Topic for the day is BACKUP
I started to notice that not only is this blog being read by brides & grooms but its also being read by photographers. So this goes out to all the aspiring photographers who are looking here for some ideas, inspiration and some general tips.
As we here are all working, full time wedding photographers we all need backup of pretty much everything we have, use and or own. No I don’t have two fisheye lenses but I do have backups all my cameras, main lenses, strobes, batteries, memory cards and ME (that is actually one of the purposes of Group of 10 so we all have peers to depend on in the event of an emergency)
Images photographed at events are backed up immediately in the event of a hard drive failure as ALL hard drives fail eventually.
Within my camera bag is a reserve of memory cards.. My backup in the event something happens to my main source of memory.
This photo was taken at a recent wedding when the power went out for 2 hours, the location shall remain nameless. But I was amazed that this was all they had for a generator. Better than nothing I guess as It was enough to give electric for the DJ. However without Air Conditioning the room became pretty hot after an hour with 200 guests and a ton of candles! My personal opinion is that they failed the backup test. They did pass the “make it work” test as the couple was very happy with the night.
The point.. All equipment WILL fail.. everyone will have technical issues at some point. Its how you manage it when it happens that makes a difference.
Who needs backup? Well, if you’re a working wedding photographer you better have some!
The “Calling”.
It was not so much a calling, but a revelation. It was a revelation that happened along my journey in photography.
Many start careers in photography as wedding photographers, only to move on into other areas of photography in a short period of time. Fewer start photography careers in other areas of photography to move into wedding photography at a much later date.
I entered commercial photography with the intent of not becoming a wedding photographer. However my journey years later reveled to me exactly what I am very good at doing, and enjoy emensly. Doing things like photographing people in their environment, when they are at their happiest and full of emotion, during life changing fluid events such as weddings.
The short of it is that wedding photography has brought me back to my photographic roots. You know… “Where IT all started to begin with”.
One of my desires as a creative person is also to leave something for others that matter to them. Do you realize that the one thing in common with people returning to recover from a natural disaster is to gather up their surviving photographs!
Wedding photography to me makes a difference. Steve Burns
I started in photography doing it for myself first. Even though I have come as a professional to photograph weddings and portraits for clients, or newspaper assignments for editors, I still shoot for myself. I constantly push myself to try a new technique, lighting, post-processing, different camera formats, etc. Most of my ideas come from music, movies, paintings and other photographers.
A photographer whom I have always admired is Richard Avedon. Ask any photographer about him and they will tell you how influential he is for portraits and fashion. The portraits in his book ‘In the American West 1979-1984′ are very influential for me.
A few years ago when meeting with a wedding couple, I knew their wedding would be unique. I wanted to bring something to their wedding day photographs that would showcase the day in a way that I’ve never done. I related back to Avedon’s ‘West’ portraits and pitched the idea to them. They loved the idea and I ran with it, still not knowing how it would turn out. That is the beauty with being an artist, you push yourself to the brink of failure or having it not turn out the way you imagined. But when it works out, it is hard for me to describe the feeling.
So on Mai and Rich’s wedding day, in the backyard of his parents house, I set out to create a series of portraits that was unlike anything I have ever done. Feedback I received from the couple was nothing short of amazement and gratitude for taking ‘wedding photography’ to a higher level then they imagined. Even other photographers whom I shared the work with gave me compliments that I never imagined I would ever receive about my work. But in taking a risk, I received the greatest gift…growth!
by Zlatko Batistich
Weddings have their big moments, such as the ring exchange, the first dance and the cake cutting, and these all make for important photos. I also enjoy finding the little moments and details that make each wedding unique and personal. While the whole day presents such opportunities, lovely moments and details are often found before the ceremony, when everyone is getting ready.
Let me say this out straight - I hate gazebos. I hate gazebos and fountains and I especially hate having to photograph a couple at whatever landmark/feature that a reception venue has, where every other couple from the last five years has been photographed. There, I’ve said it. I feel better now, with that weight off of my shoulders.
Wedding portaits should be about capturing the romance, and capturing the relationship between the couple. I would much rather work with the couple and with the light available. I want to show how much they are in love with each other, rather than the wooden structure that the reception venue bought from Home Depot.
The portrait above from Simone and Damien’s wedding was taken in the late afternoon. The maitre’d of the venue suggested I use the fountain as a backdrop for the couple - the same fountain that every other photographer uses as a backdrop for every other couple who gets married there. Instead, I looked at where the light was coming from … and it was stunningly beautiful glowing light. And the best was, the spray from the fountain was lit up by the glow from the late afternoon sun. This created that ethereal looking golden mist behind them. Looking for and using great light, and looking for a beautiful backdrop to place the couple in context … is so much better than photographing them against unconnected objects in the landscape.
Wedding portraits should be about romance, and not the gazebo or fountain.
Indeed, we need more cowbell, less gazebo!
Each day, and at every wedding I am inspired by the capacity of love. What amazes me is how different wedding day celebrations can be, yet the commonality is always the strength of love, honor and family.
A part of what I understand is this:
The heartfelt pride and mixed emotion of a daughter getting married, and gaining a son.
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Our pets are part of the family – always.
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Running after geese in a field is not a crazy idea on your wedding day!
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I totally get it little guy, tuxedo-thing, not getting dirty, waiting around.
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Complete and total devotion and friendship come together during your wedding ceremony.
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Sometimes the simplest gestures are the most beautiful.
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It may have been a rainy day but the night sky was magic.
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Love is uplifting and energetic
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Happiness and devotion happen in a way you can never imagine until you become one (a parent).
