The Wedding Photographer

I recently watched the movie “The Wedding Singer” with Adam Sandler playing the role of the wedding singer. Sandler’s character had wanted to be a rock music star; but after finding little success in that endeavor, he ended up singing and playing music at wedding receptions and was relatively “successful” at it. I should say this wasn’t a *great* movie, but it was pretty hilarious…especially if you yourself experienced the music, fashion, and culture of the 1980s firsthand.

In any case, there was a perception in the movie–among the other characters in the movie–that a “wedding singer” is a pretty cheesy, “loser” occupation. I’m pretty sure that “a wedding photographer” wouldn’t fare much better in those same perceivers’ minds.

In the new millennium, the image of a wedding photographer underwent a bit of a resurrection. I suppose there are still plenty of “cheesy” wedding photographers out there though. And now with so many people owning digital SLR cameras, there are a lot of amateur photographers who want to and claim to be wedding photographers, as though all you need is a relatively expensive camera and the ability to point it and push a button to take a good wedding photo. This is feeding a vicious cycle where the prevalence of these latter photography practitioners charging low prices makes it more difficult for professional photographers to make a serious career out of wedding photography. And when professional practitioners can’t make good money in an area of their discipline, the most talented of them will flee to other areas where they *can* still make good money.

Now, it wasn’t my purpose with this post to vilify amateur photographers or the wedding couples who hire them. Sincerely it wasn’t and isn’t. I’m just stating the way things are, at least what *I’ve* seen myself and heard from others. I have no problem accepting “what is”, at least when it comes to wedding photography!

I bring all this up to make the point that I am first and foremost a professional photographer. I have photographed quite a few weddings (around 40 at last count) and still *do* photograph weddings. The emotions and spectacle of weddings makes them fascinating to photograph…especially from a social scientist’s viewpoint! (I have a Masters degree in Psychology.) Also, with all the fancy clothes and settings, they’re great for photographers with a fine art bent like myself.

But weddings aren’t the only “game” in town. I love doing candid and semi-posed portraiture, especially with children. And I like staging and doing fine art portraiture with people who want to be my models. Other events, like fashion shows and Bar Mitzvahs, are great too…for many of the same reasons I like to photograph weddings.

So, even though I photograph–and enjoy photographing–weddings, I am primarily committed to and interested in professional candid and fine art photography…whether it’s in the setting of a wedding or some other setting. I’m a photography purist who likes to find images (regardless of setting) that hold some lasting significance, beauty, and/or meaning that impacts people in a deep and sublime way. I believe in photography as a way of discovering beauty and truth; that’s why I pursue it…not just as a hobby, but as a meaningful and deeply gratifying occupation.

Sometimes people call me “The Wedding Photographer” when they refer to me at a wedding I’m photographing. That’s my role and I think it’s a convenient label while I’m at the wedding.  I even like the label because it distinguishes me from the 50 other wedding guests with cameras!…;-) But outside of any particular wedding I’m photographing, what I *really* am is a professional photographer, committed to the artistry and authentic moments photography can pluck out of ever-advancing time, who happens to photographs weddings.

And who, I think, happens to be pretty good at it…:-).

Hardest Working Man in Wedding Photography?

“You’re doing a great job. You’re working your butt off!“
–a relative of the wedding couple, a wedding guest, and/or the DJ

I hear some version of this statement at most weddings I photograph. Now, I’m not sure how hard most wedding photographers work, I’ve only witnessed a few in action. But once I get going at a wedding, I’m in perpetual physical motion. I seldom even sit down to eat dinner more than 10-15 minutes.

I’ve always been very physically active…and when I’m photographing a wedding, my adrenaline kicks in and keeps me going all wedding day long. And I’m not the type of wedding photographer who’s constantly in everyone’s face; I lurk around in the background as much as possible and try to capture all the best candid moments I can find.

The key to capturing lots of great candid moments, I find, is to constantly move around and scan, scan, scan for any existing or developing scene involving the wedding day participants. Once you see something, you’ve got to be able to bring the camera to your eye, focus, and trigger the camera shutter within a second or less; it needs to be second nature.

With the exception of when I’m photographing the group formals (which requires a “take charge” attitude to get through in an expedient manner), I sometimes feel like an almost invisible observer of the wedding day events and festivities.

But almost inevitably–usually at some point during the reception–someone will approach me and tell me how impressed they are with how I seem to be taking pictures “everywhere” at all times!

And I thought people wouldn’t notice me if I was dressed in all black…;-) .

Michael Grace-Martin is a wedding, portrait, and fine art photographer serving New York State, Western Massachusetts, and Southern Vermont. His wedding website is at http://wedding.mgm-photography.com/

Importance of Physical Energy

I don’t see this mentioned in wedding blogs or magazines…but as a wedding photographer, I can tell you one of the keys to getting good wedding photos is sheer physical energy on the part of the wedding photographer!

Wedding day photography typically covers a 7-12 hour period, with few if any breaks. Good professional wedding photographers typically carry 1-3 professional digital SLR cameras, 32-48 batteries, 4-8 professional lenses (which are particularly heavy if they’re the type that can be used in low light), flashes and flash diffusers, and so on. In short, professional camera equipment is not made to be lightweight.

I expect to be on my feet 90-95% of the wedding day coverage period…and I pride myself on continually moving about to capture as much of the action as possible. Due to the intensity of this physical activity, I train for weddings like I’m training for a competitive physical event, like a triathlon.

Now, you may ask, “But what about the highly artistic nature of wedding photography? What’s that got to do with athleticism?”. Just this: A physically exhausted person can’t maintain the concentration required to be “artistic”…especially in a dynamic situation like a wedding day.

I’m convinced a good wedding photographer needs be physically robust and energetic to successfully create his or her artistry during a typical 8-10 hour wedding day. Either that or you work with a bunch of young assistants/second photographers who really do all of the work…;-)

Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association

I just received word that I’ve been accepted into the exclusive Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association [AG]WPJA!

From the [AG]WPJA website: “The Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association [AG]WPJA is a group of international wedding photojournalists, who capture unscripted wedding moments as they happen, and excel in the art of post-production image processing. The [AG]WPJA is a division within the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA); one which specifically promotes Fine Art Wedding Photojournalism.”

If nothing else, this confirms for me my depiction of myself as a “Fine Art, Photojournalistic Wedding Photographer”–i.e., I’m not the only one who thinks this!…;-)

My listing at the [AG]WPJA will be showing up shortly…:-)