LITTLE FEET AND HANDS

One of the things I enjoy most about working as a photographer is meeting so many great people. Sometimes, I am lucky enough that these great people stay in my life as friends. I like it when this happens.

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ON A PERSONAL NOTE

So..I'm back!

Boy did I need a break. I think I was running on empty there towards the end. 2011 has been so busy and I am so grateful for that. It’s hard stop burning the midnight oil though when you want to achieve so much in such a short space of time.

So I would consider this to have been my first proper holiday in years. Proper hotel R&R: Sun, Sea, Pool and Paul (my beardylicious bf). With 5 cameras between us I have tried to select just a few shots for a little bit of eye candy on this chilly October evening.

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DON'T SAY CHEESE

As most of you know, my style of photography tends to fall into the category of creative photojournalism. This is to say, that I spend a great deal of time simply watching and waiting. First I look. I position myself according to the variables that make for a good, well-lit image and wait for moments to develop. On my better days I like to think of myself as some kind of camera-yielding ninja. Being discreet and shooting in a calm, controlled manner plays an important role in my work. Wide-angled story-telling shots are what inspired me to create Chasing Moments Photography in the first place:

When I meet clients for the first time, they often ask if I also incorporate time for directed shots in a typical wedding shoot. My answer is always the same: yes but let’s keep it short and sweet.

Given that this more traditional part of the day is so far removed from the idea of “Chasing Moments” I have surprised myself lately with just how much I am enjoying the playful possibilities that come from directing the bride and groom. I tried to think about why this might be and came up with a few possible reasons:

1) Taking the Bride and Groom off to a quiet spot creates a moment of calm in an otherwise whirlwind day.

2) Wedding venues are generally stunning and are literally begging to be photographed.

3) Even shy people can forget themselves if directed in the right way.

4) Fashion photography is cool so why should it be limited to magazines?

So this last point is probably what has inspired me during my most recent shoots. On a typical wedding day, the bride looks the most beautiful she ever has and the groom looks handsome, so why not throw in a hint of drama?

Ultimately though, as photographer, the trick is knowing your couple. It’s having the confidence to encourage them to try what you believe will unveil some part of their personality. Phillipe Halsman used to ask his subjects to jump, believing that the act of jumping would cause them to forget themselves and their personalities would be laid bare for all to see. I like this idea and intend to try it myself one day, when I find the bride with the right dress, I’ll let you know.

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PHOTOGRAPHY FOR PEOPLE WATCHERS

I’ll be honest. I am no great writer. In fact a lot of the time I cringe at the things I say and type. Lately though I find myself increasingly inspired by the people around me and these people have somehow given me the confidence to just go with it.

I started a blog once before but quickly gave up on it because I seemed to just keep writing about how lovely the couples were. Yes they were lovely but there’s got to be more to it than that, right? Well yes.

The more I continue to work as a wedding photojournalist, the more comfortable I feel with the words “I’m a photographer”. On Saturday 16th April, I shot my first wedding of 2011. I took a deep breath and followed my mantra:

-Find the light

-Find the composition

-Find the story

When I first met Amanda & Rich, one of the things they said to me was that some of my photos reminded them of those taken by Martin Parr. For those of you who don’t know Parr’s work, he is Magnum photographer whose documentary photography is intimate, anthropological and often satirical. Don’t get me wrong, I have no delusions of grandeur, but for someone who is as voyeuristic as me, those words were music to my ears. Just knowing that I had met a couple who could find the same enjoyment from the weirdly wonderful that often occurs at a wedding gave me the confidence to shoot, for the first time, without any inhibition and with complete confidence.

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