BT5, Belfast
Stephen McCracken is a professional photographer based in Belfast. With over 30 years experience behind the camera, he has the creative expertise to capture fantastic images, no matter the occasion. Specialising in Weddings, Property, Commercial, Event & PR, Fashion and Portrait photography, Stephen is passionate about producing professional images that pack both quality and personality in every shot.
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100 customer reviews
Jayne Best
General Photography
Stephen was amazing...professional, fun and reliable... and the photos were superb too :) I would highly recommend him.
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks Jayne, it was my absolute pleasure to have been of help to you - you were a joy to deal with too!
Aoibheann Cairns
We couldn't be happier with the photos we received from our wedding day. Stephen is a very talented photographer and really captured the magic of the day. He was so creative with some of the shots and had us all laughing and feeling relaxed which have resulted in the most beautiful pictures. I would highly recommend Stephen as a wedding photographer. More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks Aoibheann, it's very kind of you to say such nice things about me! It was a lovely Christmas wedding and wasn't it fantastic that we still managed to get outside for some photos too - compete with coloured smoke bombs and autumn leaves too! Great fun!
Aidan
General Photography
Stephen was extremely professional and did exactly as asked for a photography project for airbnb. Superb photos, delivered on time and on budget, would highly recommend and will use again
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much indeed Aidan. It was pleasure to have been of help and I hope my photography gets you lots of bookings!! Stephen
Harry
Stephen was an absolutely fantastic photographer. He is super easy to get along with and made us comfortable. We are not very confident infront of the camera but Stephen makes it very easy. We requested candid photos for our wedding and he absolutely delivered on that. We have the most beautiful photos to look back on of our special day. 10/10 would recommend Stephen. Thank you so much More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks Harry, I really appreciate your very kind review. I especially liked the photos with all of the autumn colours. You were just lovely to photograph - a real pleasure!
Sarah
Excellent service from start to finish! Photos were perfect and he was lovely to work alongside and good craic too!
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks a million Sarah - your wedding was such good fun! I loved the use of party poppers for you both coming back down the aisle! x
Sarah-Louise McGeough Dougherty
Can’t recommend Stephen enough. From the get go he kept in touch & he was constantly reassuring us and doing his thing. We got some photographs back over the weekend from our wedding on Friday and both my husband and I are delighted.
Reviewed on Google Maps
Sarah-Louise McGeough Dougherty
Wedding Photography
Stephen was absolutely excellent from start to finish. I can’t praise him enough. From the get go his work was on par and nothing was too much hassle.
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks a million Sarah-Louise, that's very kind of you! Your wedding was great and I'm so pleased that you love the photos you've seen so far! Stephen
Amy McMullan
Stephen was our photographer for our wedding 16.11.23 and he was absolutely fantastic. so quick to capture beautiful moments. highly recommended. he kept us all at ease and right with poses to get the perfect shot! thanks again Stephen More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Nick Williamson
When we first approached Stephen he was only too happy to accommodate us and our tight timeline to have a number of products photographed at our premises. The finished photographs were excellent and of a high professional quality. Stephen is clearly experienced in his field and was a pleasure to get to know for the short time he was here. Thank you again Stephen, we will be sure to be in touch in the future when we need more product photos! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Craigmore Online
When we first approached Stephen he was only too happy to accommodate us and our tight timeline to have a number of products photographed at our premises. The finished photographs were excellent and of a high professional quality. Stephen is clearly experienced in his field and was a pleasure to get to know for the short time he was here. Thank you again Stephen, we will be sure to be in touch in the future when we need more product photos! More...
Bruh Tadesse Shifera
We've received the photos , and I must say, your photography is absolutely outstanding. The images are breathtaking and exactly what I had in mind. I'm sincerely grateful for your incredible talent, patience, and unwavering dedication to capturing these moments so beautifully. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
kayleigh dougherty
Stephen was our wedding photographer for our big day! He was amazing and made us feel so comfortable as my husband and myself are quite camera shy 🤭 he made our guests feel great too! He was cracking jokes and made sure to get every photograph I wanted plus more! We are looking forward to seeing the rest 😀 Stephen "The Legend" Mccracken is highly recommended for any event you may be looking for 💗 Thanks Stephen for being an essential part of our day! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Christine
Wedding Photography
I can’t thank Stephen enough for our wedding photography. He was extremely professional and really put us at ease. He was very good at blending into the background and took some amazing photos. I’m not the most comfortable getting photos taken but he was able to really put me at ease and enjoy the experience. I would highly recommend him to anyone. More...
