A couple of months ago, I made a decision to rekindle my passion for Photography, and additionally to rediscover the joy of photographing Weddings. Over the last 25 years, I have lost count of the number of Brides my lens has had the privilege of capturing, but its lots, hundreds even, and every single one of them gave me immense satisfaction. Turning a momentous event, into a series of photos that tell a story, and induce an emotional response is a challenge, but one I relish.
Yesterday, I was able to tick another box, when I spent an enjoyable couple of hours working with a lovely young family, to capture their Wedding.
This was the first Wedding I have photographed since my Transition and as such I was nervous….Not about the photography, after so many Weddings, that felt just as natural as ever. The anxiety stemmed from my Transition. I was apprehensive about about being so visible, and so engaged, with a group of complete strangers on such an important occasion.
Fortunately for me, this Wedding was a relatively small, intimate affair. The Weather was perfect, the Venue looked great, and, it was just a short stroll to the stunning Beach that looked great, even beneath the harsh Mid Day Sun.
Any self consciousness I had left, soon disappeared as I slipped into the role, and began shooting, sometimes candidly, and sometimes, with gentle direction of the Bridal Party to ensure we “bagged” all the shots they asked for.
It was only as I was packing away my gear to return to the car, that again I began to feel nervous again, worried that the guests, or staff may have sniggered at my presence, or maybe even have been disturbed by me. As ever, I have no wish to upset anyone, but my “Panicosaurus” as Jane calls it, sometimes gets the better of me, and I descend into a spiral of doubt.
The images, are lovely, with each one I processed, and prepared for the client, I smiled. The Wedding ceremony unfolded again in front of me, as I worked through the photos, and I was delighted to see the cheeky antics of the Brides children coming to life in the candid shots.
It is a real privilege, and a huge responsibility to be trusted to photograph a Wedding, and I am more than grateful to my clients yesterday who gave me that step up I needed to retrieve a passion, I thought was swallowed by fear and anxiety.
Thank You, Emmalie and Leon, I have gratitude beyond belief for your trust in me.
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