THE NEXT JEN

Ireland is so far away from my home on the dry and breezy beaches of southern California. But since my first visit in 2016, it has always felt like a home-away-from-home.

Something about the way an afternoon drizzle clings to the wool on your cardigan and the feeling in your lungs after a gulp of fresh air in the Irish countryside can make a heart sing. In fact, what’s Ireland without a beautiful song?

This past July while staying in Dublin, my fiancé and I had the opportunity to have a photo shoot with an incredible husband/wife team based in Northern Ireland. I had admired their Instagram for months before we actually knew we were going to be in the area – when they had availability for the one afternoon we had open before flying out, we jumped at the opportunity.

A testament to their dedication, they made the drive from Belfast to Dublin and worked with our limited time frame to find a beautiful spot to shoot in the city. We had expected a severe rainstorm that afternoon, but the sun stayed strong. The sunset turned out absolutely glorious.

Phoenix Park served as the location for the shoot – twice the size of Central Park in NYC. We had never been there before that day, and now we hope to visit for a picnic when we go back.