I was honored to chronicle the wedding of Amber & Rachel a few weeks ago here in Nashville. Obviously, there are some ways in which this was an unusual wedding for Tennessee… but over the course of the day I was far more struck by the fact that this wedding was fundamentally the same as most that I shoot: two people who love each other were married in a solemn church ceremony, surrounded by family and friends. Just another beautiful Saturday in Nashville celebrating a couple’s commitment to each other.

Amber & Rachel: thanks for letting me be there to celebrate with you.

Gesica & Dan were married in Rochester, Michigan at the Oak Arbor Church, with a reception that followed at Cherry Creek Golf and Banquet Center.

The schedule for this wedding was a little different than the way most days run down here in Nashville: we started coverage at 7am, but the reception was over around 6… with all of the bridal party scheduled to remain after for an extensive portrait segment. As we moved through the afternoon reception, I noticed that the weather was looking highly questionable, so I pulled Gesica & Dan aside for some quick portraits out on the course. The end of the reception came, and we had just enough time to do some quick group shots before the sky opened up, and we all rushed back inside to the now abandoned reception hall.

There weren’t a ton of indoor settings that were speaking to me for the portraiture that we still needed, so we commandeered the projector screen that had been used for the slideshow, lowered it as close to the floor as it would go (held down with chairs), and set up a mini-studio. I feel that these images have a unique character and definitely show off the personalities of the bridal party.

Thank you to Andrew Welsh of Rochester, NY for providing your skill and perspective throughout the day.

If you would like to register to view the complete set of images when they are completely edited, please click here.

images by Andrew Welsh

image by Andrew Welsh

image by Andrew Welsh

image by Andrew Welsh

image by Andrew Welsh

image by Andrew Welsh

Melissa and David are great friends of ours. They had been planning on getting married next year, but shifted their plans to a very relaxed spur-of-the-moment nuptial…. this is a screen capture of their actual decision-making process:

(Notice the time-stamp on those messages).

Anyway, I had taken the weekend off for my 30th birthday… but Melissa asked if I would come out for a few hours and take pictures of her wedding, and we wouldn’t have been anywhere else. You may recognize the tall lady in the background, helping Melissa get ready. You know what I love about this wedding? Everyone is having fun. Nobody is hung up on appearances, and everyone is thrilled to be there. Even when the zombies showed up, everyone kept having a good time.

Oh, the zombies?

Melissa & David had checked downtown Nashville’s schedule for Titans games, Predator games, and other various events…. but they neglected to realize that 10/10/10 was also the scheduled date for the Nashville Zombie walk, and Riverfront Park was ground zero. So we had a ceremony surrounded by zombies, although they were mostly fairly considerate flesh-eating ghouls.

Tech note: This set was shot entirely on film.

Melissa’s cat: Studmuffin

Purchase of the wedding cake

First zombie sighting

The carriage driver’s dog was awesome

‘Lissa doesn’t seem impressed with the ice cream

Let me tell you, this zombie was motivated. Low-crawling on pavement is rough.

Shelby & Alex were married at Connell Memorial United Methodist Church in Goodlettsville, TN this past Saturday on a sultry (hot!) summer day. Shelby got her hair and makeup done at Z Salon, while the guys spent the morning golfing at the appropriately-named Shelby Park Golf Course.

One thing that I saw that was new to me was that Shelby & Alex chose to combine a unity cross instead of the more traditional unity candle. They combined a piece from each of them to form one cross, which will be displayed in their home. You can see detail photos in this set of both the separate pieces and the finished cross.

My favorite image in this set is of Alex’s grandfather spinning his girlfriend around the dance floor. The man has some moves.

The couple also chose to have an anniversary dance, and I enjoy the image of the couple bracketed by both sets of parents on the dance floor.

The last photo is significant in that Alex is a huge Memphis Tigers fan, and so certain unnamed individuals decorated his car with a strong University of Tennessee theme, including a profession of love for UT’s head basketball coach Bruce Pearl. Alex was bemused.

Thanks for having Daniel and I as part of your day guys!

