Caroline Callaghan

Photography

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family portrait sessions

What to wear for a photoshoot? 

4 February 2026 Baby Photos, Family Photography, Newborn Photography, On location Photoshoots

There can often be a lot of trends when it comes to styling a photo shoot. If a styled shoot is your thing then check out this page for some super recommendations on how to coordinate a whole families clothing for a photo shoot:

https://www.instagram.com/thearteofdressing_

If neutral or the pastel boho look isn’t for you, that is fine (it’s not for a lot of people).

Top Tip: Comfort is Key

I mean this in every sense. The clothes should be comfortable to wear, we don’t want kids fussing or pulling on clothes. However you should feel like yourself. If a beautiful flowy gown in just not you, then do not feel like this is what you should be wearing. Jeans and a nice top are perfect! 😉

Think about patterns and textures:

Again a lot of busy patterns can distract and seem very busy, especially if everyone is wearing them. It often works well to break up patterns with solid blocks of colour or texture (think knits, cashmere, denim etc) .

Don’t be afraid of colour!

If colour is your thing, this can be amazing but just requires a little thought. Do spend a little time making sure the colours you pick are somewhat coordinated and complimentary eg: blue and orange tones work beautifully together. You could decide on warm colours (reds, oranges, yellows) or cool colours (blue, green or purple). They don’t all need to be strong colours, a few lighter or neutral tones mixed with darker tones can avoid a very ‘samey’ feel.  

Top Tip: Avoid text or logos.

They can be super distracting and tend to draw your attention away from expressions or faces –and they should always be the key focus. 

Overall takeaway:

If possible, simply lay out your planned outfits on a bed and see how they look together.  Is anything really grabbing your attention? Do you want it to? Sometimes parents do want the baby to stand out more and they might opt for something simple for themselves, while baby has something brighter or with a cute pattern.

Often a mix of textures and some time coordinating colour tones with some complimentary colours can work beautifully.

Finally, feel free to ignore all of the above!

Ultimately if you are happy with the outfit it will work!  This is your family, your photoshoot and your images that will hopefully spend the rest of your life proudly displayed on your wall. Your outfits should above all else reflect you. You should be comfortable in them in every way!

Family explore beach together

CATEGORIES - Baby Photos, Family Photography, Newborn Photography, On location PhotoshootsTAGGED: Family photographer Castlebar, Family Photography, family photography Mayo, family portrait sessions, Mayo Photographer

Breaffy House Hotel Summer Wedding, Co Mayo

29 January 2025 WEDDING

Martyna and Vjaceslavs had a gorgeous summer wedding at Breaffy House. Their wedding was truly unique and very much done in their own way. They got ready together (definitely easier when you have a little one who wants both Mama and Papa nearby). We took couple photos before the ceremony so they could make the most of the drinks reception and have more time with their guests. We had a lovely short wander through the woodlands to capture some gorgeous, relaxed couple shots. A beautiful indoor ceremony featuring plenty of readings and singing by friends and family (including a few tear jerkers) followed by yummy drinks reception, family photos in a beautiful shaded area off one of the loop walks and then of course the meal and party time!

I am a big fan of Breaffy house, yes it is just on my doorstep which is amazing but the house itself still retains an element of a country house feel while being a big hotel and having all the amenities associated with that. The grounds are gorgeous. Its about 100 acres of Irish countryside, featuring beautiful woodland and a small lake with a lovely water feature and red bridge. Lastly, my daughter would be very upset if I didn’t mention the playground and best of all, a great climbing tree (all the kids will find it).

Bride and groom look to each other as they sit on bridge wall at Breaffy House hotel.

CATEGORIES - WEDDINGTAGGED: family portrait sessions, Mayo Photographer, Natural Wedding Photography, Wedding Photographer Mayo

What to expect for your portrait shoot?

7 November 2023 Baby Photos, Family Photography

Happy girl peaking at camera.

Beforehand…

Once you get in touch we will figure out a time, date and location for your shoot. We will have a chat about what you need, priority shots or any ideas you might have. I will send a contract to sign and a link to pay a deposit. These must be completed to confirm your booking. I will then send you a questionnaire that I ask you to complete. It can spark ideas for you but for me it provides invaluable information about who is in the shoot and helps me create a shoot unique to you. 

During the shoot..

Once we have all arrived at the chosen location we will get started. We will move through the location to capture a variety of shots. Some will be set up, lots will be captured as you move, play and interact with each other. I aim to keep every session fun, relaxed and as natural as possible. Most clients find an hour flys by and kids have had a good run around!

After the session..

I will curate a selection of the best shots – that basically means I get rid of any awkward poses/faces, anything that doesn’t work and narrow it down to only the best shots. I then edit each image to create the best version of it. This does take time. While I do my absolute best to get fully edited galleries out within 3 to 4 weeks at busy times and for bigger galleries this can sometimes take longer. I will give you an indication at the time of shoot.

In the gallery..

A complete gallery is usually a minimum of 40 images but can be anything up to 100 shots for an hour’s shoot. Depending on your package you may have to choose a selection of shots or you may prefer to upgrade to download the whole gallery.

When all your images are ready to go I will share your private online gallery with you. You can then download & share this gallery with as many people as you like. The galleries have a whole heap of features that allows you to mark favourites, hide any images you may not want to share and allows you to purchase prints, albums and framed pieces. I highly recommend you save your images in a number of locations, cloud storage, eternal hard drives, USB keys etc. Of course I honestly believe there is no back up quite like prints, so print print print!

