Sometimes I am asked if I shoot weddings. The answer is yes, but I don’t actively seek it. I also ask myself why. Indeed, weddings are a joyous time, and I enjoy capturing people during the best time of their lives. I once attended a wedding photographer’s trade group where a photographer presented a slide show entitled “How I can’t afford to be a wedding photographer.” He said I could make a better living by creating family group photos than I could by photographing a wedding. He could see five to eight families in one day but only shoot, at most, two weddings per day. That is assuming that your average wedding is four to eight hours long. So, through his presentation, he proved that his numbers made sense, and I adopted the same opinion.

Weddings are an expensive market, with a narrow margin for time. When you pair the fact that a wedding is a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event and budgets are tight, the margin for error is thin. For me, it’s my mission to make every moment, every scene, and everyone looks their best. I take my work very seriously and work exhaustively to that end. Most venues are poorly lit or won’t allow for flash photography. Even if they allow for flash photography, I become a juggler of equipment, moving from place to place and quickly respond to a moment’s notice. Invariably, I adjust to the ever-changing lighting conditions and shoot shoot shoot. On the other hand, a family group photo can be a good time and is far more relaxed. So, I try to lean that way.

I have to say that when I do shoot a wedding, I love capturing the serendipitous activities everyone brings to the celebration.