So… why wedding photography?
You know, that is the one question that I don’t get asked very often. How long have I been a wedding photographer – I get asked that. What sort of cameras do I use, sometimes. Do I shoot family photos, even though I like to shoot candidly? Am I a full time pro?
But not often do I get asked why? Why weddings? Why not commercial work? Or landscapes? Architecture?
And the question of why, surely, is significant.
The answer is, of course, I had an epiphany. No, really.
Look, it can’t have been a coincidence. Here’s what happened…
I was studying photography, 4 year diploma course at PSC. I had a vague notion that I could turn my life long love of both photography and art into something, well, worthwhile.
I was working in a beautiful, old, marble extravaganza of an inner city restaurant. Almost every weekend they hosted a wedding. Probably still do – I shot one there last year. This one particular night, I was tending bar. Standing in front of the bar, just under and to the side of a big, elegant downlight, was the bride. She was holding a gorgeous little baby, just looking at her and beaming. It was a breathtaking moment. The photographer was nowhere to be seen – he was off doing the rounds of the tables. I looked at this tableaux before me and thought what a truly amazing moment it was.
And then, THE VERY NEXT WEEK, in my very first semester, one of my classmates said, “Hey – I’m getting married! Anyone want to shoot it?”
Guess who put their hand up?
To this day, from a technical viewpoint, that first wedding was just about the most difficult shoot I have ever had. But the feeling that a wedding was a story to tell was still resonating, and that was what I tried to capture.
I have had a little more practice now. But I am still just trying to tell the story.
Oh, and the answers are ten years, Canon, yes and yes.
And why do I shoot weddings?
Because I love it.
I am an accredited member of the AIPP and the AG|WPJA. I am also featured as one of Junebug’s World’s Best Photographers.
To see how I go about shooting weddings, choose one the links below.
