Limerick Newborn & Family Photographer
For Families in Co Clare, Galway, Limerick and all across Ireland
Family Photos for People who Love Life
just the way it is
Hi, I’m Marie
portrait by Deirdre Rusk PhotographyI’m a documentary family photographer in Ireland, right on the border of Limerick and Clare. I take natural, relaxed photos of the beautiful everyday moments that is life as you know it.
Whether you’re looking for newborn photos, family portraits, a vacation photo session or a wedding photographer - whether you live near me or across the country, my goal is the same:
To create photographs that celebrate who you are.
Honest, unposed, natural family photos
for those times in your life when…
everything changes
or when you wish it could stay this way forever
and even in those moments…
when you don’t know if you’ll survive the toddler tantrums and pre-teen woes,
the constant mess
and the sleepless nights…
You’ll have these photos to remind you of the love, the sacrifice, and the joy that was there all along.
I see you
And you are doing an amazing job!
kind words
“Marie has such a beautiful energy about her. Her photographs reflected the exact style I was looking for- relaxed, authentic, natural moments. Not only does she produce beautiful photographs but she was fantastic to work with. I felt so comfortable with her from the very first contact. I felt like I had known her for years! Inviting a photographer to capture private family moments can be intimidating but Marie made all of us feel so relaxed throughout the whole process. She genuinely wanted to get to know us and understand what we were looking for. Even on a wet, windy, winter day in the West of Ireland, Marie was a ray of sunshine.”
- Anna -
So, how do you know if I’m the best family photographer for you?
If you wish you could
Freeze Time
If you believe that
Moments Matter
And….
if you really
really
don’t want to smile
and say “cheese”
then we’re going to get along just fine!
Because I’m all about that relaxed, easy-going, candid, natural, unposed, “this is us” kind of family & baby photos -
how about you?
So how does it work?
Well, it’s like having a friend drop in for a cuppa. You know, the kind of friend who doesn’t care how messy the house is, if the kids are cranky, or the last time you’ve washed your hair; someone who loves you for exactly who you are.
I’ll join you
at home, at a favourite place or on an adventure
We’ll hang out.
talk, play with the kids, maybe have a cup of tea and…
I’ll take pictures
as you go about your day, as you play or cook or change nappies…
as you live life
And that’s when the magic happens
there’s no need for any any fuss or bother, it’s all about
you being you and doing what you do
Of course, there’s something nice about a few of the normal, pretty family portraits, everyone looking straight ahead & smiling at the camera, all dressed up, coordinated, posed and prompted to “smile”.
We can do those too…
but only if you really want them
I can’t wait to get to know you and celebrate your story -
I promise it’s a good one
Family Photography Pricing & Packages
All Photo Sessions Include
A pre-session consultation
Lots of relaxed, hanging out, being yourselves time
An optional short posed “family portrait” time for more traditional family portraits
In-home family photo sessions can start at the house and move on to a walk or a second location for an adventure
An online viewing gallery to view, share, select & download your images
High resolution digital images with print release
An option to purchase additional digital images, wall art, professional prints and heirloom photo products through your online gallery
Additional hours of photography coverage can be added to any package.
For distances over 50km from Sixmilebridge, there is a €75 travel fee
A Day in the Life
From morning stretches to bedtime stories, a DITL photo session tells the story of your lives together & creates a visual legacy for years to come
I’ll spend the day just hanging out, sometimes taking pictures, sometimes just talking, and at the end, you’ll have a time capsule of your everyday, ordinary, messy, crazy, imperfectly perfect life to cherish.
Your pictures will be lovingly curated into a beautifully designed album that will tell the story of our time together, a visual legacy to cherish & pass down to your children & your children’s children.
1,200
the Short Story session
From welcoming home your newborn to enjoying a morning as a family, there’s time to relax and just be yourselves - the easiest photo session ever
1-2 hours
Full Gallery of Digital Images
10 professional prints
650
75.00 travel fee for homes outside of Limerick & Clare counties
the Slice of Life session
A wee glimpse of your life, with a bit of guidance & a touch of posing so that you can have a few portraits for the wall & a couple of candids just for fun.
Up to 1 hour
20 Digital Images
450
Only available for locations 50km from Sixmilebridge, Co Clare
Want to see even more pictures? Maybe some super cute baby photos? Or crazy kids living their best life? What about some precious newborn photos that makes your heart melt? I’m a family photographer who loves all of it!
Click here to see some slideshows and galleries of some really special family photo sessions, weddings & special events
Does this sound like the easiest photo session ever? I’m so glad and I can’t wait to hear from you!
GET IN TOUCH
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT MY STYLE AND THE DOCUMENTARY APPROACHSo what is documentary family photography?
It’s just you, being you
I won’t tell you what to do - I won’t tell you where to go or what to wear. You won’t need to look at the camera or worry about the kids ‘being good”. We will just spend time together, I’ll get to know who you really are. I’ll sit at your kitchen table and chat, I’ll play hide and go seek with your kiddos, or lay on the floor with your baby.
And I’ll take photos of it all - messy mom buns, dirty floors, temper tantrums, spilled tea, wailing newborns, mucky boots, sticky hands, teenage attitudes, sibling rivalry, tight hugs, sloppy kisses. Because it is all beautiful.
