The Hero Image
This was taken right after Serena and Casper's private vows, at the top of the staircase, just above where they married. We didn't have long, I wanted them back with their guests for cocktail hour, so I prioritised film over digital. There's a large dome skylight above them that kept the whole scene soft. Shot on Portra 400 on the Pentax 645N. I took a flash frame too, but I preferred the ambient one.
The Gear and Details
Gear: Canon R5, Canon EOS 3, Pentax 645N, Fujifilm GA645
Photography Team: Solo
Coverage: 10 hours
Andii (videographer) and I flew into Dublin from Rome, then spent the day before the wedding in the city with Casper and a few of the guests. From there, we drove two hours north to Crom Castle in County Fermanagh (Ireland).
Crom is Serena’s family’s ancestral home and somewhere she grew up visiting, so photographing her getting married in a house her family has known for generations gave the entire weekend a uniquely special weight and vibe.
Photographer: Kyle Ingram
Holding onto the Softness
I was using flash for a bit here, then decided to change off the flash because the light in the room was so soft and I wanted to hold onto that. I knew ambient light here would read prettier and softer. Shot on the Pentax 645N, 75mm.
Setting the Scene
“Serena and Casper wanted the weekend to feel playful and to express who they are as a couple, so there was this lovely mix of traditional wedding elements and Serena's Irish heritage with more modern, personal touches. Serena even drew the stationery herself.
Serena had a moodboard, but it was loose. I've shot her plenty of times for fashion jobs, so we were completely comfortable with each other and I already knew her vision. I knew she loved film, so I brought more than 50 rolls for the two days and shot every hero frame on film. Film was the priority for the whole weekend. Finishing the wedding with all the hero shots on film was nerve-racking, but getting the scans back felt like Christmas.
I did have to sweet-talk airport security into hand-checking all 50-plus rolls leaving Dublin, and they could not have been more understanding. I also didn't always have time to meter, so I was eyeballing settings on the film bodies. Luckily I was accurate.”
Getting Ready
“Getting ready is my favourite part of the day. Coming into weddings from a fashion background, I love floating around bridal prep and catching the raw, candid moments first. Once hair and makeup are done I start gently posing candids with the couple and the bridal party, and once they're dressed I direct them the way I would models on a fashion job. I'm careful never to over-pose. I tell all my couples, if you feel uncomfortable, it looks uncomfortable. I keep my kit light during prep. The last thing I want is to be pushing a big camera into someone's face, that kills the mood and pulls them straight out of the day. I mainly used the Fujifilm GA645 and the R5 for prep, and switched to the Pentax for portraits once Serena and Casper were dressed.
As these things go, we were crunched for time. The day was running behind and Andii and I had maybe four minutes for Serena's portraits. Every one of them was shot in that window, mostly on the Pentax 645N on Portra 400. My favourite was made literally a minute before she walked down.”
Leaning into the Chaos
Shot on the Pentax 645N on Portra 400. Casper's prep room was chaos in the best way, everyone suiting up, fathers and brothers and groomsmen all moving fast. Rather than fight it I shot slow shutter to lean into the craziness. Working solo, I was running between Serena's and Casper's rooms on opposite wings of the castle, and I caught this through the doorway as I arrived.
Ceremony
“The ceremony was fast. I didn't have a chance to reload between cameras, so I was careful with how I shot film. It was also dimly lit. I'd asked about the lighting the day before and knew it would be a Portra 800 kind of ceremony, so I pre-loaded each camera with 800 and shot flash on the Fujifilm. Both of them said afterwards how calm they felt once it started, and you can see it in the frames.”
Portraits
“The light in the castle was lovely, the big windows gave me a lot to work with. And being in Ireland, the overcast sky acted like a giant softbox, which made metering for film much faster and more reliable. We had a few rain scares that pushed portraits back and forth. We'd scouted a few spots but scrapped most of them so Serena and Casper could stay with their guests.
My favourite images are the ones right after the ceremony, when Serena and Casper slipped away for their private vows. Andii and I grabbed them for two minutes at the top of the staircase, just above where they married, under the large dome skylight. That's where I made the hero frame, on the Pentax 645N on Portra 400.”
Adding Another Layer
Shot on Kodak Gold 200 on the recovery day. The Defender belongs to the castle and it was great to get it involved, we didn't have time to use it on the wedding day. Andii thought of it and it was a great idea. I like adding layers to an image, so putting Serena in the car with Casper standing outside gave the frame a bit more to hold.
‘Getting Close’
Shot on the Fujifilm GA645 with flash. This was on the ceremony staircase, too dark to hold an ambient exposure, so I manually flashed it.
I like getting close to people. Shooting a little wider and stepping into someone's personal space makes you feel like you're in the frame when you look at it later, rather than watching from across the room.
Reception
“The reception was so much fun. Serena and Casper really prioritised the food, the wine and the guest experience, and everyone mingled, which made candids and group shots feel organic rather than staged. At one point every single person was on the dance floor. The light was great, being in the north of Ireland it didn't get dark until around 11:30pm, so I had plenty to work with well into the night. I used some flash, mainly on the film camera so I could shoot at a higher aperture. Beyond that I kept flash to a minimum so I stayed out of the way during speeches and dinner.”
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Closing Thoughts
“It's always an honour to shoot a friend's wedding. Both Casper and Serena work with plenty of photographers, so to be trusted to not only capture their day but spend the whole weekend with them meant a lot. Serena told me she trusted my vision and let me shoot what I saw, and there's no better thing a couple can say. Thank you for trusting me with your wedding.”
— Kyle x
Vendors
Venue/privately owned @cromcastle
Photography @kyle.ingram
Videographer @andii
Day of Coordinators @epiceventdesign
Hair and makeup @suebrophy_makeup
Wedding dress and second look @preajamesbridal
Jewellery and wedding bands @kateandkole
Engagement ring @alinkajewellery
Recovery look @theattico