  • Family photographer Castlebar Co Mayo, Family photographer Westport Co Mayo, family photos Wild Atlantic Way, Vacation Photography Ireland
  • young baby plays on bed
  • girl with yellow headband looks straight to camera
  • Young baby lying on dads shoulder, baby photography, professional family photography
  • Girl on swing

CATEGORIES - Baby Photos, Family PhotographyTAGGED: Family photographer Castlebar, Family Photographer Mayo, Family Photography, family photography Mayo, family portrait sessions, how do family portrait sessions work?, what to expect during photo sessions

What is the best age to have my baby photographed?

24 June 2019 Baby Photos, Family Photography

Newborn photography has exploded in popularity in recent years and for very good reason. Those days are so fleeting. They are still so small and squished up, it all leads to incredibly beautiful, emotive photographs. I do love doing newborn lifestyle sessions in clients home. I believe it leads to a really relaxed atmosphere and my hope is that is is easier for more clients to manage. If this stage is when you really want to have documented I highly recommend getting in touch well in advance of your due date as this needs to be done by 7 – 14 days, maybe 21 days old if baby is born a little early.

However I really believe there is no right or wrong age to have your baby photographed. I hear lots of people say they never had their kids photographed when they were newborns & felt they had missed out. Either did I and I’m obsessed with photographing my kids, but it is a crazy time so whats the next best option? Now! Honestly I have photographed babies at every stage and there is always something precious to capture.

When they are a few weeks/months old you are more likely to have them awake and therefore more likely to get eye contact which is incredible. As they become more expressive you might catch any range of emotions from curiosity, confusion, or of course their amazing first smiles.

Throughout the first year or two there is milestone after milestone to capture, from when they can first lift their heads, eat their toes, sit up, crawling and even those first tentative steps, first birthdays. Then we head into the crazy toddler years and that is just an explosion of energy and fun. Not to mention all the adorable rolls and squidgy features!! It is all incredibly exciting and they always look adorable – honestly always!!!

Of course, some of my favourite images to capture are babies with their parents and loved ones, be it siblings or grandparents. I honestly believe this is incredibly important. Your connection and relationship is precious. You are their world. You may not feel quite yourself, but they will grow up loving any images you are in more than anything. Take it from a mum photographer. My kids are always asking ‘where was I’ why wasn’t I there’ because I am always the one taking the photograph! I can see their eyes light up when I can show them one with me. It means everything to them.

So whenever you choose to have your family photographed be sure to have the whole family involved. Yes we will capture their important milestones and personalities but we will also capture what is incredibly important to them – your relationships and connections as a family.

CATEGORIES - Baby Photos, Family PhotographyTAGGED: best age for baby photos, Family photographer Castlebar, Family Photographer Mayo, Family Photography, family photography Mayo, family portrait sessions, how do family portrait sessions work?

THE GRAM

I am so excited to announce I will be running Chri I am so excited to announce I will be running Christmas mini sessions again. They will be taking place in The Meeting Rooms, upstairs in @bridgestreetbar Castlebar, F23 PN20 on Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th November.

It will again draw inspiration from the gorgeous stage location and have a similar feel to last years, but with a little refresh and plenty of fun Xmas props thrown in.

Places are very limited, so please do book asap via link in bio.
15 minutes, 5 Digital images for self printing, €150.

All images will be provided via your very own private online gallery and store, perfect for sharing with loved ones along with plenty of upgrade options.

Families are always welcome. In fact, I absolutely encourage it!
Babies who can not sit independently will need a family member to support them.

Please note the earlier date than last year to accommodate print & product requests in time for Christmas.

#christmasphotos #Christmas2025 #christmasphotoshoot #FamilyFriendlyMayo #familyphotographer
Really looking forward to the Newborn & portrait s Really looking forward to the Newborn & portrait summit @npsummit in Sligo in 2 weeks. I love any opportunity to learn &  improve my photography skills, the fact I get to meet and be inspired by some of the industry's finest is 👌🤗
#alwayslearning #alwaysupskilling #newbornphotography #portraitphotography #familyphotography
Happy Valentine’s to all my gorgeous couples, but Happy Valentine’s to all my gorgeous couples, but especially to all of those celebrating their first valentines as a married couple!

One such couple are Aaron and Alpona who were lucky enough to have not 1 but 2 wedding celebrations, the first in @sligo_parkhotel in November!
They had a beautiful church ceremony followed by a lively reception surrounded by family and friends. I can only imagine how much fun the second celebrations were in Mumbai.
Such a gorgeous, fun-loving couple who were an absolute dream to work with, even happy to brave the cold for some fab outdoor shots. 💗

@i.p.p.v.a
@networkirelandmayo
@muintearas_ireland
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#weddingphotographerireland #sligowedding #weddingphotography #valentines2025 #firstvalentinesmarried #irishwedding #2025bridetobe
Come along for a short and sweet headshot session Come along for a short and sweet headshot session on 08.02.25. This is the perfect opportunity to finally update your old headshots. These are perfect for anyone who has a very simple bio on their own or other business websites, Linked In profile etc.
May also suit anyone who has already had a full personal branding session and would like to add some variety to their image bank.

Session includes: 
15 minute mini session in a relaxed studio setting.
3 high resolution jpeg images. 
Images edited to a professional standard and available for download through private online gallery.

Book through the link in bio or DM for more info.
I am so excited to announce my Christmas mini sess I am so excited to announce my Christmas mini sessions will be taking place in The Meeting Rooms, upstairs in @bridgestreetbar Castlebar, F23 PN20 on Saturday 23rd November. The venue itself has inspired the set: we will be setting up on 'stage', stage curtains drawn but full of twinkling lights, stars and snowflakes to give us the ultimate Christmas feels.

Places are very limited so please do book asap via link in bio.

15 minutes, 3 Digital images for self printing, €100.

All images will be provided via your very own private online gallery and store, perfect for sharing with loved ones.
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CASTLEBAR, CO MAYO

Caroline Callaghan

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