Second Shooter // 04

Earlier this week, I got to actually hang out with Dani - as in, not just to do work. We got some really yummy sushi (I tried eel for the first time and can say that I like it much better when it doesn't look like eel) and talked about some photography things and some not photography things, and it was totally awesome because she is a super fun person. Making new friends is a really good thing.

Another good thing was seeing how my photos fit in with hers when she puts everything together for her brides and grooms. Sometimes when I go through the photos from a wedding as the second photographer, it can be a little lackluster because I feel like I only have part of the story. And, it turns out, that's exactly how it should be. It means that I am capturing the details and the little side stories and when everything gets put together, it feels really complete and looks absolutely beautiful.

So this goofy guy below was my boyfriend for the day (shh...don't tell Ben). When it was time for him to walk down the aisle with the rings, he found me on the side and took my hand and I almost thought I was going to have to walk down with him...but fortunately his mom saved the day and saved me from becoming an impromptu member of the wedding party - the ring bearer's escort.

Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend!!

Second Shooter // 01

One of my favorite parts of being a wedding photographer is having the chance to work closely with other wedding photographers by being a second shooter. And yes, that is what we call our photography assistants on a wedding day.

Although I regularly photograph weddings of and on my own, I like to take the time to help out other photographers by assisting them with their weddings because it's fun to hang out with them (trust me, you get to know people really well once you spend at least eight, sometimes intense, hours with them on a regular basis!) and gives me a chance to experiment. I love my clients dearly and will do some out of the box things with them on their wedding days, but I also have a responsibility to provide them the service of getting more traditional photos for them and their families that makes it a little harder to be more experimental. When I second shoot, I'm constantly looking for the angle that the primary photographer is not, so it forces me to see differently and find ways to make a creative photo that is different from what the primary photographer is taking. In other words, I get to make really fun art!

Over the next few months, I'm helping Dani with some of her weddings, and want to share some of my favorites here. These are different from the weddings of my own clients, but no matter the venue, the time, the mood, or any other factor, there is always a cheerful image to be made at a wedding! The wedding below took place a few weeks ago at St. Mary, Star of the Sea and Tabrizi's (an awesome waterside restaurant in Baltimore) and was such an emotional celebration for the sweet bride and her groom. They were both thrilled to be marrying their best friend, and completely basked in the joy of their family and friends - those are the best kind of weddings.

I am looking forward to margaritas this evening...and a gorgeous spring weekend. Do me a favor and do something special this weekend, just for the fun of it.