While I was in London last week I had a moment when my index finger froze on top of my shutter. I gasped. Here is the story.
A day before the wedding in Marylebone I traveled around the city to select locations for the couple's portraits. There was rain but I figured we might steal a few pictures in the park despite the humidity forecasted. Fast forward to an hour before the ceremony as I documented preparations at the hotel, the rain began again. My subconscious did the normal play of options on how I would light my subjects. I'd rather not use artificial lighting during a ceremony opting to conceal my whereabouts instead. However, at this point the sun was completely out of the picture. Once I arrived at the church the clouds converged even more, so I resorted to turning on my flash. I entered the sanctuary and quickly took a low crouching position close to where I knew the bride would eventually reside.
Remarkably as the doors opened and the audience rose, a beam of light simultaneously shone through the door frame and the windows. It was breathtaking. I was tempted to move for an even better view but I knelt patiently for the right moment. I waited to retrieve a different camera after the bride took a seat. That's when I noticed the beam of light magically illuminated the brides veil. It appeared as if everyone's face in the church went dark with the exception of the bride's. Just as I was contemplating the composition the bride turned and looked at her father. The exchange was priceless. I smiled too and gasped. My finger was frozen atop my shutter. I first observed this father/daughter bond a day before at the parents' home. I knew there would be a perfect time to highlight their relationship.
In all of my photography I am increasingly interested in exploring the relationships, customs, and traditions that exist in different cultures. Furthermore, I strive to capture the exchange of emotions between my subjects. In the last photo of this series, the tenderness shown by the bride as she approached the groom describes better than my words what drives me to frame stories with my lens.
A day before the wedding in Marylebone I traveled around the city to select locations for the couple's portraits. There was rain but I figured we might steal a few pictures in the park despite the humidity forecasted. Fast forward to an hour before the ceremony as I documented preparations at the hotel, the rain began again. My subconscious did the normal play of options on how I would light my subjects. I'd rather not use artificial lighting during a ceremony opting to conceal my whereabouts instead. However, at this point the sun was completely out of the picture. Once I arrived at the church the clouds converged even more, so I resorted to turning on my flash. I entered the sanctuary and quickly took a low crouching position close to where I knew the bride would eventually reside.
Remarkably as the doors opened and the audience rose, a beam of light simultaneously shone through the door frame and the windows. It was breathtaking. I was tempted to move for an even better view but I knelt patiently for the right moment. I waited to retrieve a different camera after the bride took a seat. That's when I noticed the beam of light magically illuminated the brides veil. It appeared as if everyone's face in the church went dark with the exception of the bride's. Just as I was contemplating the composition the bride turned and looked at her father. The exchange was priceless. I smiled too and gasped. My finger was frozen atop my shutter. I first observed this father/daughter bond a day before at the parents' home. I knew there would be a perfect time to highlight their relationship.
In all of my photography I am increasingly interested in exploring the relationships, customs, and traditions that exist in different cultures. Furthermore, I strive to capture the exchange of emotions between my subjects. In the last photo of this series, the tenderness shown by the bride as she approached the groom describes better than my words what drives me to frame stories with my lens.
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