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

Alex & his soon-to-be father-in-law

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

This is a hand-made matted album, constructed lovingly and of the finest materials. This sample is 12×12″ in size, and is comprised of 62 exquisite darkroom fiber prints from Jennifer & Eric’s wedding (shot entirely on B&W film). The prints are sized 4×6″ and 6×9″. The book is protected by a beautiful hard case. This is quite simply the finest album that I could put together, working with the best craftspeople in their respective fields. If words like “hand-made,” “artisanal,” and “classic” resonate with you, then you owe it to yourself to see this volume.

Daniel and I traveled from Nashville out to the far northwest reaches of Tennessee up in Union City for the wedding of Harriet and Steve this past Saturday, and boy was it a hot time up there! In honor of the 103 degree weather, Daniel and I decided to move to breathable white polo shirts and khakis as our uniform for the day. This prompted an amusing incident, when the hosts of the bridesmaids luncheon mistook us for Bible salesman and attempted to shoo us away.

When I met with Harriet and Steve a few weeks ago to discuss what they wanted their coverage to look like, it was clear that this was going to be a small town wedding with the three F’s of paramount importance: faith, family, and friends. I am proud of the way we’ve reflected that spirit in these and many other images from the day. I love the “first look” photos in front of the stained glass in the church, and the huge number of family and friends speeding their exit to the reception. A particular favorite shot of mine occurred when Steven ducked into a dark side-chapel to get a moment alone before the ceremony. I enjoy his thoughtful expression as he considers the gravity of the coming moments. Daniel did a superb job on the dance photos, again evincing his superb timing and judgment as a photojournalist.

Credit to the ladies at Magic Moments wedding planning in Union City for ensuring that this occasion went smoothly, and it’s ALWAYS a pleasure to work with David and the rest of the talented musicians from the Nashville Blue Tones.

Thank you so much everyone! If you would like to register to view the complete gallery when I have finished editing this wedding, please click on this link: Harriet and Steven’s Pictage Gallery

Collaborative effort from Me and Daniel

image by Daniel Shaw

another collaborative effort from me and Daniel

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

First and foremost, its important to recognize that a wedding photographer is typically called upon to work within a variety of disciplines throughout a wedding day. Almost all wedding photographers these days offer a blend of photojournalism, contemporary portraiture, traditional portraiture, and detail shots. However, photographers may diverge wildly regarding the actual composition of this blend, and the priority they place on each component. You may find that one or two of these disciplines are much more important to you than the others, and it is important to find a photographer who shares your priorities.

Photojournalism:
This may also be referred to as “candid” or “documentary” photography, and it describes wedding photos that have not been set up in any way by the photographer. Photojournalism seeks to document the day as it happens with minimal interference. Almost all wedding photographers these days *claim* to offer some sort of photojournalistic component to their coverage. However, many will present candid-looking contemporary portraiture as their “photojournalism.” Quality photojournalism is not merely snapshots of events as they unfold, but carefully considered storytelling that typically incorporates multiple content elements into a cohesive narrative.

Contemporary Portraiture:
Contemporary Portraiture may be described as “fashion-inspired,” “editorial,” or even “rock-star.” Contemporary wedding portraiture is NOT photojournalistic in nature, but it may appear to be so. Modern wedding photographers are skilled at either posing subjects, or placing subjects in situations/interactions that will yield dramatic portraits that do not appear “posed” as with traditional portraiture. Some shots may feature extremely stylized posing, either for group or individual portraits. Contemporary portraiture frequently incorporates dramatic lighting, photoshop effects, special lens effects, and a variety of other techniques. The vast majority of top-tier wedding photographers emphasize contemporary portraiture in their advertising, because it is usually the most eye-catching and dramatic style of wedding photography.

Traditional Portraiture:
Traditional portraiture has been, and will continue to be, and important part of what most wedding photographers offer. Traditional portraiture may be referred to by some as “formals,” or “the group photos,” but it may also include traditionally posed individual portraits. Most professional photographers these days minimize this part of their coverage in their portfolios and as they make sales presentations, however it is rare for a client to choose coverage completely devoid of this style. When executed well, traditional portraits serve as a document of family and friends’ presence, and make all of the subjects look good. A photographer skilled in traditional portraiture will ensure that all subjects are posed and lit in a flattering, if usually somewhat static manner.

