Where's the Journalism?

I am not sure if the wedding photojournalism craze is starting to die off, but I was very surprised at this past weekend's Perfect Wedding Guide bridal show. There were LOTS of photographers and the quality was......diverse. Some nice images to be sure, but nothing that jumped out at me with emotion or a unique sense of the moment. I, and the other Tampa Photo shooters, will certainly pose you on your wedding day. Those shots are very special and they give us the opportunity to portray you and your day in a very beautiful and flattering manner. But your day is going to be filled with many special moments that could never be staged, directed or recreated. My passion is capturing those special moments exactly as they happen. I can pose you very elegantly and in the nicest light around; and people who see those images will say "You look beautiful!" That is a great response, but I also want to hear "That picture is SO you, Jen!" or "Oh, that is classic Stacy!" Capturing a moment without manipulating the subjects or the environment is difficult. It requires composition, lighting and subject matter to all meet at the same point in time. It is my belief that when such a moment comes together AND is captured by my camera I am providing my client with a special keepsake that will forever remind them of their special day.

Sorry for the drawn-out post, but I was so surprised at the lack of photojournalism at the bridal show! It has inspired me to go back and pull a few quick images from past weddings to give you a glimpse into some stories behind the moments!

The bridal party was getting ready and one of the flower girls was just getting up from her nap. It would have been great to get a picture of her in her dress, smiling in front of some nice background, but that is not how things were. She was tired and shy, and not letting go of that bankie! The light was cooperating so I shot this using available light.

This was a scary situation (for me). I was told I had 15 minutes to shoot the B&G after the ceremony before they were to be announced since everything was running late. That is not enough time. But I can do it. But then....bustling the dress took 12 minutes! I made images of all the bridesmaids and mothers working like crazy to get it bustled and I managed to keep my panic on the inside! I set up a light near the adjacent wall and waited a few moments. The bride finally gave up stressing and trying to help and she just relaxed! It resulted in this wonderful pose (it looks natural because it is!) and an image that shows how pretty and elegant she looked, while also capturing the scene of her worker-bees trying to get that dress bustled!

This is from Lange Farm. A really cool venue where the bride usually arrives at the ceremony by horse-drawn carriage. I always see the typical shot of the bride, or the bride and groom, sitting in the carriage smiling. I shoot that picture also because it is good to have. But it doesn't capture a true feeling of the special day. For this shot, the bride had just arrived at the ceremony and the reality was starting to hit her. The bride typically gets out on the far side of the carriage so she is hidden; the carriage rides away to unveil the lovely bride. But as she met up with her brother to be escorted down the aisle she needed a minute to compose herself. The carriage stayed put as the second carriage attendant (pictured) held the horses in place. Seeing this shot years from now, the bride will be reminded of the setting, the horse and carriage, in addition to the strong emotions that she was feeling at that very special moment, shared with her brother.

This was during the blessing before dinner, so I was being as stealth as possible. The shot was great because the mom and daughter were together and the father and son were kind of praying together. Cute enough. But then the son gave a quick glance up at dad and it took this image to a whole different level.

This bride was getting ready in her hotel room and was almost ready for us to start taking pictures of her. I ran into the bathroom in search of some cool details. She was still modeling for her mom and checking herself in the mirror. While in the bathroom I saw this image come together. I had to wait a minute or so until she naturally looked over at her mother, allowing me to capture her profile. She was comfortable and relaxed because she didn't think she had to be "on" yet.

The bridesmaids were all lined up waiting for the bride to get positioned. The bride arrived at the church entry and that was all these girls needed to start the water works! Apparently, fanning your face somehow stops the tears! The girl on the left is looking at the bride, the girl on the right is looking down the aisle, and the girl in the middle is looking up to try and prevent the tears from ruining her mascara. I love this image because it is a great balance of emotion, humor and motion.

I hope you enjoyed some of my journalistic-style images. If you like this style, check out my whole gallery dedicated to "PJ" at my web site.