Fora while I have been wanting to get into wedding photography. Photographing people is my favourite type of photography. I love taking photos on the street, because there are all types of people, and catching them unaware can produce fantastic results. So I thought that wedding photography would be another way to achieve this, being able to get a blend of candid photos, and posed ones. But the idea of missing something or making a mistake and ruining someone's photos was and is TERRIFYING!
It's an honour to be part of someone's special day, but it's also a lot of responsibility.
A couple of weeks ago (July 27 2019) I was allowed to attend the wedding of Alan and Lesley, at their home in Lennoxtown. I went along as a second photographer (a second shooter) and so there was a lot less pressure on me, as any photos I would be taking would be a bonus for them; the main photographer carried all the responsibility.
So we went along to the groom's parents' house, just around the corner from their own house, and we were welcomed inside by the mother of the groom; a lovely lady who took me into the front room whilst people were getting ready, and she was asking all sorts of questions about me. She also told me her husband and her were married for over 50 years! After the bride and bridesmaid (who happened to be the bride's daughter from a previous marriage) were ready, we tried to take their pictures in the beautiful back garden they had, but sadly the awful rain put paid to that idea. We managed to get some pictures of the groom's parents there, but the bride didn't want to risk ruining her dress. After this we managed to get pictures of them in the front room, using the window as a frame, with their beautiful front garden as a backdrop. Of course, when I say 'we', I mean the main photographer because I stayed out the way at this time, feeling that it was too crowded.
Next we went to the couple's house, and into the huge marquee in the front garden. The couple had very kindly set a place for me at one of the table to have a meal; it was really nice of them to treat me as a guest. I tried to keep out of the main photographer's way as much as possible, while I stayed up the back and shot things from a different perspective, and while he was taking photos down the front during the meal, of the couple, I started grabbing couples and getting posed shots of them at the back against the marquee. This turned out to be a great idea, and in the end the main photographer said that he felt less pressured too, knowing that I was capturing stuff that he could miss. In any case, it seems to be much easier with two people.
I'm by no means an expert yet, and the idea of doing weddings on my own is still very scary, but I think after a few more as a second shooter, I'll be ready.
In the meantime, check out the gallery to see some pictures from that day!
