Have you ever seen a photographer walk around and shoot with a portable ring flash?

Well I recently purchased one and having been able to practice using it with my golden retriever Bailey as a model, I decided it was ready for a real job. Luckily Jane McDonnell, editor of The Gloss Magazine emailed and told me there was a wedding fair in The Merrion Hotel that needed my services, so I rocked up with the usual camera bag of tricks.

There was a lovely and lively bunch of fiancees and mothers in law to be photographed - not a man in sight!

I took a bunch of social images for The Gloss and then we all went upstairs to view hair and make up wedding advice. As soon as I realised Sarah McDonnell was instagramming images, I started sending her images that I was taking with my camera so Sarah could upload them on to social media.

Outside the room there was a beautiful model waiting to enter and wearing a stunning wedding dress. She didn’t have time for me to take her anywhere else so I had to photograph there and then in the hall outside the room.

I took out my portable ring flash and took this image below. I photographed about 3 or 4 images before my time was up but the image worked and I was really pleased with it.

I wanted to compare the shot I had taken with my normal set up, which involves a soft box on a stand so when the next model came out, I reverted back to my usual set up and thankfully that worked out really well too.

I think the ring flash is the way to go particularly if I am mobile and stuck in one spot at an event. However it will also depend on the person in front of the camera and what they are wearing. It is also a bit fiddly to work with but I think the results are worth it.

Weddings have become such red carpet events and The Merrion Hotel is an amazing venue to hold any event, but especially the biggest event of your life.

When I got married in 2008, in Mayo, the only red carpet was what the dogs slept on, but that’s another story!