Best of

2019 by This Modern Love

Every January, I sit down with all the images I've taken the previous year. Life comes at you fast these days. And this meditative milestone has become an important part of my photography practice - asking what worked last year, what could be done better, what could I try next year to keep things creative...

I've always been a documentary wedding photographer, and this has only become stronger over time. People are asking us for less and less portraits these days. They want us to focus on the story, to shoot real moments as they happen, to observe the things they don't notice, to find the humour, the connections between people.

One other big highlight of the year was having my first solo painting show in ages. I've loved the ebb of winters in the studio making slowly crafted images, flowing into whirlwind wedding summers full of energy and colour. Hopefully each makes the other stronger.

A huge thanks to all of you who've trusted us with your weddings this year. It's been a privilege to photograph days that are so full of thought and love and Guinness and maggotry. You are amazing xx

2018 / Shadows & Light by This Modern Love

2018 / Shadows & Light

2018 has been a strange year all over the world. These weddings have been a tonic, and we’ve held them close to our hearts.

Genuinely appreciating the love, kindness and sense of community that weddings bring into people's lives. The buzzy sense of anticipation around each day. Families and friends moving heaven and earth to be in the same place, at the same time, to celebrate the people they love. It's good for the soul. And we still never take these invitations for granted. 

Creatively it's been a great year. I (Tim) joined a busy collective of artists in Belfast - Vault Studios - and have been painting away in the spaces between weddings. This always ends up feeding into the photography somehow. It stops my brain from falling into visual habits, keeps me trying to see images in a different way. I've also loved being part of This is Reportage, a documentary photographers’ collective, whose genius members keep me on my toes, always striving to be better. 

Often in these end of year reviews, we've talked about the roller-coaster - tiny kids, building a house, constant travelling. But you know what we also did this year? We slowed down. Planted a garden and some apple trees. Whiled days away in the park. Attempted to sew (ok, glue) Halloween costumes. We've been breathing again

Couples of 2018, you've brought a lot of joy into the world this year. You've been the best craic, beyond kind, and have introduced us to gold boots, which are officially the way forward. Thank you one and all.

T&C

2017 / Amazing Human Beings / Mostly Getting Married by This Modern Love

2017! It feels like this is the first year we’ve been able to catch our breath in a long time. Kids a little older, house built, grass growing, books being read...

Weddings have become part of the cycle of our life. They define our seasons. New beginnings in spring, hard graft in summer and autumn, hibernation in winter, until the anticipation builds again... 

There are only so many sweetie tables a man can raid. And as ever, the heart of this work for us is never the stuff (although you guys have some really amazing stuff). But it’s you human beings getting married. Watching your amazing families and friends hold you up. Being a small part of the cycle of your lives. It never stops being a privilege.

So here are some moments from 2017. About 100 of them anyway. Thanks for taking time out to have a look. Hope you enjoy :)

Ps. A note for any fellow camera nerds - 2017 was a year of trying to simplify camera gear as well as life. Apart from the few film snaps, I ended up shooting most of the year on two lenses - a Nikon 28mm and 58mm.