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The Harvest Moon Outside was breath-taking …
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… as was the warmth and joy inside.
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The anticipation …
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… and the joy of getting there will always be remembered
I don’t really know how many weddings I have photographed in my life. I never really counted them. I do have a record of each one, an entry in my calendar and of course copies of all the images taken. My rough estimate, based on how often I was shooting during the past seven years of my career is… over 400. I know it is not a crazy high number, I know photographers who have done thousands. However, Imagine being a part of somebody’s life more than 400 times. The difference for me is that each one of those weddings was not just a job. Do weddings sometimes feel like just a job ? Oh well… I would have to lie if I said they don’t. There were times when I found myself shooting my third of a weekend with not too much sleep during the past two nights. At the end of such day you start wondering whether you are going to make it home or just fall asleep driving… but that’s not my point.
Every wedding photographer has stories to tell. When I look back at my 400+ events I remember so many good stories. Dramatic and trivial. Sad and funny. A few years ago I was shooting at a popular venue in New Jersey. It is close to cake cutting time, the maitre d’ approaches me and says “You were here just a few weeks ago, weren’t you ?” I said “yes”. “Do you happen to have any good shots of the cake we had that night ?”, “sure” – I answered. “Good… see, accidentally we lost the middle level of the cake for tonight…if we bring it out with just the base and the top will you be able to photoshop the mid-level in later on ?”. I don’t remember what my reply to that was but I remembered this as a quite extra ordinary cake cutting ceremony and this interesting look on bride and groom’s faces, something like “whatta… “ .
During the past seven years I witnessed a person passing away at a wedding (if you really think about it – it’s not such a bad way to leave this world, you are after all having good time probably among people you love !), I drove the bride in her dress in my own car when the newlyweds were stranded and forgotten by their limo company after the ceremony and I was chasing a cat that stole the rings all around the backyard of a groom’s house. I photographed weddings in most gorgeous places and settings and also in the most severe and ruthless weather. With all this experience and memories it is easy to start thinking “yeah, I’ve seen it all…” and then… something happens.
This past Saturday myself, Monika and Zlatko worked together to cover the wedding of Christie and John. We thought the most amazing thing about their day was the absolutely incredible luck with the weather. The forecast said STRONG STORMS between 1pm and 4pm. The ceremony was scheduled for 3pm and it was… yes, you guessed it, an outside ceremony. Against all odds the bride decided to go with it and… not a drop of rain fell on us during or after the ceremony. We were stunned but little did we know - the most incredible event of the night was just about to happen. Shortly after the beginning of the reception the groom was rushed to a local emergency room with severe pain in his stomach… imagine what kind of effect such an occurrence can have on all the guests and the poor bride. Worried out of her mind Christie decides to stay because… that’s what the groom wants – he sends a message from the hospital that he wants the party to go on. So the guests are dancing, the meals are served but of course it’s not the same anymore. At some point another announcement is heard through the speakers – the groom is fine but he is suffering from a kidney stone. Also – there will be no cake cutting, Christie can’t imagine doing it without her groom. The night goes on and the reception is almost over when the maid of honor picks up the mike again ! Guess what – the groom is on his way back ! He is tough and a fighter, we knew that but still… what an amazing comeback ! Have you seen “ROCKY” ? or any other “hero” movie for that matter ? Do you know that feeling at the bottom of your belly when tables turn and good guys come back to win the fight and and triumph in the end ? (with uplifting, cool music playing in the background !) You would have to be there with us to experience the euphoria of the guests screaming at the top of their lungs when John was entering the tent:
…hugging his bride:
…and dancing with her like there’s no tomorrow:
It doesn’t really matter how many weddings I shot. The numbers don’t mean much. How and what we remember matters. What happened a few nights ago reminded me why we do what we do.
Paul Gauguin, one of the most prolific 19 century painters, at some point in his life in his longing for savage and unexpected beauty, made a conscious choice to escape the sufocating world of European civilization for South Seas. He settled on Marquesas Island in French Polynesia where he created some of his best works. His vividly colored, highly abstract paintings lead Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro to remark, “He’s in another world.”
Some hundred years later I share Gauguin’s fascination entirely. This past April when I arrived in Manzanillo, Mexico to document a super intimate destination wedding of Hope and Cody, my creative muses were flying high!
It is the lush colors of exotic locales, the technicolor light, the gentle fragrant whisper of mango blossoms, the tropical balmy air, the calming and never ending crashing of the waves that makes the couple, their families and friends feel and look marvellous. The sweet artistic challenge of the photographer is just …. to absorb it all, share the fun and the inspiration will follow, resulting in dramatic, juicy images. The visual appeal of Cody and Hope’s wedding was enhanced by Gaby www.simplyperfectmexico.com
A common question couples will hear when planning a wedding is “are you seeing one another before the ceremony?”.
Now really the only time I really think its a definite benefit is when the ceremony and reception are in the same location. That would mean in order to get a large variety of images would be to do them during most of the cocktail hour.
So last week I had a wedding at the Jumping Brook CC down in Neptune NJ, when I initially met the bride she was pretty certain that they did NOT want to see one another before the ceremony that was also taking place at the Jumping Brook CC. At the same time however she also wanted to spend some time on the beach.
Granted, Jumping Brook is not far from the beach but In reality I knew it would be very difficult to come up with a huge variety of images and only 20 minutes to do them in.
A few months before the wedding the bride contacted me with a “change in plans” They had decided to see one another and with that single decision I knew how it would pay off for them.
More time + a fun group = fabulous images 
Josh
