By Steve Burns

Who’s the most nervous at a wedding during the procession?  Is it the photographer as the bride and her father approach?  Is it the groom in anticipation of his bride to be?  Is it the bride anticipating joining with her groom at the alter?  Is it the father of the bride who is about to give his loving daughter to another?

Well the photographer should be a bit nervous, as should both the bride and the groom.  The photographer, is possibly nervous because they can’t control the moment though they have honed their craft so well that they could function on autopilot if called to so.   They are ready, their gear is ready, and their back up gear is ready and their mind is engaged.   The bride and groom may be a bit nervous in anticipation of their moment together at the alter, however they have a relationship that has been on going and is about to grow even more to support them.

The most nervous person is actually the father of the bride.  Even though he is beaming with pride and confidence as he walks his daughter down that isle where he will shortly give her away to his soon to be son in law; he is full of nervousness.  It doesn’t matter if they are the elder statesman President Clinton as he was walking Chelsea,  or if they are the simplest of common men.  They are all nervous  as they are about to give their child that they raised away.

When we are nervous, things can catch us unaware. It happens to all of us, and it should not be looked at as a fault, or an embarrassment as it’s simply a part of life.

For all of the fathers out there, here is something to be aware of.  I’ve seen this happen twice in as many years.  As you walk your daughter down that isle, she is going to be on your left arm. Your family is to the left side of you as well.  When you reach the head of the isle you will give your daughter a kiss and give her away to her groom.  As you do this she will cross a bit in front of you to join the groom.  As that happens you will turn to your left and go join your family.

If she is wearing a long veil it might blend in with the floor.  So as she walks slightly right and up to the alter, her veil will cross in front of you, and it is going to be difficult to see.  You might possibly step on it, or get tripped up in it.   If this happens the comb and veil will suddenly be ripped out of your daughter’s hair.  Oh-oh!

Thankfully the bride’s father did not fall.   And because I was immediately behind them I was was able to pick up the veil as the bride approached the priest waiting at the alter. As I approached her from behind, I took a quick look at the priest, who gave me a nod.  So I quite simply put it back into her hair at the alter as if nothing had happened.  Think auto pilot.   From there on their day went on as planned, two wonderful people were married, and we attended a wonderful reception a bit later that evening.

By Steve Burns

The phone rings and the words you hear are, “Help me, please.”

The Group of 10 was founded in part as a support group of friends, for friends.  All of the members are friends whom happen to be independent photographers, and all of whom are very active in the wedding photography industry.

We’ve been a support to each other so as to bounce creative ideas off of each other, act as a sounding board for each other,  and get honest feed back from each other.  We support each other in our marketing and creative endeavors.

Most importantly though, we are there for each other in times of need.

There have been times, and I’m sure there will be others, when we have loaned each other significant equipment in emergencies. We have taken on the role of “highly qualified responsible” second photographers for the other’s wedding coverage’s.  And most significantly we are willing, if available, to step in for one another as the principal photographer doing the other’s wedding coverage should an emergency arise.

As a bride, you invest heavily in your wedding day, and you should be aware that we are there to support not only each other,  but to support you as well.

So in times of need, who are you going to call?  ( Hint: Call your friends, they are your best back up. )

Bellow are some images I’ve created for others, and I thank you all for the oppertunity to work with you!

For George Weir…

For Neil van Niekerk…

For David Mielcarek…

For Berit Bizjak…

Steve Burns

“I was watching you work during the ceremony…” started the conversation one of the guests during a cocktail hour of a recent wedding “…you looked cool in all your poses and when you were sneaking behind them, like a ninja or something !”. I started laughing. “I wonder how the photos will turn out !” they continued. “Oh, they will be cool, too – I assure you” I replied and went on to photograph people having drinks and hanging out while hunting for hors d’ orderves. So how do we look to wedding guests and couples on their most important day when we are at work ? We of course dress for the occassion while trying to feel comfortable and ‘lightweight’. With all the equipment on us it is extremely important to stay as flexible as you can. So let’s start with taking a look at our own Zlatko Batistich, enjoying a family formals shoot outdoors, surrounded by relatives, all having good time:

Here’s George Weir, working hard during a reception:

Josh Lynn trying to find enough space inside a limousine to get a shot of this pretty couple:

Some of us like taking more aggresive looking poses, Monika Broz ‘tackling the dress’ in 100F Virginia heat:

…and one of the resulting images:

Because we very often work as a team I think I sometimes try to be like her:

…but the results are worth fighting for:

Getting a good image sometimes really gives us wings !

Some of us prefer to just levitate slightly above ground when shooting:

…but again, the results speak for themselves:

Every now and then we find a photo or two shot by a wedding guest in our e-mail inbox… and sometimes they catch us… aaaam, yes working !

Questions about the last photo will not be answered. Hope you enjoyed reading this !