

Little Kai’s mother, Yingyu, was passionate about preserving this meaningful cultural tradition. And Yingyu’s parents were there to bear witness to Kai’s choice.

We had the ceremony at Fitzgerald; a beautiful backdrop for the intimate family event, placing the special ceremony in nature. As you can tell by all of my photo shoots, I love photographing outdoors in the lush, green nature.

Dad’s delighted

Following in his dad’s footstep, Kai chose the paintbrush

When the crucial moment arrived for Kai to make his choice, he picked the paintbrush – an artist’s choice. His animator father was most delighted with this outcome, proud to have his baby following his footsteps.

Kai’s grandfather tried so hard to convince him to take the money, possibly altering his future but Kai remained resolute in his decision to be focused on his artistry instead. Haha!

Kai didn’t show the slightest interest in grandad’s €€€!

This doljabi was more than just a photoshoot - it was a celebration of culture, family, and potential. Each carefully chosen object represented not just a potential career path, but a hope, a dream for little Kai's future. The way Yingyu and John embraced this tradition while allowing their son the freedom to make his own choice was beautiful to witness and capture.

I love the diversity humanity has to offer and I love having the opportunity to capture the moments that make it special. I celebrate the things that make us different because that’s what makes us human. So from different cultures and traditions to different orientations and preferences, I’m here to embrace them all, as long as love is at the centre.

If you would like to book me for your special family event, say hi to me here!

A Fun Family Portrait Shoot /  by Jan

5-star Google Review

“Jannik and his partner were perfect and professional. He emailed in a timely manner given I’m from the states and unsure of any good location to take photos. My husband is from farran and he suggested a couple of places near by. The rain was near, kids were cold, but the photos didn’t give any of that vibe. Photos of the group, kids and individual family appear flawless. He returned the photos edited in a fast manner with a clickable link because only two of my husband family live in Ireland, so this makes it easier for all. Overall amazing!”
— Sonia

Family photo shoots are something I do a lot of, they’re really fun. Sometimes it might be a celebration of a newborn joining the family, sometimes it’s to just celebrate the milestones which don’t have set occasions. And sometimes it’s to celebrate that everyone is together for first time in a long time.

So for this family reunion, I headed just outside of Cork city to the gorgeous Kilcrea Friary. With its ancient Franciscan friary and rolling green hills, this location is the perfect blend of Irish heritage and natural beauty. Plus, it was also near the family home. Handy!

I love doing these extended family shoots; they offer the perfect excuse for all those uncles, aunts, nieces, and nephews to gather and enjoy some quality time together. In this case, families from all corners of the world came together for the first time in a long while.

Photographing such a large number of people can be at first feel overwhelming. In this case it was 17 people in total, 10 adults and 7 children. But my approach to these family shoots is to make it easy and fun. First starting off with the full family as a group photo, I then break up the groups into smaller subdivisions and family units. We even get some couple shots in there, which are particularly special; so many people find the moment to be reminiscent of their wedding day – a time where the focus was simply on them as a couple.

And to finish it off with a high, I staged a race with the kids and let them run wild. They took it very seriously and it led to these adorable pictures. Not to be outdone, the adults had their turn too, to my surprise. It’s those spontaneous moments that can be so much fun on a shoot like this!

If you would like to book me for your family reunion or would like a regular family photo shoot, say hi to me here!

Caoimhe - Newborn Baby Shoot /  by Jan

“Ballyhooly... no clue, let me check Google Maps. Oh right, between Mallow and Fermoy. I’ve never been there!”

Were my first thoughts. I was booked to do an ‘at home’ baby shoot and I couldn’t have gone on a better day. It felt like the first summer’s day of the year. Skies so blue, it felt fake. Warm air, all the grass looked so much greener than usual, and that warm, summer’s wind... What a day!

But before we get into the shoot, I want to skip ahead and already share the 5-star Google review Anne-Marie left me, because it’s just absolutely hilarious:

“Jan did the most amazing job on a Newborn Photoshoot for our 5 week old daughter. We had such a fun time during the shoot, as Jan embraced the madness and made it look like we have some control over our toddler and dog who joined in on the shoot. The resulting photographs are better than I could have hoped for and the session itself created fantastic memories for us as a family. Jan was a pleasure to work with and we will be looking for excuses to book him again!”

It had me roaring when I first read it! And Anne-Marie was right, with the dog and the whole family involved, it wasn’t the easiest shoot but it was a very fun one.

Usually with a baby shoot at home, I tend to do at least half of the shoot, if not most of the shoot indoors. But with the garden that Anne-Marie and Kevin have, and the previously mentioned, gorgeous day, I decided to leave all of my lighting gear in the boot of the car, and do this baby shoot purely outdoors. I think it only made sense, especially seeing the results.

Little Coaimhe was a great little subject for the shoot, while her big brother, Rory, was running around to his own rules. I think my favourite photos of this day are mom, Anne-Marie and Caoimhe on the chair next to the tree, and the whole family, including dog, walking towards me. Although seeing dad, Kevin, and big brother, Rory, on the swing together is also a high contender.

The great thing with these ‘at home’ newborn baby shoots is that I get to photograph families in their own environment. This makes it so much easier for their parents, often new mothers and fathers, and I get to provide them with unique photos with their homes as a slice of history that might be more meaningful to them. I really enjoy dipping into these environments and working with the challenges these new locations provide.

If you would like to book me for a newborn baby shoot, you can say hi to me here and we can get you booked in!