Alright, I have to admit, this was one of the hardest blogs of the year for me. Of the tens of thousands of photos I took in 2009, how am I supposed to just pick a few favorites? It was an overwhelming task, but I whittled them down as much as I could and then handed the axe to Alana for the final cut. We broke the photos into three groups – wedding, engagement and portraits. This first installment features my favorite wedding photos from 2009. My favorites are picked for many different reasons. My two biggest criteria were emotion and composition.
In looking back at all the images, it really hit home with me that it is rarely one single person that makes a great image. It is usually a collaboration of ideas and experiences from my clients, wedding coordinators and George and Alana that make these images what they are.
Let me just reiterate how incredibly difficult this was. There were SO many more images I wanted to include, but just felt it was necessary to draw the line at some point. I loved the experiences I had at every single wedding I shot in 2009. If you don’t believe me, just read my previous blog entries. They’re all there…
I hope you enjoy this set of images as much as I do. Let me know which one is your favorite!
The anticipation is what I love most about this image. Chenxi is "sneaking" a peek at Sean a moment before they embrace for the first time on their wedding day.
It’s always a challenge to get an interesting composition with the bride’s bouquet. The combination of the chair and the great natural light in the hotel room makes this my favorite bouquet photo.
I do my best to find different places to hang my clients’ wedding dresses. I try to avoid making the all look the same. This one is one of the most unique shots of the year. The lines and colors in this picture are what make it my favorite. Oh, and the dress is hand-made.
Every so often, I get to take a ring shot myself. The light is what I love most about this image.
I always love watching the kids at weddings because they’re so unpredictable. You never know what they’re going to do and they’re always incredibly curious. This flower girl was no exception.
This picture gets more laughs than any other wedding picture I took in 2009. I had seen the location during the pre-wedding consultation and knew Amie and Mohit would be up for some fun. I think it was actually Mohit who suggested the idea for this image. Thanks Mohit!
Simply a classic bridal portrait. The overcast day created perfect light and the portraits of Stephanie’s grandparents hanging on the walls really personalizes the image.
Meghanne has an amazing smile to start with. Combine her smile with the perspective from above (me standing in a tree), Zack holding her, the wind blowing, and the leaves below, I simply love this picture.
This portrait of Courtney was just one of those moments where symmetry and light combined perfectly. I also love how pensive Courtney looks.
Family weddings are fun because we know the people, but that much harder because we know the people. Jamie (George and Dorothy’s cousin) married Cole this past summer. Prior to the ceremony, I suggested that Dana (Jamie’s dad) have a moment with his daughter before walking down the aisle as I was pretty sure there would be tears. I was right. This one is a tear jerker for me every time I look at it.
I don’t do many jumping pictures, but this was probably the most athletic group of ladies I worked with in 2009. I mean seriously – I don’t think I could jump that high in shorts – forget a wedding dress!!
I love how this images captures not only the personality of the groom, but also the obvious land mark as well as the reaction of the guests.
I love doing things that are "different." Meghanne and Zack were all about that. I love how Meghanne’s dress flows right off the front of the tractor and how Zack looks like he’s ready to drive anywhere he needs to. The textures in the hub-caps (if that’s what they’re called) is another detail I really love.
So as I was standing in the lobby of the Hilton, I said to Beth, the coordinator, "Would it be alright to lay Lydia on the coffee bar?" "Sure!" was her immediate response. Thanks Beth!
Knowing that it had rained most of the afternoon, delaying the ceremony multiple times, makes this images that much more meaningful to me. Seeing the joy on each face in spite of the circumstances is what draws me to this image.
Joy is sometimes expressed in tears. This was one of those moments. I remember after I took this picture that I leapt for joy inside because I was SO excited to catch such a moment.
This is just one of those moments that has happiness written all over it. What better way to celebrate your marriage to a beautiful bride than with a fist-pump?!
I was fortunate at Courtney and Joe’s wedding to have ample time to work with just the two of them – something that is pretty rare for a wedding day. I love the setting and the expressions on each of their faces.
For this shot, I’ll admit that I gave direction to Lydia and Ken. What I failed to do was give direction to Santa. Clearly, he already knew what he was supposed to do. The uniqueness of this shot is what I love most.
I’ll let this image speak for itself. Love, love, love it!
Imagine planning your perfect wedding in the perfect place with perfect views to have Mother Nature spoil the plans. That’s what happened to Jen. What I love about this picture is that she knew it was the biggest and happiest day of her live and she wasn’t going to let Mother Nature ruin it. And she didn’t.
I’ve loved waterfalls since I was a kid. I never imagined I would someday take a picture of a bride and groom in front of one.
So that rain that was messing up Jamie and Cole’s wedding – well it never came back once the ceremony started. We had all the time we needed to walk around the property and take pictures like this one. The truck is what makes the shot for me.
This is not just one of my favorites from 2009, it is one of my all-time favorite photos period. Literally in my top five all-time favorites. It’s hard to look at this image and not think, "Man I wish I was the one running down that hill!" Composition, great focus and emotion combine to make this such a great image.
I just wish every twilight shot we attempted came out as good as this one.
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