A Case Study

The Composition

Aisling Plunkett got in touch to ask whether I could shoot some images that she needed for both her website and for an article that due to be published in the Irish Independent the following week. As a Holistic Therapist, Aisling's images needed to be more focused on her brand and lifestyle rather than any product.

The Photoshoot

One thing that I'm always keen to emphasise to clients is that it's not always just a case of rocking up and grabbing those all important shots, sometimes it's necessary to get to know the client a little first and help put them at ease before shooting the candid images. I arrived in Aisling's studio in Arklow but she was keen to try an outdoor setting instead so we only spent a short time indoors. The weather wasn't as nice as we had hoped but we headed to the beach anyway and shot a few images of her with her drum in the calm surroundings. I brought my drone along and grabbed a few images of Aisling from a different perspective.

South Beach, Arklow, Co.Wicklow

With Aisling's affinity for all things natural, we chose a location in a wood for the next series of images. I chose Tomnafinogue Woods near Tinahely which are tranquil and has the lovely shallow River Derry gently flowing through it. Sadly, with the sun concealed by the thick clouds we didn't get the shots I wanted although what we did get worked pretty well.

Tomnafinogue Woods, Tinahely, Co.Wicklow

It was important to grab those images that I knew Aisling needed for both the article and the website and so I said I'd be happy to come back later in the week when the weather promised to be nicer.

Aisling's Article in the Irish Independent.

We were blessed with lovely sunshine this time around so no excuses! We set off for the slightly smaller but much more beautiful beach at The Cove just beyond the Quarry outside Arklow and shot a number of amazing shots in the early morning light. Aisling's web designer needed a headshot so I asked Aisling to pose on a rock that was perfectly positioned on the beach. The beauty of headshots is that you don't always have to go for the formal passport style image, certainly for a client like Aisling, amore informal, candid style image works much better.

The Cove, Arklow, Co.Wicklow

After a short while on the beach we headed off to another wood, this time Ballyfad near Coolgreany. Again, the sun shone down but it took a while to find the right spot to get the shot I had in my mind. A few false starts but eventually we found a small clearing that allowed me to position myself and Aisling and get the shot we needed. I have the Ant bites to prove it!

Ballyfad Woods, Coolgreany, Co.Wexford