FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS – Respect the Moments – Part 1

When I first got into wedding photography, to me it was just another gig where it pays well and my job was to simply document the must-have moments or the “money shot.”  At the end of the day, I still agree, it is all about capturing the moment. But how are we getting the shot? I believe there’s a colossal difference between capturing the moment and capturing and respecting the integrity of the moment.

With the growing popularity of online blogs, and increase in competition. I find myself running into the temptation of shooting weddings in the hope of getting my work published and be seen.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting my work published, shooting beautiful details and venues, which are beloved by everyone from the wedding industry to your future clients. But instead of shooting weddings in the hope of getting my work published, it should be about shooting weddings in the hope of my work and their day be cherished. Cherished before published.

For out of the fullness (the overflow, the [a]superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34 AMP

The conversation with my wife were always surrounding blog submissions, social media presence, and wedding publications. And I realized that was the overflow of my heart. I felt convicted. I was more concerned about the aesthetic of my work over everything else. Everything was about  me and my work. When our mission statement was about  “giving, blessing, serving, and investing in our client’s lives and the businesses of those who we come in contact with.”  I found myself strayed away from my core values. It was time to re-examine my heart.

One may ask, as long as your captured the moments, and your clients love their photographs, isn’t that the end goal? Yes, yes and yes. But I believe how you position your heart will have a huge impact on your result. Yes, your clients love their photographs. But are they authentic? Genuine? Staged? Re-enacted? I believe when you position yourself for authenticity, your will approach photography differently, and yield a different and (in my opinion) better result.  There’s a difference between photographing a wedding and documenting a slice of history.

I started photography in the fashion industry, so making something beautiful in appearance is my second nature. Where beauty trumped authenticity (at least back in the days). Yes you can marry the two, but I believe we should build our foundation on authenticity and let the beauty unfold organically. Because authenticity is respecting the moment, and real genuine moments are heartfelt and beautiful.

I am not suggesting that I am a better photographer than you, I am also just an artist that wants to better my craft and to develop continuously. And I am not preaching the idea of “fly-on-the-wall” photography, in fact I am not a big fan of that term. Your client hired you for your talent and artistry. Not your ability to be stealthy. Okay, that’s for another conversation. However I believe by preparing your client, preparing yourself, and building a relationship with the couple will help you to create authentic and compelling images that you so desired.

Recent year I came to a realization that wedding photography is arguably the only thing that will increase in value over time from the wedding. It’ll be passed down and cherished for generations and it’ll be the only vehicle for the next generation to experience, to see, and to feel those moments. As time goes by, and the couple grow old together, their wedding photography will be the only medium to help them recall their distant memory. That’s just my humble opinion. Simply put: there is no shelf life in wedding photography.

Our job as wedding photographer may only last for a day or two, but their album will entertain and be cherished by thousand of friends and family members for generations in the unforeseeable future. That’s the territory it comes with as a wedding photographer. Scary but humbling.

Stay tune for part 2 of this blogpost and I’ll share some of my practical advices and best practices that I’ve implemented in my business which allows me to respect those moments yet getting the shot I am looking for.