Jodie kelly
Property Photography
We contacted Stephen hoping to get really good quality photographs for our newly listed self catering accommodation. Stephen kept in contact with us in the lead up to the day to ensure the weather was perfect to get the best pictures possible and moved his schedule around to accommodate our booking around this. The photographs were absolutely stunning (10× better than what I could have gotten on my phone) and showcase the property to its full potential. The bookings are flying in even though we've only been live for a few weeks, in my eyes bringing Stephen on board is an investment that has already paid for itself. Will definitely be using Stephen again when we expand. More...
Miss Pauline Douglas
Headshot Photographers
Stephen was magnificent to work with on a modelling shoot, he was very professional in every way, the best experience ever, I would highly recommend him for any photography work, we were soo happy with how comfortable he made us feel during it. His pricing is excellent 👌 and he was so quick and efficient with the photographs and adjusted his backgrounds to suit our different styles, then always in contact to make sure he met all our needs. Highly recommend 👌👌👌 More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much indeed Pauline, I'm so pleased that you were both very happy with my efforts! The shoot was great fun and well done for bringing along such a good range of clothes! Hope fully I can be of help to you again sometime? Many thanks, Stephen :)
jodie hinds
We used Stephen as the photographer for our airbnb - we didn't really know what we needed but his experience guided us along the way. We have bookings flying in based on how beautiful the place looks and loads of pictures as a back up for future social media posts. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Suzanne Davis
Event & Party Photography
Stephen did a fabulous job of photographing our recent company gala dinner in Belfast. He sent through the edited photographs in record time and everyone is pleased as punch with them. They capture our evening perfectly. Many thanks, Stephen. More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much for your super review Suzanne! It was such a good evening and I'm glad that it was such a big success! Stephen
Patrick Law
Delighted with Stephen’s work. Stephen was very creative, professional and friendly. He captured a batch of property images for me and turned them around very quickly. Could not be happier with the output, at a great price. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
W. JAMES
Wedding Photography
Extremely friendly and professional
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much indeed Wilma - it's very kind of you to say so......and for going to the trouble of giving me a review too! Stephen
Ruth Steele
We had a great time with Stephen.. completely open to ideas and captured beautiful pics.
Reviewed on Google Maps
Paddy Quinn
Reviewed on Google Maps
Danai Daravigka
Wedding Photography
Stephen was the perfect wedding photographer! He listened to our needs and delivered an excellent job! We also had two dogs so it wasn’t an easy job for him but he did an incredible job! We are very very happy that we chose him to capture this important moment of our lives. Thank you Stephen! More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much for your very kind review Danai. It was an absolute pleasure to photograph your very special day! Take care, Stephen
Neil Wilkinson
Wedding Photography
Stephen McCracken has been very professional and helpful to us and has a fantastic portfolio
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much indeed Neil, I'm pleased that you're happy with my service so far and I'm looking forward to photographing your wedding next April.
Connie C.
My friends and I booked a shoot with Stephen and we had a wonderful experience with him. I'm not always comfortable in front of the camera, but Stephen made me feel relaxed and gave me lots of direction and help with how to pose. He was very professional, friendly, and great at communicating. The pictures came out beautiful! I highly recommend getting in touch with Stephen for all your photography needs. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Sophie Moxey
I used Stephen for product photography for my candles, he was very professional and friendly to deal with and the photos exceeded any expectations I had. I would highly recommend him to anyone needing a photographer. I hope your wife likes the candle :) Thanks Sophie More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Sara
Wedding Photography
We hired Stephen for our wedding last month April 2022 using Bark. Because I had just moved to Northern Ireland 4 months prior, I had no idea who to choose for our wedding photographer, nor did my partner. I found Stephen using Bark, and I’m so happy we did. He was very reassuring, personable and a responds back to messages in a timely manner. His prices were also very reasonable. During our wedding he was very professional and thorough about getting the right shot and taking loads of different pictures. After we received our photos from the wedding, we were absolutely delighted with the outcome. The pictures captured the joy of the day and the happiness on our faces. Highly recommend Stephen for high quality and affordable photography. More...
