When you’re shooting at a beautiful place with lots of cool spots and backdrops it makes a photographer’s life easier. Locations like San Francisco City Hall with the Grand Stairwell, large balconies full of natural light and grandeur, look outstanding on the photos and allow us as photographers to get away with some imperfections of the moment. You have a couple walking down the stairwell, there’s no one else in the shot, it’s a clean look and the image looks outstanding. Well.. the backdrop is outstanding but many couples still need guidance as not everyone is a professional model or just appears naturally on camera.
This is where the photographers real abilities come in. You have an outstanding backdrop, now let’s bring out the emotions, make the couple feel comfortable and just be themselves in front of the camera. To me that can mean many things but I always think of movie director analogy. My couples are not professional actors but they are in love, and are enjoying their big day. So no acting is needed but they often times a simpler reminder to just enjoy it, have fun and don’t forget what this day really is, goes a long way. And it’s not about posing for cameras. It’s my job to capture the couples’ true relationship, their feelings and emotions as they go through the wedding day. I know I say emotions a lot in this post and others but to me it’s the key. Yes, light is very important. Yes, a nice location is definitely helpful. But without honest, true emotions it’s just nice light in a pretty place. It says nothing about the couple. And my goal is with the images to say just that. And if I have to be silly, a terrible comedian, bring out some moments from their past, make them talk, laugh or cry, I will do whatever I have to do to achieve that. During image post processing I want to look at these images and make sure I feel something. I often look at them and smile because it just feels right and I’m happy we were able to capture the joy and fun of the day the couple will remember for the rest of their lives.
With Audrey and Daniel I wanted to capture their feeling for each other, their care, tenderness but also goofiness and silliness which makes life fun. We started at Baker Beach on a cold, very foggy morning. Then we drove to San Francisco City Hall for the ceremony.
