Nancy & Tommo
“He made us feel so comfortable and we could just be ourselves”
Pasadena Hotel Wedding
Annie Leibovitz once said “A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people”. This is key. I sometimes feel I’ve failed if I haven’t walked away from a wedding a little bit in love with the people at the heart of it. I say this not in the vein of “OMG I love my clients”, but because a big part of loving someone comes from knowing them. From observing them in admiration. From spending time figuring out who they are and what makes them tick. This is, essentially, our jobs. Firstly, to observe. Secondly, to capture.
I would add a thing you can see is that you have to not be afraid to get close to people. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally.
You have to capture it from the inside. You have to be in it. Feel their joys. Lament their sorrows. Share their laughter or embarrassment or pride. Coax out their playfulness or their romance, if it’s bubbling under the surface and needs coaxing. Party with them if they want to party. Philosophise with them if they want to talk big.
Don’t be afraid to get close with your camera, then get closer.
Ask yourself - who are they? What are their idiosyncrasies? How are they seen? How do they want to be seen?
And then see them that way. And try to capture them that way.
Dane
Planning your own wedding?
Let’s take it from the top shall we?
