Recently I had the chance to work on engagement photos with Katie and Josh.
One of my favorites from the day was in the old barn.
Being an animal love I of course love working their dogs into a few shots.
of course once they caught the scent of something in the bushes they had ideas of their own.
A few weekends back I volunteered my time to work a photo station for the Dumb Friends League Wagon Trails fund raising event to benefit their Castle Rock shelter, The Buddy Center. Looks like they raised almost $90,000 for the day so it was definitely a great way to spend the day.
They had three photo stations setup on the trail, one of the others was manned by my good friend and fellow photographer Dain from Photography by Dain.
Down in the vendor area was another good friend, and who I think is one of Colorados best pet photographers, Jaime Rowe.
Here’s a few shots from my station:
Nothing worse than having your spot on the couch stolen by a couch thief.
and then when you try and regain your spot you’re given the guilt trip. Takes “puppy dog eyes” to an all new level.
Fine – I’ll have my morning coffee at the kitchen table.
For the most part on your wedding day you don’t have to worry too much about the pictures, if you’ve hired a professional wedding photographer they they’ll do their job and you’ll have wonderful images. But for one important picture there’s one simple thing you as a couple can do to help your photographer along.
The crescendo of the wedding ceremony is often, The Kiss. This is the moment where every aunt, uncle and cousin is firing their cameras. Now to help those pictures come out here’s a simple tip, don’t rush it. That’s right just savor the moment, that first kiss as husband and wife.
I’ve seen a couple or two over the years just peck each other, snap – it’s gone. Granted I still get my shot but I don’t have the luxury of a few shots to choose from and of course if your mom has a point and shoot she’ll never get it to focus and fire that quick.
So it’s your moment, just enjoy it, and don’t rush it.
Until next time,
Mark
View my portfolio site | Contact Mark Hayes for your upcoming wedding
Getting ready to pull these off to the archive drive and while I’ll do a bigger post next week I wanted to share a few more special photos from Joe and Audrey’s recent wedding at the Phipps Mansion Tennis Pavilion.
Of course one of the greatest things about my job is some of the wonderful people I get to work with that are also in the wedding photography business. Dain Linder of Photography by Dain always being one of my favorites. He’s a shot of my friend and more often than not shooting partner knocking out a few shots of the bride and her father.
Now despite my love of black and white photography there are some images that just need to be in color. This amazing wedding cake with rings of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries is among the later.
During the ceremony when the focus is often on the bride and groom there’s often a wonderful shot just waiting on the sidelines. Here the father and mother of the groom look on at the start of the ceremony.
Earlier this year I had the amazing privilege to attend a talk in Denver hosted by one of my greatest photographic inspirations, Joe Buissink. He gave a quote during that discussion that really had me thinking. This probably isn’t exact but it was along the lines of “It’s not about the perfect image, it’s about the perfect moment”. And it’s these moments that I love the most.
Here Audrey and her father during the father daughter dance. Only the two of them know what was said to make her laugh so, but when she looks at this image ten years from now she’ll be brought back to that moment.
Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, “We photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth can make them come back again. We cannot develop and print a memory.”
This above all else is what I strive to give my clients on their wedding day, not just the beautifully posed portraits but more importantly capturing the fleeting moments and emotions of the day.
Until next time,
Mark
View my portfolio site | Contact Mark Hayes for your upcoming wedding
