All You Need is L O V E
Just got back from another wedding with She-N-He Photography & Design tonight; this will have been the fifth wedding I’ve been asked to join Melanie. It’s been a blast. Every time I get to know the bride & groom, get a free dinner, and essentially “party” with the guests - otherwise, your pictures will come out stale and you’re focus isn’t of the people and the emotions, but rather of the objects moving around: and that equals RAW files that are of a stranger’s and not a friend.
I think the best compliment I’ve received while at a wedding (which was my first) was when a cousin of the bride asked if I had known the bride and groom…I said no, just met them today, and she commented on how I was taking pictures of everyone like I had known them for years and was friends with all of them.
It really shows you that you that you need to connect with whatever you’re shooting. Regardless on the length of time you’ve known the subject, you need to connect. Otherwise-it won’t be genuine, it won’t be friendly, it will be, well, stagnant & distant.
That’s what I love about photography - anyone can pick up a camera and take a picture, but it takes real talent to connect with whomever or whatever you’re capturing - so you’re not only capturing the subject but also the soul and presence of the person/thing/situation.
