the question: would a course on wedding photography be of interest to you? if so read on!

i am not a wedding photographer per se, yet i think photographing a wedding is one of life’s greatest challenges and privileges.  yesterday, i had the honor of photographing stephanie and cameron’s wedding. the wedding was special for the usual reasons, yet even more it was an honor because the bride, her daughter sydney and others in the wedding party are good family friends, the bride is one of my wife’s colleagues, and last year she was our daughter’s 1st grade teacher! even more, there is a heart wrenching, meaningful and beautiful story that lead up to this incredibly hope filled, authentic and beautiful day.

while reviewing the photographs, this particular photograph stopped me in my tracks. there is so much love, warmth, connection and beauty. all of this got me thinking about so many things, including wedding photography in general.

these days, the line which defines or separates the professional and amateur wedding photographer has been blurred.  if you have a decent camera and enjoy making pictures, there is a good chance that you will eventually be asked to photograph your sister’s, friend’s, cousin’s, etc. wedding.  thus, it’s no surprise that the majority of the weddings that are photographed are done so by photographers who shoot between 1-10 weddings a year.

yet after being asked to photograph a wedding, the next few questions which surfaces are, “how am i going to pull this off? what gear should i use? and more importantly, how am i going to capture the moments of this day in a way that is authentic to me and at the same time meaningful to the bride/groom?”

all of this has lead me up to a question for you. after mulling over my own experience, i got to thinking that it might be worthwhile to create an online video course or a small book on the topic of how to photograph “my best’s friends wedding” so to speak. how to capture strong photographs even if you aren’t, or never want to be (like myself), a full-time dedicated wedding pro? such a course might include both straightforward and artistic advice, interviews of from some of the industry’s best (elizabeth messina, jose villa, etc.), and more…

so here’s the question - would such a course/book be worthwhile? and if so, what kind of topics would you like to see covered?

reflections that unravel like a spool of thread
what once stood tall is now mostly gone
wind, water and wood
are all that remain
an imperfect balance
of pilings holding their ground
standing in a row
all but one
a faint memory
of days of old
as the hudson river
unwinds
to the
sea

the above picture is the result of a mistake – the sheet of film was loaded and shot twice.  yet, this is a picture i was glad that i made. if photography were a teacher, one of the lessons i have learned is to embrace life even when things go wrong. what has photography taught you?

there is not much that compares to the anticipation, disappointment and sometimes surprise of shooting with film. the above picture was the later. i had gone on an early morning walk at the local santa barbara harbor. fisherman readied their gear, the fog floated among the boats and a faint horn blew out at sea. i walked and only made a few frames.  this is the one i love the most.

so often i feel like my photographs are cluttered – like i’m trying to fit everything in. this one reminds me to stop stuffing full the frame. it teaches me that so much of photography requires a delicate, not domineering, touch. the best pictures, or at least the ones i like the most, are those that result from taking a deep breath and floating on the surface so as not to disturb the beauty that is already there.

yesterday, i found this 30 year old slide at the bottom of a camera/gear box. i held it up to the sky and took a photo of it. the image is a picture of my family (mom, dad, big brother and little sister), aunt and cousins – i’m the little blond guy in the middle.

what intrigues me most about this photo is that i am now the same age that my dad is in this picture. its pictures like this which make you realize that photography can help you reflect upon time in a new way. in a sense, i have traded places with my dad – except without the curly hair, big glasses and mustache. that’s one of the things i like about photography –  it allows me one to slow, reverse, fast forward, study and ponder the passage of time. the end result is depth and growth that would have otherwise been lost.

on this cold winter day i am sad, quiet and still.
i just got word that photographer, colleague and friend nick dekker passed away.
he was generous, honest and full of life.
time is relentless.

—————–

below is one of nick’s platino type prints. the photograph was made in
north dakota near his parent’s home. it is titled “forgotten dreams”

as certain film gets older it starts to degrade and fall apart, yet i find beauty in the decay that marks the passage of time. even more, the image above is a scan of something that you are supposed to discard  - it is the flipside of the “real” image. almost like a soft reflection of a more concrete ideal. is it just me, or does this type of idea/image connect with you? i’m curious to hear your thoughts. click on the image for a larger view and enjoy!

(click image for larger view)

alone in the sea
i remember so much life
i have already forgotten