Sarah Parker
Stephen was a delight to work with. At the time of our wedding my husband and I were in Wales, Stephen was very understanding and did all the initial meetings with my parents but always copied my husband and I in the emails.
Whenever my husband and I moved back to Belfast we got the chance to meet up with Stephen. During our meeting Stephen was able to show us some of his photography skills and he was able to explain why he took that particular shot and how it affected the photo, throughout the meeting Stephen was upbeat and it was clear he was passionate about his work which is why we decided to use him for our wedding photos.
On the day of the wedding Stephen proved himself as a worthy photographer he made everyone feel at ease and through his chatting and occasional jokes I was able to smile naturally. Unfortunately, it rained on the day of our wedding so we weren’t able to get any outside photos but again Stephen was very accommodating and found all the best spots in the hotel which meant my husband and I didn’t miss out on anything.
If anyone is looking for a photographer, I highly recommend Stephen McCraken Photography, he took stunning photos and was overall a pleasure to work with. Trust me when I say you won’t be disappointed.
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Darren
Stephen's photos of our wedding were beautiful. It was obvious that Stephen is passionate about photography, and this is evident in our photos. We really enjoyed having our photos taken by Stephen, particularly at the riverside. We would highly recommend him. More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Hi Darren and Marina, thanks very much indeed for your 5 star review! I really appreciate it. So glad you were very happy with your photos. That river at Galgorm is just a stunning backdrop, especially on a nice sunny day! Thanks again, Stephen
Dianne C
Wedding Photography
Stephen was the photographer for our daughter’s wedding in Dec 21 and we were delighted with his photographs. In addition to his skill as a photographer his personality helped to make what could be a stressful event (organising a wedding) much easier. He was efficient, punctual, listened (and carried out) the specific requests of the bridal party as well as offering his professional guidance. As well as always replying promptly to any query we had, prior to the wedding he ‘scoped’ out both the Church and the venue to ensure the best shots (both posed and candid) could be captured on the day. A very pleasant, professional man to deal with, very happy to recommend his services. More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much for your really kind review of my services Dianne. I was more than happy to be of help to you and didn't the entire day go to plan perfectly? So happy that everyone loved the photos too. Many thanks again, Stephen
Lara
We got Stephen to capture the moments at my husband’s 50th birthday evening.
Stephen was amazing from the first conversation we had to the main event and afterwards.
He goes beyond the call of duty and was very professional.
Stephen is more than a photographer, he makes you feel very comfortable behind the camera and exudes warmth all through.
The photo booth was very popular with our guests and I’m definitely sure some of them will be calling for his services soon.
The photos were lovely and the entire evening was captured beautifully.
Thank you so much for your wonderful services and the many discounts given Stephen.
You won’t be disappointed if you use Stephen for your special moments I promise.
THANK YOU Stephen.
