She’d planned this I was sure of it. The news came so cleverly that it took me a while for me to figure out what it meant.
I was sat in a restaurant with a former colleague with the two large meals I’d ordered for myself. My phone screen flashed and as I discreetly checked it, I saw it was from Vanessa which simply read, “I have a photo job for you – a wedding – you want it?” Naturally I was excited and asked “whose?” To which she replied, “Mine”. My eyes widened and I struggled to stifle the excitable squeal that was trying to escape my lips.
My friend Vanessa was getting married!
Life can change so suddenly. As I write this blog, my friend will marry the love of her life in 4 days but I distinctly remember our conversations about the challenges of dating and her desire to find a suitable man. On one of our regular catch-ups, she broke the news that she’d met Jeremy and things were going well. Naturally, I was excited for her and was privileged to spend the following months hearing about how well their relationship was progressing.
Then she got engaged and asked me to photograph their session. Though I’d met Jeremy once before, he was a joy to photograph. He’s a man who laughs easily and laughs loud so the aim was to capture this in their session.
I’d prepped by visiting 4 locations and brainstormed exactly what I wanted to photograph whilst still allowing room for them to be themselves. We had a blast. I loved the studio sessions becomes I welcome any opportunity to shoot the way I most enjoy but because we laughed so much and Vanessa & Jeremy were very comfortable being intimate with each other in my space. The external locations were a hoot too. It was cold but the sun came out to join us and it gave me a chance to really play with perspectives and experiment with ideas I hadn’t tried before.
Now, in 4 days’ time, I’ll be photographing them for real as they exchange vows before God and a large number of their family and friends. To say I am excited is an understatement but I am fully aware of the great responsibility that lies before me. So now…time to prep.
Until the next time
