Wedding Fuq

I love weddings for so many reasons. They're one of the only days where you are allowed/ecouraged to be emotional and also act completely rediculous and your family loves you for it.

After shooting my first wedding I was immediately drawn to how much all the hard work I put into the photographs and video meant to the couple. It's not merely doing a job. Its creating something so classic that it will last forever. I love that sense of duty and take that role very seriously.

It warms my heart to get to know my couples and experience how much love they have for each other. I love getting to know your inside jokes and capturing those moments when you don't think I am watching.

Nothing goes quite as planned during weddings and I love being challenged as a photographer.

My wedding photos are boring and I don't want yours to be.

The easy answer is music, then audio. Sometimes I pick out music and it just doesn't fit the moment or the style of your wedding. Sometimes you have to take a step back and then it will come to me. The other is audio. Choosing the key pieces of audio that completement the day and your story. It needs to move the film forward rather than just meander
from moment to moment.

The other is that you have to think in layers. Photos are just a split second from a day and can be used on their own and have weight. A short clip of video of you during your first dance means nothing unless you pair it with music, both parents watching with a tear in their eye, the lights wrapping around you, a close up of the two of you looking into each other eyes and realizing just how much fun you are having. You have to pair all that together to build the moment. One of those clips on their own are weaker than the summation.

I love creating something that you and most likely everyone around you has never seen.

A canvas, framed print, or other fancy online ordered photo product is nice but how amazing would it be to have a portrait of you that is made with real silver, completely handmade, will never fade, and will outlive you. All done in one sitting, right in front of you. It will be a special story and something to pass down in the family.

It's really special and has more value than 1000 digital photos ever will have. I have far more pride with making a single wet plate photo than a thousand digital ones.

In an era where we are digital hoarders, we rarely enjoy any of them after initially taking the photo. These plates are a daily reminder to put down facebook from time to time; not to Instagram EVERYTHING. You don't need to start a computer, log into your cloud software, or open a web gallery, or plug in an external hard drive to enjoy them.

On the other hand, I enjoy the fact that I can roll out of the house with my digital camera and within minutes take a pretty decent photo.

Doing wet plate reminds me not to be lazy with digital. To try to do something special and with purpose.

These seem to evolve year after year while other remain consistent. I really love the moment when Dad sees his daughter for the first time. This is special and very different than a first look. He is thinking of a lifetime of moments and future ones in a split second. For most brides this may be one of the few moments they witness their dad being emotional.

I also love the walk down the aisle after being married. The moment when you are done going through the steps to be married, and now its real. You're married! How crazy and amazing is that?

I love the moment when the Bride is all ready and has a moment to breathe before the ceremony. Its an interesting moment of feeling prepared, nervous, excited, and realizing how surreal it all is.

I love the party! Nothing better than you and your closest friends and family having a blast and living it up.

I think part of this comes from my dad being a bit of a junker. He didn't have massive garages full of stuff, but he did have a few old things around that were pretty cool to a 5 year old boy.

My mom always took us to thrift stores when we were little and old or used never seemed like junk to me. It had character and a history.

As I got older, I really appreciate that I have my Granddads old cameras, and these weird plaster 1960s figurines they had in their house. They are my inheritance. Not money, but a part of what I love and remember them by.

I love to think about the history and journey things have been on. I love to share the stories too. Until last year, I've never owned a car that was younger than I.

I feel like I was born in the wrong decade. This article speaks to that.