Emily & Robert’s Wedding at Willow Heights Mansion in Morgan Hill

The reason I love to photograph weddings so much is because I get a front row seat to all of the wonderful emotion, excitement, tension and energy that comes with two families joining together on a day of celebration.

Although I am a part of the couples wedding day, it often feels that I am able to disappear in a way, that they don’t notice me there. Perhaps it is because they are so caught up in the excitement of their big day, or perhaps I am successful in making myself small enough, and unobtrusive enough, that I simply blend in as the moments are happening.  Perhaps both. Either way it is exciting being there, up close and personal, to all of the raw emotion that come with these intimate, private moments. Being witness to these moments happening live, right in front of you, even as close as 3 to 5 feet away, is exhilarating. Experiencing this is better than any love story, movie, book or TV show you will take in. These are real people, with real lives, and real love toward each other. The fact that they trust me to be there to capture these moments, and etch them into history for them forever, is amazing honor.

I think we have all experienced that feeling of uneasiness when you sense a camera pointed at you. I know I do. My posture gets better. I put on my “good looking face.” Perhaps turn away so not to be photographed, or turn to give them my “good side.”  Those are nice photographs, sure. To me, the best photographs are captured when the photographer is able to “disappear” into the moments happening around them, and capture the real moments as the occur organically. Being invisible and not distracting during certain parts of the day allows me to capture those wonderful moments of laughter and tears of joy that comes at an amazing events such as a wedding day. As you will see in the photographs below Emily and Robert’s day was full of these beautiful moments.

My over all approach to wedding photography is a combination of two basic philosophies. Capturing moments and creating art. Telling the story and capturing the moments in an unobtrusive way is 90% of what we do at a wedding day.  During the ceremony and reception, for example, we don’t communicate with you at all unless approached; shooting with long lenses so not to be distracting, but also giving us the ability to reach in and capture the important moments.

The remaining 10% of a wedding day we are creating art. Yet, even these portraits and moments are staged and set in a way that I want to appear natural. Most of the time getting ready photos or the couples romantics are done by simply putting the couple in beautiful light, and waiting for the beautiful moments to unfold in front of me as I capture them. There are times, however, that I have a photograph in mind (like the first photo below) where I create it, like a piece of art work. Yet, honestly, these are rare moments. The majority of the time the moments and the art comes together on their own, and I am just privileged enough to be there to document it as it unfolds.

Each wedding is different. Each wedding has it’s own love story.  Each weekend the story of love is fresh, new and exciting. Each weekend a new one comes; and it never gets old. I love my job, and can’t wait to work again this weekend!

Here are a few moments from Emily and Robert’s love story at Willow Heights Mansion in Morgan Hill; one of the most emotional weddings I have ever photographed.

 

Wedding Vendors 

Wedding Venue – Willow Heights Mansion in Morgan Hill, CA