A Moments Otherwise Gone...
Lightening is the picture that comes to mind while I think of the message I am trying to convey. Sometimes in life, there are moments that strike. Those moments may come again, but they will never be quite like the last one. I witnessed many moments like this. One particular moment happened in Fall 2012.
I recall being a bridesmaid in my good friend Heather Bailey's wedding. The Bridesmaids were lined up getting ready to walk down the aisle. The usual 'hurry up and wait' moment at a wedding. The photographers had their cameras down and seemed to be just waiting for the wedding to begin. I look over to see Heather, the bride, she was fixing her dress in the mirror. Her father noticed she needed a hand. He asked her what he could do to help and she told him to pull the bottom of her dress to smooth out the crease. He knelt, on his knees in a suit, helping his daughter fix her dress on her big day. The moment was so beautiful, the photographers were watching her but no photos were taken. My heart dropped knowing that I was the only person taking mental pictures of this beautiful candid moment. That's when I decided, I want to give taking wedding photos a shot... pun intended. I want to capture those moments that seem ordinary to others yet extraordinary to me.Â
That year, my husband bought me my first DSLR Camera for Christmas. I felt like I had so much to passion to put into it but a lot of learning to do. Often I would get frustrated with settings and let my camera collect some dust for a few months. Pulling it out from time to time to get some very impressive cat photos but that's about it. One time I even pulled it out during a storm and after a bit of research, I took some decent lightning images that made it on the 5 o'clock news! (image showed above) Then back to collect dust it went.Â
I got to know my camera a little better and with encouragement from a friend, I got my first willing victims. We decided to take a couple of fall photographs at a local park. I dusted her off again and set out for a fall photo session. For the record, I keep my camera in great condition. Dust is a metaphor of time. We walked through the park and in any spot that triggered inspiration I would either take candid images or pose them. I had such a good feeling in the session and an even better feeling culling the images to my computer and editing them on mediocre software. My favorite image, from that day, has been set as my cover photo on my website since 2013. I am still proud of the lighting, the warmth, the leaf placement, their smiles, their choice of outfits, the fact that they trusted me when I told them to lay down on top of a picnic bench while I dangerously hovered over them, the cropping and editing of my shoe and distracting elements out of the image. Even today knowing what I know now with cameras, I couldn't pull this image apart with things I would change. It's one of a kind to me.
Surprisingly, I have had a few brides throws their complete faith in me and let me photograph their entire wedding knowing I was new to the wedding scene and didn't have a portfolio built. My first wedding was out of a bride's pure desperation. Her photographer dropped out days before the wedding and it was a "friend of a friend" type of deal. I was not ready for this. But I accepted to help the stressed bride out. I arrived and was a tad horrified to find that the location was inside a church with no windows and brightly colored yellow and purple walls. I adjusted my camera settings and got right to it, taking staple images that I would want myself. The rings, the shoes, the dress, the flowers, the bride getting ready, the groom getting ready... Who need's a workout when you are the sole photographer at a wedding? There was no wedding timeline, I just kept going. Luckily, all weddings pretty much go in the same flow. I wanted to get as many images as possible. I worked for donation. Under promising and over delivering. The second wedding I did was for my mother-in-law at the same venue. When people put their faith in you, you go far. When you put your faith in you, you go even farther.Â
I am currently working on putting together a wedding portfolio that I am happy with. That is why my wedding rates are currently low. I am looking out for a moment a beautiful bride is having a wardrobe malfunction and dad kneels down to save his little girl the frustration. I'm looking for a bride touching the groom's hand from the other side of a doorframe and thanking God this day has finally come. I'm looking at the groom's face when he sees the bride walking down the aisle. I'm looking for a moment so funny a grown man throws his hand back and laughs like a little kid. I'm looking for your dear family dressed in their best needing help to their pew. I'm looking for the moment a child realizes smashing a cake is okay. I'm looking for personality in the moments.Â
I'm looking for those moments otherwise gone.
Take care. XOXO