Photo by Carissa Gallo of For You Love Me
http://www.foryouloveme.com

In my mind, this is exactly how a night on a porch feels. Which is funny, because I don’t think I’ve ever actually pictured from above in my head, and, yet, it gets it just right. If I were to say that looking for different ways to see something is everything here, I wouldn’t be doing the picture justice, though. What it really does is honor the simple things. Not the dramatic, I-really-wish-I-had-that-in-my-portfolio moments, but the basic connections between people. The important stuff, not just on your wedding day, but always. What better in life than you and your closest friends just being together, relaxed, on a warm summer night? … Read more...

Photo by Nick Tucker
http://nicktuckerphotography.com

There’s that certain window in which you can hit a shot. A quarter second earlier, and there’s nothing there. A quarter second later, and it all falls apart. This is a close call – there’s just that little bit of ambiguity you have to guess about in the meaning of the body position and the movement. However, Nick not only saves this shot, he lets it flourish through context and conviction. The dress flared out, her head tucked in, and a great bit of motion blur do the trick, allowing that ambiguity to deepen the mystery. We might not know what she feels, but there is little doubt she’s right in the moment, and that … Read more...

As I see it, you get in bed with the client or you get in bed with the industry. Take your pick. But good luck having it both ways. In the old economy, it was all about the gatekeepers. Spread the word, make the money, cash out if you could. Everyone needed an exit strategy. But now, it’s the age of plenty. There’s another way, and we are wasting it, mired in the past. The leash is gone, but we don’t know we’re free. Don’t be fooled, though. There’s a new storm brewing, and the industry machine hasn’t gone away. It has just changed. So if you want to get in on it, make it big, and cruise down easy … Read more...

Photo by Irina Martinez
http://www.5weststudios.com
http://www.spencerlumweddings.com

Irina is a frequent second shooter at the weddings I cover. You’ll find her grabbing gear, snapping candids, covering grooms, and just running about getting things done, all with the weight of two D3s bearing down on her without ever a complaint. I’m lucky, because as the owner of the company, I get all the attention. But this post is about her.

You never quite get that perfect shot. There’s always something that’s a little off. Maybe you wish you were half an inch left or half an inch right. Whenever I see this picture, I wish it were just the slightest bit wider – maybe a tiny bit more of some hands or … Read more...

Dear Wedding Industry,

Today is a sad day, but it has been long coming. I feel I must introduce the Kill List. A list of all things that must die. I’m sorry to have to do this to you – you’ve been such a good companion. And it saddens my heart ever so slightly, because some of these things I really like and use myself. But my heavy heart does find a glimmer of glee, because some of these things I don’t love, and I’m just sick of seeing. As I have watched you mature and grow, I have started to see a certain consistency in your ways, and I think it’s time to start changing. I say this with … Read more...