It’s happened. The snow is finally melting. You can go outside without looking like you’ve suited up for an arctic expedition. I think I even heard a bird chirp the other day. You know what all this means don’t you? That’s right. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No not Christmas! WEDDING SEASON!
In light of the longer light and impending flurry of tulle, I thought I’d share some wedding day tips from photographer to soon-to-be blissful couple!
A picture is worth a thousand words.
What a cliche. But while you may roll your eyes at this well-worn statement, there’s a reason cliches become cliches. It’s because they’re true.
I absolutely love taking pictures of people, and the pictures I get the most excited about are the ones that tell a story. I’m not talking about the posed family portrait that, while lovely, does little more than document a family inevitably wearing matching outfits, smiling artificial smiles with dad willing this moment to end, the kids thinking about the ice cream they’ve been promised if they just sit still for one more photo, and mom desperately smiling in an attempt to will her unwilling family into embracing this moment. Ok. That’s a bit harsh. Some of those family portraits are indeed lovely and glow with a heartwarming sense of love and happy memories. But let’s be real. Most have a distinct please-let-this-turn-out-so-we-can-be-done vibe oozing out of every pixel.
The photos I love capturing are those moments that occur organically and give a sense of everyday life in the most surprising, laugh-until-you-cry, smile-so-big-it-hurts, hit-you-in-your-face sort of way. The hidden moments. The funny moments. The beautifully crazy moments. The true story of your life, frozen in time so that years later it will send you back to that exact spot and give you so many warm fuzzies you’ll think you’ve time traveled to Narnia. That’s what I live for. And that’s why photography is my happy place.
“A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people.”
— Annie Leibovitz
Acorns & Animals 