Tom & Rena

Being a wedding photographer is special, and I’ll tell you why. I have the opportunity to participate in a very important day for two people who have found each other. I think I am starting to have an idea myself of what that means, but since I’m not married, I suppose I will truly understand it when I’m there. What I can tell you is that when I see it –  this admiration, respect, and love that my couples have for one another… it makes me appreciate the work I do. It makes me happy that Tom & Rena are so right for each other, and that I get to have a glimpse into who they really are. Each time I photograph a wedding, I am celebrating life with people – and that’s pretty wonderful.

It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony. Their priest, a good friend of Tom’s from St. John’s the Evangelist was charismatic, well-spoken and funny…and he knew the couple well. He read letters that he had asked them to write on why they wanted to marry the other. Little did they know that he was going to read the letters out loud to the congregation. It was fun to see so many expressions of joy as we all learned what they loved about each other.

I was really excited that they decided to walk from the church to Washington Square park to meet their guests after the ceremony…because that meant my options for photos had completely changed, and I would now be in a position to make use of Center City Philadelphia along the way. This is my job – to think on my feet, look for color, look for light, see compositions, but also just capture the moments in between. Keep it natural. Keep their trust. Be a guide, but be open to the day unfolding as it will. Scott Adams wrote, “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, Art is know which ones to keep.” Keeping that in mind allows me to really go for it. Each and every wedding, I try to make it awesome.

Tom & Rena are not the type of couple that are typically used to lot of attention, and  I could tell at one point that they just wanted to be together… just some quiet time to take it all in. It is important for me to stay tuned in to my couples, to read them, and keep a balance of what I want to achieve creatively as their wedding photographer, but also remember that this is their day, not mine. I am there to visually tell a story in the most beautiful way I can… and if I am given the time, I will run with it and make the best use of any and all opportunities throughout the day to create beautiful images. And that’s what it’s all about – the balance, the creativity, the real moments, the people that we are celebrating. It’s very special, and I am so happy that this is the work that I get to do.

Enjoy!