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Photography

My First Wedding…As “Photographer”

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Weddings are a beautiful thing…and everything happens so fast, if you stop to blink you might just miss that perfect photo-op moment!

I have avoided photographing weddings for quite some time now…due to the high physical and emotional artistic demand it requires. Maybe some (photographers) may think differently, or maybe it’s only because I haven’t shot weddings, but the way I work is a little different than others.  My brother in-law has been pushing me to try and shoot weddings for a while now too, but I alway explain to him my hesitations…and how as an artist, it’s just very stressful!

Well I finally caved in after I was approached by a friend of a friend who asked me to shoot her wedding at The Castle Green, on November 11, 2016. Congratulations to John and Kelly! Also, thank you for trusting me with your wedding photos.

(See more images on my Flickr!)

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It really was a lot of work. If you are questioning photographer’s rates for your wedding, I would really stop and think about how much value good photography is worth…personally I think it’s the most important aspect of planning a wedding (but I am a bit biased as the photographer of course)…I don’t think people at the wedding are thinking about it, but the photographer is right there with the bride from start to finish (depending on how long you hire your photographer to be there of course-but I didn’t want to miss anything) and has to basically turn into a photo journalist for what feels like about 12 hours (not including the editing process)! I felt like a photo making machine/energizer bunny, going going…you get the picture. Finding it hard to run away for a second to keep myself hydrated!

I was very fortunate to have been able to hire a second shooter to capture a handful of photos while I was distracted with other things…I feel like when you are new to wedding photography or even in the long run, having a second shooter is vital. Although, after a dozen times, I’d personally want to take a run at it on my own.

(See more images on my Flickr!)

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No matter how many photos I looked at for reference, or inspiration, or youtube videos I watched to try and better prepare me for the day of the shoot, I knew it would only come together when it was time to take the photos. I tend to work more organically, finding the art within the moments, and that’s why I had a little bit of a struggle at first. I did have my bride create a shot list of images, so at least I had a personal guide if I got stuck on the timeline, I could prepare myself for what was coming up next for photos, or what I had missed.

Sifting through the many images, I seemed to gravitate towards mostly the unplanned images as my personal favorites. I hope that as time goes on, perhaps I might have more opportunities in wedding photography, maybe as a second shooter, so that I can gain more of a feel for it all in general.

(See more images on my Flickr!)

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(See more images on my Flickr!)