INSIDE THE MIND OF A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITE PHOTOS OF A WEDDING DAY
David: One of the shots I enjoy the most is a shot taken from the balcony and the joy on a couple’s face as they take their first steps away from the altar!
Luke: My personal favorite is the one that is the most challenging to get showing the loving, tender and genuine way a father holds his daughter at the end of their dance together. The bride already knows how wonderful she feels and what her face felt like in that moment, but what she can’t see, is her Father’s face. The expression on his face is for me the epitome of a Father’s unending Love!
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE SHOOTING?
David: Shooting a wedding is very different from other forms of photography due to the sentiment involved. There is nothing quite like your wedding day. It transcends the pure definition of simply documenting “what happened.”
My mental approach is focused on guiding families to see that these memories will last for all their lifetimes. I want to convey that it’s okay to feel and express their emotions and especially let them know not to let our presence interfere with those genuine moments. Capturing real moments is what it’s all about!
We want everyone, in addition to the couple, to express their love for each other. When and where else will all these narratives and loved ones come together in the same way again?
Any photographer can come in and shoot the expected. It takes a unique mindset to anticipate sweet moments, and it’s a true privilege to be trusted to capture them visually!”
Luke: I try to place myself through the prism of that viewfinder, be it the Mother, Father, sibling, child, or friend. I think to myself, as her loved one, how can I see this shot differently?
So, when shooting a particular moment, I try to think how a particular person might see it, or what might be most important to everyone in the shot at that very moment. I then focus on capturing those elements.
It comes down to having empathy and shooting in the mindset of an appropriate perspective. The families we’re serving guide us into telling their narrative, and we cater to their personalities and their desires.
To expand further on my father’s point and what we mean by shooting the expected, but delivering the unexpected, I would say that now that I’ve gotten any expected or requested shots met, how can I present each from an amazing vantage point that makes it even more powerful.
For example, my father took a photo of two girls playing on the piano at a wedding.
The apparent shot would be to show the keys, hands, and the girls smiling and sitting next to each other. After he took that shot so that the family would have it, David then got down on the ground and shot their feet under the piano.
This vantage point delivered the unexpected and was a more powerful shot than the self-evident one.
Run-of-the-mill photographers don’t have the foresight to think outside of themselves. They can only see what's directly in front of them.
So, after we focus on getting the clear shot, so you will have it, we then creatively shoot a twist to the first shot or shoot something entirely different that our families would never be expecting.
WHO DOES OUR PHOTOGRAPHY ATTRACT?
David: Families that value photography and aren’t afraid to show their love for each other.
They treasure special moments like these spent together, recognize that these moments are precious and fleeting, and know a wedding day can never be recreated.
Luke: We find whose who like our work are often people with a higher Visual IQ.
Sometimes that means they are also artistic, but often they are simply individuals who have a true appreciation for the Arts.
They love the idea of combining the elements of storytelling and those moments with beautiful portraits and details that have depth.
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Edmonson Photography is based out the Dallas - Ft. Worth Metroplex, Texas.
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