I get asked all the time if I take wedding party photos and family photos during weddings. Yes, I really do. But am I including the straight "line 'em up and shoot" type of images that are pretty typical for all wedding photographers in this gallery? No, no I am not (well, one snuck in here because the background is fabulous).
After family photos (or beforehand if couples do a first look and we have some time to play), I usually cover the bases with formal wedding party pictures. You know, line them up separately, then together and then we move on. These traditional, classic wedding party photos are important and frankly, they are the ones your parents and grandparents will love.
What what sets me apart from most wedding photographers is leaving some time to go play. There usually isn't nearly as much time as we need, but I always try to take advantage of what happens between the set up photos. I love capturing what the wedding party is doing behind my back while I'm focused on something else. I also love having the wedding party come up with ideas that they feel really showcases their relationships to the couple or to each other and is embedded with their personalities. Getting into that pose and then their reaction to either their success or epic failure of the pose always make for the best, most natural photos. And these are pretty much what you're seeing here.
I don't think you'll find any of the standard ones taken on the altar, but I wanted to show you what I do a little differently than most other photographers. Oh, believe me. I do have the standard photos. All my clients get those. If you're in them you think they look fabulous. If you're not in them, you think it looks like a bunch of randos standing in great light. But those are the ones that look like every other photographer. I wanted to create a gallery of wedding party photos that showcases moments, some fun candids and the way I take advantage of light, surroundings and playfulness. Are these my wedding couples favorite images? Probably not! Certainly not the one of the wedding party "selfie" when a huge bug landed on the bridesmaid's face. But things like that tell the story of the day too.
And then there are the perfunctory normal family photos. These are usually my client's least favorite part of the day, so I do them quickly and efficiently. There is almost never the time or a way to make family photos creative and unique. Why don't I have family photos anywhere on my site? Well, the are really boring. The people in them love them, but for anyone NOT in those photos it pretty much looks like people standing in rows that are nicely lit and visible. It doesn't really showcase what makes me unique or gets my creative juices going. So I spend the cocktail hour (when I can) and the reception stalking your relatives so I can get fun, natural images of them enjoying your party .
So do I take the standard, "boring" and expected wedding party photos during your wedding day? Yes. But do I want those hogging up precious space on my website when it's the equivalent of "shooting fish in a barrel"? No, no I do not!
Thanks for looking through my wedding party portfolio and hope you'll check out more galleries while you're here.
