First and foremost, I'm a visual storyteller.
And for me, every wedding is a unique story in a different setting with all these new characters that have emotionally bonded together. I like getting inside the nuances of the subtext that drives the plot for the day's story: the wedding, two couples becoming one, two families coming together to celebrate this love, and the friends standing at their side, cheering them on. And I get to tell the story!
I'm sure there are plenty of wedding photographers in the area who offer a photojournalistic style of shooting weddings, but I doubt many enjoy it as much as I do. And fewer still create this fusion between documenting the day's details and creating a romantic, artsy look, that captures the story in an elegant style.
There is a lot of responsibility in shooting a wedding, and I don't take that lightly. You can count on me arriving earlier than we agreed upon, and I'll be completely focused that day in producing images that you and your family will be cherishing forever. It's critical that your wedding photography is done well, and that's why you'll want to hire me as your photographer. If you're looking for the least expensive photographer out there, someone who will just document the event and hand you a bunch of JPGs on a CD when it's all said and done, I'm probably not the photographer you're looking for.
Wedding photographs are used for three main purposes: wedding albums, wall shots, and an online gallery for friends and family to view from all over the country and abroad. The album should tell the entire story, from the beginning of the day to the end of the night. That's why I offer full-day coverage. The wall shot comes from the very best of two or three absolutely gorgeous moments. And that's why I'm not simply a photojournalist; when the moment presents itself, an artist sometimes has to take control to capture that moment, or it's lost forever. The wedding photographer should be aware of all three purposes throughout the day, and that's another element that sets me apart.
Here is a brief summary of responsibilities I would take on as your photographer on your wedding day:
Getting ready
The photographer plays several roles, from shoot photojournalistically from the background to actively choreographing the situations. When you’re having hair and makeup done, or laughing with your bridesmaids, you don’t need to know I exist. But when it comes time for you to put on your dress and veil and jewelry, I will take over to ensure your photos are the best they can be in whatever setting we are in. Just because your dress is hanging somewhere doesn't mean that's where I have to take a picture to commemorate it, if another location is more photogenic. A great wedding photographer knows when take over, and when to stay in the background.
Ceremony
This is the most challenging aspect of the day for a photographer. There are many important moments that take place in rapid succession, and there's no second chances to recreate the event. I’m usually working under restrictive conditions while trying to be completely invisible. I think it's important to cover the ceremony intimately, with tight close-ups revealing everyone’s emotions, and also from a distance, to get perspective. So I do a lot of tiptoeing around to quietly cover all angles. You'll want a photographer who knows his way around wedding ceremonies, and that's yet another reason that sets me apart.
Formals
The wedding photographer has to be able to take charge, and yet be able to do it without seeming bossy. I have a lot of fun with everyone at the formals, and I pay a lot of respect to your family. Often the bride and groom will approach formals with an understandable impatience. The party is just getting started, and you're looking forward to celebrating the vows you've just taken together. I work quickly, efficiently, and I roll with however the mood is at the time. Once we have the group shots taken care of, I really look forward to exercising my artistic eye and coming up with some really fun shots of the couple that embraces the wedding or reception location. I do my best to make you laugh and smile spontaneously, so the formals look fun.
There is a lot to cover during the reception: dancing, drinking, speeches, cake-cutting, more dancing, lots more drinking, garter, bouquet, details and exteriors. This requires an amazing amount of energy. It also requires technical knowledge as the lighting conditions are constantly changing during the reception, and the photographer needs to seamlessly adapt along with it.
Up to this point, the focus has been pretty set. But at the reception, anything can be happening anywhere, and it’s essential the photographer doesn’t lose focus. Once again, it’s important for the photographer to take charge from time to time, such as setting up the men for the garter toss, and the women for the bouquet toss.
And if I see beautiful light outside, I might borrow you for a few minutes to take some portraits. But my primary responsibility is to capture the mood of the evening. Speaking of mood, you could really sense the emotion of Jason here with Danielle during their First Dance.
Good Night
To complete the story and the wedding album, your photographer should be thinking of the final image. It may be taken after the ceremony, or it may be taken during the reception.
