Tying the knot

Weddings. great for business as a photographer but an even greater calling becoming a husband or wife. For the past 7 years, I have been photographing weddings from time to time. Each one a tad bit different from the other, to the simplest and to the most luxurious, each one has a story to tell. You can never go wrong in photographing weddings, its a stable income for any freelancing professional photographer.

Transitioning from the single life to the big M is a big decision to make. It is a responsibility and a heavy one at that. Some fear commitment and the sacrifices that they have to do to make it work, while some just dive with 2 feet into the deep without testing the waters. Let me share with you some out of the box lessons or realizations I have learned so far.

Relationship Matters

All the months of preparation are leading into this 12-hour gig where you’d document everything from start to finish. Exciting? Yes! Can drain you? A bigger Yes! However, as a photographer, we are nothing but passing by witnesses to a momentous occasion of the couple and their guests. Some would say that we should just do our job and move on to the next. However, I couldn’t disagree more. The months, weeks, or at times days of establishing a good working relationship with your client is one of the key points in having a beautiful, organized, and well-executed prenuptial photo session with them. On the day documentation will also become a smoother ride when you know them and in turn, they know how you work.

Lose The Ego

Remember that you are hired because of the vision and the output that you create, not because of your gear or your name in lights. Pride can give you a very nasty fall, lose the ego. At often times we get mocked by people with a superiority complex, have better equipment than us ( or more money to boot), or just plain downright insecure. But its all good, keep in mind that their opinions and hate don’t pay the bills. Strive for excellence rather than proving them wrong, it is always you versus you and never them. Ego and pride can easily be put down by staying humble, hungry, and hustling.

Focus On What Is Important

When we’re chosen by the client to photograph their day of matrimony, focus on the moment, people, their emotions, and even the little details put into the event. On a personal standpoint, I prefer to photograph candid emotions and not the posed photographs of couples. Sure, they’d look great in magazines and whatnot, but the character they’re portraying is not of themselves. Don’t get me wrong, those posed photos look great, but nothing beats an old fashioned teary-eyed look of a bride, groom, or family member when they’re up to something. Let them be spontaneous, couples will remember the moment that you got on the photo rather than how you made them feel when they were asked to pose.

Understanding The Faults

From singleness to being with the love of your life, its not a walk in the park. I considered myself married to my passion a few years ago, but its a whole different ball game when you’ve got someone to argue with, misunderstand, and even have disappointments. BUT. It is also the same person that you will love, cherish, and stick with a cause they’ve got each other’s back for the rest of your life. I’ve learned that relationships, marriage, weddings, and even photography aren’t perfect. But you just have to weather the storm and keep going. As a photographer, your camera is your partner. It may have bad days when it just won’t focus, have weird colors, or shuts down on its own. But it is what you have and the only way for it to work is by understanding it, caring for it, and know its quirks.

Marriage, weddings, relationships, and photography has their ups and downs. We have to see the good in the bad times and the bad in the good times. Life is a journey, and what better way to move forward by doing something we love with the person we love the most.