I like my job very much. I own my own business and the service I provide is a personal one. My images, my clients and my colleagues are a part of me, not an aspect of my life I shut down at the end of the day. My long journey as an event photographer has taken me through the trends, the booms and the busts. Lately, my eyes have never been more wide open and I would like to share a few things weddings have taught me about photography and life.
Everybody has a story.
People are just so damn interesting. I always want to quiz my clients about their lives, their loves, their first kiss and how they like their eggs. Instead, I put their history together in my head. Using those precious few hours I have with my camera, I learn and tell their story.
When you earn trust, you earn access .
Most people don’t enjoy having their picture taken. I never take that personally, because I can usually establish one thing between us, that makes the camera a non issue. That would be trust. My clients put their faith in me, they forget about the camera and let me into their lives.
Shut up (and take the picture.)
You learn more about someone by listening, than talking. I’m not going to tell you my photographs are created without some direction. What I have found out, is that by editing input to include only the most concise, encouraging remarks, you can produce images that speak louder than words.
Leave your ego in the parking lot.
My entire purpose on the wedding day is to completely submit to the needs of my client. It could not be more not about me. Surprise group photo of forty five people? No problem. Mother of the bride asks to reshoot all the family combos, after she has the make up artist change her lipstick color? Done. Wrap up the shot list of multiple requests in the last eight minutes, while the planner and caterer are staring at their watches? Got it. Just recently during a reception, I was told to “wait in that corner and the bride will instruct you when to take pictures” So I did.
Your style evolves as your life changes.
Looking back at the images I shot a decade ago, I can see how the stacking layers of my life have impacted my work. As my personal relationships deepen and my family has grown, my expanding emotions need an even greater outlet. The camera and the numerous weddings I have documented, provide that for me.
Simplicity and Minimalism, the mantra.
These qualities never let me down. Stay away from the trends and don’t junk it all up. Simply said.
Details, details.
It’s the tip of a pinky, the bend of a wrist, the tiny turn of an ankle, that changes a photograph into an image with some stick.
A wedding is not a marriage, but we can pretend.
A little fantasy is good for everyone. Weddings are all about the dream. By creating a suspended environment, setting a stage and focusing on the best chapters of a love story, the day is like an illusion. I let myself get pulled into all of it when I’m working and why not? It’s often preferable to reality.
California, will you marry me?
For me, it always comes back to the Golden State. I’m a native and California runs through my veins. From the mountains, to the vineyards, to the beaches, it’s an amazing place to shoot. The weather creates an excellent outdoor studio year round. There are four seasons of sunlight in California and I’m intimate with each of them.
A brand new day is always waiting for you.
There is an excitement with weddings, the entire process. Every day is different and I’m meeting fantastic people. Just when things begin to sit still, new inspiration presents itself and off we go. Carpe Diem!