This is your life,
and it won’t stay this way forever
A note to my fellow mothers
I’m so glad you’ve made it this far because I have something really really important to say. It might be a little hard to hear, but I am saying it as a good friend - the kind of friend that wants what is best for you no matter what.
You need to be in the pictures too.
I know, I know. You hate being in front of a camera, you’re too awkward, your hair isn’t right, you need to lose weight, your smile is awkward - I have had the same excuses, the same struggles.
But you know what? Your family already knows what you look like and they love you just the way you are. They love you and want to see you in pictures WITH them. They deserve to have those memories. And YOU deserve it too.
You deserve to see how little their hands are in yours - they' won’t stay that small much longer. You deserve to see how your daughter’s head just touches your chin - and how she looks just like you when she looks AT you.
Your life is worth celebrating. Who you really are - that’s beautiful beyond measure. So BE in the pictures; I’m trying hard to do the same.
Love, Marie
FAQs
What is your shooting style?
I am primarily a family documentary photographer. This means that I don’t do a whole lot of posing. I love to play games with the kids, give a few general prompts and directions to the adults, but mostly I am just there to document you being you, with the genuine smiles, mini meltdowns, chaos and cuddles that is your life as you know it.
I try hard to make a genuine connection with everyone so that it feels like hanging out with a friend… who has a camera. And at the end, you get pictures of life the way it is right now, which will mean more with every passing year.
Do you take posed family pictures?
Yes. If you want them. There is a time and a place for posed pictures and I am happy to take the photos you want most. For example, formal family pictures at a Christening can be taken before or after the ceremony. Let me know which photos are most important to you, and I will make sure we set 15-30 minutes aside for these photos. I will also do my best to take pictures of your whole family just BEING together (and I think you’ll like those better). However, if you are looking for a 100% posed and prompted session, we might not be the best fit.
Do I get digital images?
Yes. Every session comes with digital images for you to download from your personal gallery. The “Slice of Life” session includes 20 images. If you love all your photos, you can upgrade to a full gallery download for 200.00. All the other sessions include the full gallery of images to download as well as printed products.
What if I only want digitals?
All my packages include something printed. It’s so so so important to actually have these images in a place where they can be seen and held and shared and enjoyed. I always say, in 20, 60, 80 years time, your children and grandchildren won’t be able to discover a box of family photos in the attic if they’ve never been printed. I have spent a whole lot of time and even more money looking for beautiful, high quality print products that can stand the test of time (and little fingers). Trust me, you’re going to love them. BUT… if you still only lots of digital images, choose the “Slice of Life” session, upgrade to the full gallery, and if you want more time, you can add that on as well.
What if we go longer?
I’ll try my best to keep it to the agreed upon time, but sometimes some really great stuff happens after our time is up. If it’s ok by you, I might stay a teensy bit more to get those great pictures at no further cost at all. If you want more time, additional hours can be added to your session.
This sounds great! I want to book a session! What do I do?
Fill out the Contact Form and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I recommend having a general idea of the dates you want, as I tend to book up several weeks in advance.
We’ll chat on the phone or on zoom so I can learn exactly what you are looking for and we can get to know each other a little. Then, I will send you an email with a link to pay your 50.00 booking fee online, this reserves your date and time and is applied to the total cost.
You don’t have to decide which session you want right away. After your date is reserved, you’ll get a link to look at the session options and select the one you want best. After that I will send you my contract and you’ll be ready to go! A few days before your session we will chat over the phone or zoom, get to know each other a bit better and go over any plans or questions.
Do you have gift vouchers?
I do! I will custom design a photo voucher for any length session and any print collection you want, and then I will post it to you or to the lucky receiver.
How does your pricing work again?
You call, we chat, and we choose a date & time. I will send you an invoice for the €50.00 booking fee to secure that date. This will be applied toward the final cost of your session. The rest of the session fee is due by or before the session. In around 4 weeks you will be sent a link to your personal gallery. There you can see all your pictures and choose the ones you want to download. You can also choose any other print products like framed prints, the folio box, album, etc. and order them directly through your gallery
I also offer a free consultation for helping you choose images, products, and I will custom design your album at no further cost.
Where are you located? And do you travel?
I’m based on the border of Limerick and Clare, but love to see all of Ireland. And because I believe that taking photos in a place that is important to you is what makes a photo truly special, I’m more than happy to travel! (All location 25km away from Sixmilebridge requires a 50.00 travel fee). The Slice of Life session is only available in locations within 100km from Sixmilebridge.
More about Documentary Family Photography
Documentary photography is really an art, it is a type of photojournalism where the photographer is aiming to create a series of pictures that will tell a complete story. The photographer is making pictures that make the viewer feel something towards the subjects by carefully choosing light, composition and moment.
For those who want to stay committed to the art of photojournalism, photographers may not physically change or influence the scene in any way. This includes changing or altering the light source, moving objects to clean up the scene or even asking the subjects to “redo” a moment or move where the moment is happening. Once you begin altering the scene, you are now approaching the work as a lifestyle photographer rather than a documentary one.
Documentary family photography is taking that approach, one that stays true to the ethos of photojournalism, into the homes and lives of families, telling their story as it unfolds.
