Kevin Murphy is a wedding photographer based in County Clare in Ireland. He recently won the SWPP’s Overall Photographer of the Year award in January 2015 and is known for his personal and fun style. We caught up with him to find out what inspires him and what his favourite part of being a photographer is.
How long have you been working as a photographer?
My business is 3 years old this month. Before it was a business, photography was a serious hobby for about 10 years. My first year in business was a bit of everything, but it has since evolved to be exclusively wedding photography.
What inspires your photography?
I tend to draw on the clients getting married for inspiration. I usually meet people a few times before their wedding to get a good idea of their personalities, their interests, and so on and I work on incorporating those into the wedding photography somehow. I love this because it not only means that every wedding is different (which keeps it interesting for me), but it also results in really personal images for the clients.
How did it feel to be awarded with Photographer of the Year at SWPP this year ?
Shocking! It was incredible – I did not see it coming at all! I wasn’t expecting to win in my category so that was a great surprise and when I went on to win the overall Photographer of the Year I couldn’t believe it. It’s six months ago now and it still hasn’t sunk in!
What is the best part of your job?
The wedding day. Absolutely. I love everything about it – the anticipation, the nerves, the emotions, the speeches, the dance floor – everything! It’s such a privilege to be welcomed, for one day, into a family and document what is such an important day for them.
What do you carry in your camera bag?
Which bag?! :) I tend to have a lot of gear with me – with weddings I tend to be over prepared. In my main back pack I have the Canon 5D MkIII, lenses (24-70L 2.8, 70-200L 2.8, 100mm macro), 600EXRT, radio triggers, odds and ends (blutack, a prism, business cards, spare batteries/memory cards, circular polarising filter).
In my secondary bag I have a bunch of extra gear (backup camera, strobes, quadra system, nano light stands and umbrellas, spare cables, adapters, batteries, triggers, etc). Finally, in the car I will have a tripod, light stands, a third backup camera, laptop with external drive for backup, etc.
We know you love to have fun and aim to create a really enjoyable wedding experience for your clients, what is the funniest and most enjoyable assignment you’ve had?
It’s hard to pick just one, but I’ve had a few weddings this year which have been more like trash the dress shoots than weddings! In fact a bride who climbed a tree and built sandcastles in a bunker on a golf course on her wedding day got in touch this week to organise a trash the dress shoot! I was sure we had already trashed it! ;)
How do you help your camera shy clients feel at ease in front of the camera?
I really enjoy weddings so I think that rubs off a bit. Also, because I’ve met the clients recently and had a good chat with them they already feel at ease in my company. I tend to smile and laugh a lot too which helps others relax and join in on the fun.
What is the most popular Folio Albums product among your clients?
The 10″x10″ Fine Art Album with photo cotton wrap.
Are there any photographers you admire?
I tend to gravitate towards photographers who do things a little differently, such as Sam Hurd, Jeff Newsom, Ben Chrisman, Erika + Lanny Mann.
What advice would you give to a wedding photographer at the start of their career?
Be yourself. Find out what you are good at and what you love doing and stay true to it. As it happens, I’m giving a masterclass at the next SWPP Convention in London in January called “Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me That” which is full of advice and tips for anyone starting a wedding photography business.
Thank you to Kevin for taking the time to contribute to the blog! You can visit his website here: www.kevinmurphyphotography.com