What I Do...

I came across this on the interweb the other day, and thought it was such a perfect explanation of what it is that I do, that I had to cut and paste it here. Of course if you are more of a visual person, I also video taped myself in action - here.

From “The Multifarious Talents of the Modern Wedding Photographer” by Fritz Liedtke, as seen in Rangefinder Magazine/Wedding and Portrait Professionals International:

“…Today’s top-notch wedding photographer has to be well versed in almost every aspect of photography. As portrait artists and fashion photographers, we must be able to capture elegantly posed images, and yet make them seem fresh and vibrant. Whether working in the studio with lighting gear, or on location with natural and artificial light, we have to create a pleasing and well-lit scene. We have to think on our feet, find appropriate locations, and help our subjects feel comfortable, relaxed and beautiful. And then we have to be a Richard Avedon, producing magazine cover-ready images.

We also have to be photojournalists. While beautiful portraits are expected, I find it’s the little details of the day–the stolen glances, the giggling girls, the outrageous dancers–that really make my customers smile or cry. We have to capture these moments in every imaginable type of light, indoors and out, in cavernous cathedrals and dark dance halls, in bright sunlight and glaring snow. We have to be Henri Cartier-Bresson, capturing several hundred decisive moments in the space of eight hours…

…Wedding photographers must be able to compose grand scenic, landscape and architectural shots, capturing the beauty of the venue. We have to arrange still lifes and products–even macro shots–of details such as cakes, flowers, rings, tattoos and decorations. If we shoot destination weddings, we have to be experienced with travel, and travel-related photography. And, of course, we’re all paparazzi.

A professional wedding photographer must also be a people person… to be enjoyable to be around, because we’re at the wedding all day long. We have to smile, make people feel comfortable, coordinate well with other vendors and occasionally bring ease or laughter to a tense situation…

And in the end, after every wedding is over and the gear is put away, we have to be able to pull together a cohesive photo essay, well edited and color corrected, and beautifully laid out in a lovely book, magazine, or DVD. (Which means we must also be editors, producers, graphic designers and filmmakers.)…

Oh, I almost forgot. For the professional wedding photographer, there are no do-overs. No weather-related delays. No reshoots. No reschedules. You have to know everything and be everything, and have it all in the bag by midnight, when everyone turns back into pumpkins. Period.”

Ryan & Crystle - Hitched!

What a day! Fortunately, the rain stopped late in the morning and left us with a beautiful day for pictures (minus a couple wet spots). They had their ceremony at the lovely Valley Grove Church, just south of Northfield. This church is situated basically in the middle of no where, but is a gorgeous spot for a wedding. The large tree out back is held together by large chains after it started to split down the middle, and I am soooo glad they kept it alive.
Following the ceremony it was off to Northfield and the Grand Event Center for the reception. Northfield is such a great town for pictures (in my opinion), see below.

The Tree











Ring that bell!
I personally love shots like this. The juxtaposition of the bride and groom, in their formal wear against a dirty, rustic backdrop. Crystal and Ryan were up for it, so we asked the teenagers who were already using it, if we could borrow their spot for a few minutes.
Now this is just a guess, but I think Crystal may have done some modeling in the past (or maybe still does).




In front of The Grand

My favorite tree...

There is this tree, at the end of our street (sort of), that really captures my attention for a couple days every spring. So every spring (see last years version here) I try to capture this vision in my head, of this tree. Why? I have no idea. There is something about this lone red tree, totally out of place in it's surroundings that I simply can't resist. It's in bloom for about 5-10 days, depending on the weather. Which gives me a tiny window to wait for the perfect weather conditions, and I think that all came true last night.