Family Photography

Vacation Family Photo Shoot at Irish Castle /  by Jan

Ireland is the vacation spot for so many tourists, and besides the Guinness and the fun culture, it’s not hard to see why. We have so much history in Ireland! Almost 600 years after initially being built by the Lord of Muscry, the Blarney Castle now serves as the perfect family vacation photo shoot location. What a turnaround!

I always enjoy photographing this gorgeous Irish castle, not just because of it’s imposing beauty but also because the gardens that surround it are so varied. They make for such a fun location to do these family vacation shoots at. I think the photos really reflect that fun! Exploring the grounds together with mom or playing with dad, this is fun day out!

We even added a couple shoot for parents, Patrick and Kristin. Much to the amusement of little Charlotte and Victoria who were giggling away during the couple photo shoot.

The Blarney Castle is of course famous for visitors kissing the Blarney Stone, but in my opinion, no trip is complete without visiting the witch in the wooded area. She is thankfully not a real person, during the day at least. She is now entombed in the Witch’s Stone, next to her kitchen. Visitors leave behind coins for her. For good luck and to keep her at bay. We, of course, obliged as well!

The Witch’s Stone

Make sure to leave some coins to keep her at bay!

These historic castles in Ireland are such a beautiful location for a family photo shoot or a castle couple shoot like this proposal shoot I did at the Blarney Castle as well.

If you’re visiting Ireland or if you’re a local and want to do something similar, feel free to contact me here. Or for something different, feel free to have a look at my wedding photography in Ireland here.

Farran House - Family Vacation Photo Shoot Cork /  by Jan

Farran House

I hadn’t even heard of the Farran House before. What a surprise it was to do a photo shoot here! I thought this would be a mini-hotel, in this gorgeous historic building. So much to my surprise, when I arrived with all my photography gear, I was a little perplexed that the front door was locked and there was no door man in sight. I rang the door bell, suddenly unsure if I was at the right place or if I was currently trespassing on private property.

Vacation Family Photography Cork

The door eventually opened, and a man with an American accent answered the door. This was the family that booked me! One big family on vacation in Ireland from America, consisting of three couples and one child. Turns out, they booked the entire house, not just a couple of rooms.

“There is a full wing of this house that we aren’t even using.” I was told. Size wise, a total overkill for a family of seven, but when the hotels in Cork city cost more than this house would for a week, why wouldn’t you chose to stay here? Nestled in the countryside with a sizeable garden, it’s a lovely spot!

On the day of this family portrait photo shoot, we had gorgeous Irish weather; consistent rain and cloud cover that wasn’t letting up. So there goes the plan of taking some lovely outdoor family photos. But with an interior like this, it might not be that bad!

I did a bit of location scouting, going to all the different rooms, and I couldn’t believe my luck. There were so many ‘props’ and photo shoot opportunities everywhere. The family was a game, and so we set up different activities we pretended to be doing.

And with my lighting setup with me, I would have everyone looking their absolute best!

Some competitive chess games, what I believe to be snooker (I’ve never seen a snooker/billiards table this size!), some light reading with an Irish whiskey and a sing song on the grand piano.

I just got everyone to mess around and do some great acting for the camera. What a laugh it turned out to be! Although the piano playing was real!

Happy Birthday!

“These will be some great memories for the family to take home. Especially since this was family photo shoot took place on the grandmother’s birthday.”

Outdoor Couple Photo Shoots

Once we had all the indoor shots done, including some more posed ones like the girls on the stairs, and the full family photo, we ended up braving the rain with an umbrella to get some couple shots. I love how enthusiastic everyone was to get outside even with the rain! These will be some great memories for the family to take home. Especially since this was family photo shoot took place on the grandmother’s birthday.

Google Review

I got this lovely 5-star Google review from Nicole and her family:

“Jannik and Nic were AMAZING! They made us feel so comfortable during our family portraits and our couples shoot. They had so many fun ideas and used props throughout our house, which made for great photos. Even though it was raining, they helped make our vision come true with outdoor photos with umbrellas. They did a great job incorporating all of our needs, including getting our 3 year old to smile and pay attention! I would absolutely recommend Save The Journey Photography!!”

Inquiries and availability

If you would like to book me for a vacation photo shoot in Cork, you can contact me here for availability and pricing. And also have a look at my adventure family and couple photo shoots here for some inspiration.

And remember, besides Vacation Family Portrait Photography, I also offer the following types of photography:

• Couples Photography in Cork

• Newborn Baby Photography in Cork

• Wedding Photography in Cork

• and more!

Ayla - Newborn Baby Photo Shoot Cork /  by Jan

This shoot was a first for me! It was my first time photographing a family and/or newborn baby shoot in Ballincollig’s Regional Park, and I must say, it’s instantly become one of my favourite spots ever! I actually have no clue why it’s evaded me for such a long time.

Loving the woods

What do I like so much about it? I love how mixed the scenery is. At the beginning by the parking lot, you have the park and benches which is perfect for some of the more traditional photos, and the perfect spot to take some close up shots of the baby. Then you can head into the woods and get some amazing wilderness shots that I absolutely adore. I love photographing in nature and making places look so much more remote and exotic than they are. I love it! It almost becomes an adventure shoot, like this.

These intimate photos of Ayla with her dad are also so precious!

But today’s star isn’t Ballincollig’s Regional Park but Ayla herself! Just five weeks old at the time of this newborn baby portrait shoot, she really is a newborn, even though her size might suggest that she’s already a little older.

The Challenges

The challenge of these newborn portraits is always working quickly enough while the baby is in good spirits, but not letting the shoot go on too long before they get too cranky or need a nappy change. Which is why I always make sure I have plenty of time planned for these baby shoots. There’s always an unexpected milk break or things can get a little overwhelming when you’re so tiny. But I love this photo of Ayla calming herself down again by sucking on her own thumb. So cute!

So cute!

“But I love this photo of Ayla calming herself down again by sucking on her own thumb.”

And thanks to the parents, Amara and Wynand, for being super easy to work with and being up for everything I suggested. A delight to work with.

Google Review

And they didn’t find it too bad either, leaving me this 5-star Google Review:

“Fantastic day out! Had a great time chatting and taking photos. Jan makes a newborn photoshoot feel like catching up with a friend, very relaxed and easygoing. Our photos came out stunning! Will definitely do it again!”

Inquiries and availability

If you would like to make a booking for a newborn baby photo shoot, you can contact me here for availability and pricing. I don’t just do newborn baby photography but also the following:

• Couples Photography in Cork

• Family Portrait Photography in Cork

• Wedding Photography in Cork

• and more!