NB: the hubby was very pleased with the photos as well😊
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Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Oh my goodness Lara.....now that's what I call a review!! I'm so pleased that you were very happy my services. I'll hopefully be able to be of help to you again sometime soon. Thanks, Stephen
Louise
General Photography
Stephen was so great, so accommodating and professional and lovely and took exactly the photos we wanted! Thank you so much Stephen
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much for your extremely kind review Louise. It was my pleasure and I'm so glad that you loved the photos! Take care, Stephen
Victoria
Headshot Photographers
I'm usually not the most confident person in front of the camera, but Stephen really puts you at ease and is so thorough. We did many set ups and now I have such a great variety of professional pics to use on my website and across social media . I'm normally quite critical of pics of myself but I really love the photos Stephen shot for me. Highly recommend. More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much indeed for you lovely review Victoria, I really appreciate it. The shoot was great fun, you were brilliant and I'm so pleased that you're very happy with your photos. Hope you enjoy putting them to good use! Best of luck and thanks again, Stephen
Philippa warwick
Property Photography
I needed some professional photographs for my house listing. Stephen was quick to respond to my request for a quote and was able to fit me in a couple of days. On the day of the shoot, Stephen was prompt and professional and the photographs were outstanding. His work speaks for itself as 4 days after adding his photographs to my listing, I received a full asking price cash offer for my house! Thanks again Stephen! More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much for your very kind review Philippa. It was an absolute pleasure and I'm so glad that you got the result that you were looking for! The power of great photos!! Thanks again and the best of luck in your future home. Stephen
Loren
General Photography
We had a photo shoot in the studio for our daughters first birthday. Stephen was great, he made us feel very comfortable and we had a fun hour with him. The pictures are amazing I really couldn’t recommend him enough x More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much indeed Loren for your very kind review. It was fun and your little girl was such a pleasure to photograph! Hope that I can be of help to you again sometime. Take care, Stephen
Vanessa
It was a pleasure to work with Stephen. I contacted him to photograph our civil ceremony at Belfast City Hall - it was a very small gathering with only the parents, and I wasn't looking for a big photo shoot. I asked him if he would be available for an hour, and to my surprise he agreed. On the day he was punctual, very friendly and personable, and made the experience enjoyable. To his credit he actually stayed longer than an hour and provided a whopping 200+ photos! I would be happy to work with Stephen again on other family occasions. More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much indeed Vanessa and Sam for your extremely kind comments! You were both wonderful to photograph and it was my absolute pleasure to have been of help! Hopefully I can be of help to you again sometime. Take care, Stephen
Claire Austin
General Photography
We did a family/maternity photo shoot with Stephen and are over the moon with the photos. Besides being excellent value for money, Stephen was excellent at making us all relax and enjoy the shoot. Would highly recommend 5star
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Hi Claire, thanks very much indeed for your wonderful review! I really enjoyed photographing you and your lovely family. Best of luck for when your twins arrive.....and maybe you'll have me back again sometime in the future to capture you all over again? Many thanks! Stephen :)
Lynette McKay
General Photography
My husband and I celebrated 30 years of marriage in June 2021 and as we wanted something special to mark this occasion, I contacted Stephen via Bark.
Stephen was very professional in his approach with us, and made us feel as ease while the photos where being taken. Stephen worked along side us with all of our ideas and suggestions. I couldn't have asked for a better photographer.
I would highly recommend Stephen and will be contacting him in the future. He really is great at what he does. Thank you.
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Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much indeed Lynette.....it was my absolute pleasure to photograph you both to mark your 30th Wedding Anniversary! Looking forward to the next time already! Stephen
Ally Jeanna
Stephen was our photographer for our wedding last week and he was absolutely brilliant. He has very good ideas for photos and is friendly, kind, and enthusiastic, and he was even happy to get on to a ferris wheel lol. He truly went above and beyond for us and I can't wait to see the photographs. Thank you so much, Stephen. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Emma McCann
Wedding Photography
Amazing work, very well pleased with the quality, such a friendly and kind man. Definitely recommend him.
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much Emma and Dean, I really appreciate your very kind comments! It was my pleasure to photograph your wedding and I wish you every happiness together! Stephen
Daryll Madine
Stephen recently took photos for our entire family circle and his patience on the day to organise us all for individual family photos and as as entire group were commendable. We were so impressed on the day, nothing was too much but we didn't realise that the best was still to come - the quality of the photos when they arrived were absolutely top class. Cannot recommend enough 10 out of 10 for professionalism, value for money and attention to detail. Thanks from the entire family. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Perla
Portrait Photographers
Outdoor graduation photoshoot.
It was a great experience working with Stephen, from the booking of the shoot he was very helfpful sending me similar photos he has taken before, helping me get an idea of what kind of photos I wantrd for my graduation.
Throughout the shoot he was very friendly and positive, making me very comfortable and natural in front of the cam. I absolutely loved my photos and got a variety of angles to chose from!
