You have seen them… they are generally on the short side, all polished up for the day and completely oblivious to the idea that they are visible up there at the altar. It’s a part of the day I look for because it is such an entertaining slice… something they can be gently teased about for a long time.
Over the years I have found that the young ones and the old folks are the truest faces for my camera. They really don’t worry about it very much. People in the middle years seem to have a camera face if they know you are pointing a lens in their direction… that’s why a very candid approach is the very best thing.
Specializing in real life… have a look around this site while you are here, ok?
Annie loves firetrucks… always has and always will, according to Jason. Unbeknownst to her, he found a 1942 fire engine and was able to surprise the heck out of her. The engine drove up while we were outside doing a few portraits… she was thrilled! The fireman leaned out of the cab and said ” I hear there’s a wedding emergency!” She laughed through her tears and they all drove off for a short town tour.
Originally, Jason was afraid to tell me or the wedding planner about his secret but when he did, we were able to get Annie outside in good light without letting it slip. I am telling you this in case you have secret plans for your wedding day… it helps to have a little teamwork sometimes.
I love weddings… come see for yourself.
Mary Beth and Patrick are getting married next spring… it seems like a long time from now but it will probably fly by like it does for most couples. We went on walkabout for an engagement session on a chilly day in October and it was really great to see how well they mesh.I also know how much I can depend on Patrick to make her laugh… that bodes well for a long relationship! I think we are going to have a fine wedding. ;0)
Every photographer in Portland has shot this great space at the Ace Hotel… it was made for my kind. What I am hoping to bring to the front in this image is that my couples are not required to be on point for the entire portrait session on the wedding day. I want every couple to have a few minutes to themselves without my interference… they need some time away from the crowd to marvel at their new beginnings… face time without the rest of us in the way.
Count the cameras… how many do you see? There are 10 in this small slice of the crowd and none of them is my second shooter. The bewildered flower girl has gotten a little disoriented by all of the media attention and someone had to gently point her in the right direction so that the procession could go on.
In our obsessively digital world there are more and more people with their heads down at every turn… I see it every day. They are so busy checking their little blue screens that they miss the next beautiful thing to go by… sounds like a life half lived.
Next time you go to a wedding, maybe you should unplug and just enjoy the day.
“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”
This is from so long ago… in digital years, this might as well have been from a cheap phone. It was 2004 and the cameras weren’t all that hot yet.
Leslie had just gotten dressed for her wedding… the room was buzzing with various women getting ready, too. She took a moment to pull out her vows to look them over. She was joined for a sweet moment by her niece. I remember it took a few minutes but they both agreed that it was good and the day marched on.
What I know for sure is that sometimes the technical end of things can be a little strained and the moment will pull right through anyway.
No holds barred… Grandma was giving her grandson and his new bride a piece of her mind on marriage. If you can go by the smiles all around the room, it was good advice.
Live long and prosper! ;0)
Over the years I have seen many new couples walk onto the dance floor for their first as a married couple… it is an expected and sometimes dreaded ritual at most weddings. The people who choose to skip it are generally just painfully shy. The majority have not had a chance to learn how to dance with their partners… that may come with time.
Drew extended his hand to Jac and she melted into him for one of the most private dances I have ever witnessed. They danced like no one was watching.
Ring shots run the gamut between corny and something memorable. I don’t do them unless requested and I prefer that my couples have something in mind that fits them. These two had a beautiful vineyard wedding planned so I asked them to bring a nice cluster of champagne grapes to the wedding. The season wasn’t right for pilfering from the venue and I think that’s kind of rude anyway. So far, there have been various fruits, shoes and flowers and bicycles involved. I have found that coffee beans are too dang slick, however… the rings just sink right through them. FYI. ;0)
