I’ve nothing against weddings, I just don’t want to photograph them. In fact, I avoid them like the plague, at least as far as being the official photographer.
I love a well shot formal, but I'm always wondering what I'm missing elsewhere!
I’m often asked why, and I have a single, admittedly selfish, answer. Simply put, shooting the official wedding photographs means I can’t capture the other moments that happen on the periphery of the ceremony, the fleeting vignettes of life that you rarely experience at any other single gathering; the approving (and occasionally disapproving) glances between some family members, a young mans admiration for a bridesmaid, a bored child’s distraction, the misdemeanors of an inebriated relative, and numerous other equally fascinating tableaux.
I'm proud of this shot, but what was going on just out of frame, or behind me...
Of course, I’m fortunate that my main income is not from photography so I have the freedom to refuse wedding gigs, and I’m very happy that I can. There is no doubt that they can be very lucrative, and I am full of respect for the photographers that do shoot them, but it’s just not for me. Now, I’m not one of these camera toting guests that insist on shadowing (and annoying) the official photographer, as I really don’t see the point in simply reproducing what the hired pro is shooting. I prefer to turn my lens away from the main ‘action’ and see what I can find in the throng of activity that surrounds it.
The following shot is a good example of what I look for to photograph at a wedding. It’s a simple enough image, depicting as it does the fascination of two flower girls (one out of frame) with the buzz cut hair of a groomsman.
Serenity amidst the chaos
It was such a delicate moment, so easily lost in the surrounding melee; the faces are so peaceful, sharing a brief moment away from the excitement and stresses of the day, a simple laying on of hands, rich in symbolism.
This next shot, by contrast, is full of action and humour, and is a personal favourite of mine. At first glance, it’s an innocuous enough scene; a young boy harmlessly running through the grass while rolling an umbrella at his side, relieved that the ceremony is over and eager to burn off some excess energy.
Brolly boy
Our man on the far left, however, does not look so impressed, and he tries to focus his disapproving glare with enough force to deflect the oncoming brolly-wielding maniac. Little does he know that in doing so he will put the twirling tornado directly in the path of the bespectacled fellow walking into the scene behind him, drink in hand, just ready for a spill. Meanwhile, the sartorial chap on the right is free to smoke his cigar and scratch his behind, blissfully unaware of any impending calamity.
So, when I say that I don’t like to shoot weddings, I simply mean in an official capacity. I actually love to shoot at weddings! Who knows, if you offer to adequately feed and water me, I may even come and shoot at yours!
Tags: weddings