Philosophy of a Shoot
| The main word for me is "Meaningful". On top of many other goals I have for the day of the wedding or a portrait shoot, the overriding one is to capture photographs that are meaningful. Sometimes that means that each individual photograph is full of emotion or that it is a genuine reflection of the day, or that it is how the romance of the day made me or someone else in the photograph feel. I don't think you get to this collection of meaningful photographs by doing special effects after the wedding, or shooting 8,000 photographs and editing later, or even by being a completely "impersonal" or neutral photojournalist. There is a romance to life and it's important for your photographer to feel it if you want them to express it in their photographs. I think you get there (to this collection of meaningful photographs) by hiring a very skilled photographer with good people skills who is very sensitive to human relationships and the nuances of the moment. Then this photographer has to engage totally during the shoot, sometimes quietly watching, sometimes stepping in lightly and suggesting things - someone who knows when it is appropriate to just shoot, and when to step in and joke or play. It's a very delicate balance being a truly great portrait and wedding photographer. Sometimes I get it just right. |
 |