|
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||
BP: I hear you are going to Africa soon. Are you shooting a wedding? Actually, I will be taking a small, private group on safari, with one other photographer. This will be my fifth time in Kenya. I've done a lot of work for the Kenya tourism board and I'm currently working on a documentary about conservancy areas. BP: You've got to have pretty good timing to photograph zebras and such. What about weddings? Timing is everything, both from the photographer's perspective, as well as the bride's. I was at a wedding a few weeks ago, and I visualized a shot of the groom dipping the bride in a beautiful archway as they were leaving the church. I pulled them aside and literally had 45 seconds to do it. I knew the location, I had established a rapport with this couple, and that allowed me to get this shot in such a short period of time. BP: What should brides understand about timing? When I was shooting a wedding in Chicago, I remember the bride wanted a photo in front of Buckingham fountain, which only shoots up once an hour. But she also wanted photos in front of five other landmarks and the Chicago skyline — and we had about 30 minutes! That's an example of the fact that many brides usually underestimate how much time it takes to get from point A to point B. It's the photographer's role to fulfill the bride's wishes, but also to keep things realistic. The photographer, first and foremost, has to have an understanding of the time, and manage accordingly. When I shoot a wedding, I am there to enhance the day for the bride, groom and guests. Part of that enhancement is managing expectations. In order to get as many photos as possible, I have to gently and positively move people on to the next spot to stay on schedule. BP: What do you feel are your other responsibilities as a photographer? I have to know my equipment, and practice constantly. The really good photographers practice all the time — just like batters don't go to the plate cold. My last time picking up the camera should not be the last wedding I did. BP: Are you a photojournalist? Can you shoot an entire wedding in photojournalistic style? I'm not just a wedding photographer — I am a storyteller with a camera. A lot of times I have to create the conditions to let the story develop, which means I can't always be off to the side and not engaged with the wedding party. I don't want people acting for the camera, but I also don't want to make them uncomfortable if they think I am sneaking around. They usually see me so much that they get comfortable with me, and that's what allows me to be a true photojournalist — to capture spontaneous moments. Sometimes you have to mix the traditional with the storytelling. Formal family portraits are definitely expected. But getting those safe shots allows both me and the bride and groom to know that the safe, traditional shot is there for their mantelpiece. There are times even in photojournalism when the president and a dignitary, for example, shake hands for the camera. The goal is to tell a story of the day, and there's nothing wrong with setting up some shots that produce the story that the bride and groom want to tell. BP: There are certain shots that everyone seems to do. How do you avoid clichés? Almost every photograph has already been done, one way or another. The question is: how do you take a shot and individualize it to the bride and groom? Location, lighting, posing — all of those elements can be used to create a different, dramatic shot. I will always riff on something I feel is cliché and make it my own. And of course, it's critical to get a feeling for who the bride and groom are. I try to get away from the idea that they are a "bride and groom", and think about them as individuals. Who are they, really? How did they meet? What's important to them? It takes a lot to build trust with your couple, and you don't ever want to hear them say, "Oh, that shot." The photographer should have known they wouldn't want that photo, and for that moment, he has lost their confidence. For example, some guys don't like to be asked over and over to kiss the bride. They're not comfortable, and as the photographer, you need to think fast and find another way of capturing the affection between them. BP: How long have you been taking pictures? I started as a photographer for my high school yearbook, in the early 1970s, and since then I had an off-and-on relationship with the camera. A few years ago, I was photographing national championship bike races and other sporting events professionally, and finally, with the advent of digital photography, and the support of my family, I turned to full-time freelance and wedding photography in 2003. BP: Do you think you've achieved mastery in your field? What have you learned in your years as a pro? Today I finally feel 'free' as a photographer. Perhaps it's an inevitable part of the learning process, but for a time I felt I was always trying to create an image that is someone else's idea of a good image — trying to be the next "someone else". A few years ago I realized that if I don't personalize my photographs, how can I expect other people to respect them as my own work? It all comes down to trusting myself. Why do we fall into clichés? It's because we don't trust ourselves, and without that trust, we get stuck taking other people's photos. BP: Besides trusting yourself, what would you say defines a professional wedding photographer? A professional wedding photographer is an expert at weddings. We know more than the bride and groom know. We anticipate situations, we know the details, we're aware of every intimate moment. That's why a professional can work with the bride and groom to take the raw desire they have and mold it into a beautiful finished product. If something unplanned happens, the professional wedding photographer cannot say "I wasn't informed." He has to say, "Whatever the circumstances, I need to get those photos!" It's up to the photographer to adapt, and make sure that things go right. That's the difference between the professional, versus someone who is just taking photos of the wedding.  |
|||||||||
