Wedding Photography and some of my ideas on it
I mention this often but I get very lucky to work with some very cool couples. And I don’t mean in a sense that they are models who just look great on camera. I mean they are just good people. And as I work with them I’m thinking - I could see us being good friends. I don’t know if a like a word ‘client’. I don’t see many of my couples as clients. Yes, I get paid for the shoot, but then I’m not doing it because I’m interested in the money… Well ok… of course it’s a job, but my goal is to tell their story of their big day. And it’s a privilege if you think about it. A couple let’s a stranger in their life. And that stranger wants to get close to them in order to tell their story right and not through awkwardly posed images. When I have more time to spend with just the couple I want to know their story. I’m curious how they met, I want to understand the dynamic of their relationship. I really want to get to know them better in order to capture something of them in the shots.
I mention this often but I get very lucky to work with some very cool couples. And I don’t mean in a sense that they are models who just look great on camera. I mean they are just good people. And as I work with them I’m thinking - I could see us being good friends. I don’t know if a like a word ‘client’. I don’t see many of my couples as clients. Yes, I get paid for the shoot, but then I’m not doing it because I’m interested in the money… Well ok… of course it’s a job, but my goal is to tell their story of their big day. And it’s a privilege if you think about it. A couple let’s a stranger in their life. And that stranger wants to get close to them in order to tell their story right and not through awkwardly posed images. When I have more time to spend with just the couple I want to know their story. I’m curious how they met, I want to understand the dynamic of their relationship. I really want to get to know them better in order to capture something of them in the shots.
While I enjoy creative, more artistic shots, there are times I would go for something simpler because it doesn’t fit with their story. And with Kristen and Brennan, the less felt better. Speaking of trying more creative shots. There’s a shot here where I used blue and red gels in a wide shot. I’ve done similar shot for other couples and wanted to try something a bit more unique. And to be honest I didn’t feel it completely worked for the couple. Something just wasn’t there. I’m posting it here so you can see for yourself.
Lately I’ve been watching interviews and listening to podcasts of several famous cinematographers including Roger Deakins. And it’s always about the same - how does your visual fit the story. While I can’t do storyboards and thinks of the shots in advance, that doesn’t change the fact that wedding photography is not about being a good documentarist, it’s about honesty, about having a good feel for your couples… and to me it’s about really giving your best to capture the day in its true color.
Why do I bring all this up with this San Francisco City Hall wedding followed by a session at Palace of Fine Arts? I feel that being a photographer and being invited into people’s lives is a big deal. It should be honored and I don’t look at it as a paycheck (while it is of course). If this world wasn’t revolved around money and needing to sustain yourself and your family, I know there are 2 things I would be doing - photography and music.
But back to Kristen and Brennan who was such an amazing couple. We ended up spending extra time and I didn’t want to leave them as I had more ideas and things I wanted to cover. But we were already over time and it just so happened that it was my son’s birthday. So I wanted to make sure I’m not late. It’s great to meet such genuinely good people who care about each other and also care about people around them. They were shy at first in front of the camera, but as we got to know each other better (i get a bit nosy with questions and comments :) they freed up and felt very comfortable. Here are some photos that we got. And again.. I went for their story as opposed to showcasing some artistic shot.
Cecilia & Victor
Backyard weddings have become a norm for many couples in 2020 and early 2021. And there are many pluses. Couples save money by not having to rent a venue. Specifc catering companies that work with the venues are not needed and the couple has a choice to bring in any food they’d like. As you know alcohol bill(especially for an open bar) can be quite large.Number of guests is limited to pretty much closest family members. So if you don’t feel like inviting someone, there’s a great excuse not to do so now. In general there’s a lot of complexities and timnig when you have a large wedding in a specific venue. There are minuses as well for backyard wedding - preparation is done by you or someone close to you. You have to worry about cleaning up. There are friends you’d really like to invite and see but unable to do so.
At the end Cecilia & Victor decided not to wait for uncertancy of 2021 and got married in January. Their friend performed the duties of the officiant and did a nice job for the first time in his life. I could tell he was nervous and he rushed through some of the parts quickly, but none the less we got the first kiss, wine ceremony and a lot of laughs.
It was a lovely, quiet ceremony and reception at the couple’s house - mostly backyard as they tried to make sure everything happens outdoors.
Before the ceremony we met at Sharon Park in Menlo Park to take some pre-wedding photos. I took advantage of the sun being high up for some of the backlit shots as well as allowing for a lot of light to come through and lit up my couple. While it’s easy to simply hide in the shade and use flash for some of the photos, I really like to take advantage of the natural light even if it’s midday. My goal was to create real, more candid photos even if they were posed and guided and i wanted to focus on their relationship with their kids since both have kids from their previous marriage. And of course we timeboxed this wedding placing it in the middle of the pandemic with a matching mask - Queen and King.