Would definitly work with Stephen again!
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Jessica & David
Wedding Photography
We could not recommend Stephen more! From the very first dealings with Stephen right through to receiving our photos he was an absolute gentleman, incredibly easy to get on with. He captured every perfect moment of our ceremony and we didn’t even notice that he was standing there. Fantastic photographer, all photos edited and with us 3 weeks from our big day! We couldn’t speak higher of Stephen! More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much Jessica and David for your amazing review! Your wedding was a real gem.....and even though it was an extremely wet day.....wasn't it well worth still going outside for some of the photos? I'm so glad that you were very happy with my service from start to finish. It was my pleasure and thanks very much for choosing me! Take care and hopefully I might be of help to you again sometime in the future. Stephen :)
Dermot
Excellent experience Stephen was accommodating and easy to work with
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Hi Dermot, thanks very much for your 5 star review! I'm glad you enjoyed the photoshoot experience and it was my pleasure to have been of help to you and your lovely family! Thanks again, Stephen
Diane
Portrait Photographers
From the first point of contact Stephen was a pleasure to work with. We wanted an outdoor family shoot- all 20 of us, and nothing was a bother. He advised about location, clothing, groups etc and had lots of great suggestions. On the day he made it so easy for everyone- from the youngest to the oldest. He made it fun and relaxed. We are absolutely thrilled with the end product- ALL of them! I would highly recommend Stephen - great photos, great value , great fun. Thanks Stephen More...
Jemma sewell
Wedding Photography
We hired Stephen for our wedding day, he was so professional and so easy to get on with from start to finish. The photos turned out absolutely amazing, we were so happy, I would highly recommend Stephen😊
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much indeed for your lovely review of my services guys! It was a beautiful service and a beautiful day too. Weren't we so lucky to get a lovely sunny day for the photos in Antrim Castle Gardens? I wish you every happiness together. Take care and thanks again, Stephen
Lorraine & Andrew Guy
Wedding Photography
The contact from Stephen was fantastic from day one. We gave him ideas of what we felt we would like, he listened to every detail and did everything plus more. He is such a gentleman and made everyone feel so relaxed. We had never heard of Stephen before our big day & my goodness we picked the right man for the job. He captured every moment, he left nothing out, so delighted with the pictures they were amazing....black and white, coloured, formal and informal. So lovely to look back on the pictures because he captured every single precious moment, he made our special day extra special. HONESTLY stop looking any further, you won't find anyone better for the job. Ten stars 🌟 can't thank you enough More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Wow!! Now that's what a call a review!! I couldn't have even written a better one for myself.....not that I would do such a thing obviously! Your wedding was such fun, and I really enjoyed photographing it for you! So 10 stars to you too. Many thanks and I wish you every happiness together for years to come. Stephen
Sean McKinley
Commercial & Corporate Photographers
Stephen is brilliant at what he does and very professional to deal with, we hired him to take products images of our candles. We gave him a rough description of what we would like and he exceeded what we could ever have wanted. Very happy with the images and the service we wouldn’t look anywhere else now for a photographer. Thanks again Sean & Sophie. More...
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Hi Sean & Sophie, thanks very much indeed for your very kind review....I really appreciate it. I absolutely loved photographing your candles in my studio. It gave me the opportunity to try out some of my new backdrops etc. I'm so pleased you loved the results and I hope it'll result in more sales for you! Thanks again, Stephen
Jasmin McCormick
Wedding Photography
I would highly recommend Stephen, great photographer and lovely guy.
Reply from Stephen McCracken Photography
Thanks very much for your very kind review Jasmin!! It was my absolute pleasure to photograph your wedding for you and Kieran. It was a really beautiful day!! Many thanks again, Stephen
FIona Dunlop
General Photography
Beautiful photographs to help show my home in the best light. Mr McCracken was professional in how to highlight the smallest of spaces and knew how to showcase the house. A modest investment in quality photographs brought us new viewings and offers. I would highly recommend Mr McCrackens’s photography, efficient and quality service from start to finish. More...
Janet Williamson
Professional, Personable and very thorough.