Detail Shots:
Detail shots are the primary focus of most bridal blogs and magazines, and are an extremely important element to many couples. Couples will spend countless hours selecting specific colors, centerpieces, cakes, flowers, and other details. Skilled wedding photographers apply many techniques from commercial product photography to document each of these details in an exciting fashion. Some photographers become well-known for their ring shots, flower shots, or other detail-focused images.

Shawn and Stephen were married at First Presbyterian Church of Nashville, and enjoyed their reception at gorgeous Riverwood Mansion. This was my second visit to Riverwood this weekend, and it was an interesting challenge finding different perspectives on each visit. Fortunately, its a lovely venue, with many different photographic options. I also can’t say enough good things about the staff at Riverwood, who really do an amazing job of ensuring that every event runs smoothly and gracefully.

If ever there was a set that illustrated the caliber of the associate photographers that I choose to work with, it would be this one. Now that we are promoting our new Vintage Collections shot entirely on B&W film, I needed a sample of my associates’ abilities to produce on this medium. We spoke to Shawn before the wedding, and she was excited to have Daniel shooting exclusively on film, while I provided digital coverage. I won’t mince words: I consider Daniel’s work here remarkable, and he produced some truly spectacular images. It is a privilege to shoot with a photographer of his talent.

We were fairly restricted by the venue’s rules during the actual ceremony, with our only certain place to shoot being the balcony. For this reason, I took the balcony shots, and asked Daniel to get whatever he could when the doors were open downstairs. I wasn’t sure how long the doors would be open, or what photo opportunities would exist, but Daniel was able to use these moments to produce what I consider to be our strongest ceremony images.

I’m proud of this set of images overall, and I think it reflects the style, emotion, and character of the event and its participants very well. Thank you to Shawn and Stephen for allowing us to be a part of your day!

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

Wow. Just Wow. Daniel’s shot above just floors me.

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

This is the first of two weddings this past weekend, both of which feature beautiful Riverwood Mansion as the venue. I was thrilled to have the talented Mr. Tom Cannon on hand to provide a second perspective on the event, and you will see his work distributed throughout the set.

If you came here by way of the gallery, you may have noticed that I ran James’s portrait as the gallery image for this wedding. This may be my favorite groom’s portrait of all time. James is unbelievably photogenic, and this shot (taken on my medium format film camera) just oozes with his personality and style.

Funny story about the bridesmaids’ portrait: It was already pretty dark, so we did it inside with lighting. I told the ladies to stand on this wall while I set up my lighting gear, and that I’d pose them once the light was set up. Well Jenny decided to take the initiative and start posing her girls. She was about halfway through when I had the light set up, and she looked at me to take over the posing. I laughed and told her she was doing a great job without my help, and that she should finish posing them since she was doing such a killer job. I may have to take her along to my weddings in the future!

image by Tom Cannon

image by Tom Cannon

image by Tom Cannon

image by Tom Cannon

image by Tom Cannon

image by Tom Cannon

For any of you who have been watching the US News, we had an eventful few days last weekend here in Nashville. I have to say that it was truly remarkable and impressive to observe the poise with which Sarah and Tim handled this potentially stressful situation on their wedding day. Amidst the downpour and flooding, there was at least one event full of joy, warmth, and love.

Mary Natalie Hester also deserves credit for the seamless execution of the event under challenging circumstances, as do the personnel at St. John’s in Franklin and the Hermitage Hotel staff.

You may also notice a handful of B&W film mixed in with this set… Sarah and Tim expressed an interest when I described my new Vintage Collections to them, so I incorporated a few rolls of Ilford into my coverage. These film shots are some of my very favorite images from the day.

Tim is a musician, and so are many of his friends. If you notice that the band is getting a little more attention than usual, its because Tim, Sarah, and many of Tim’s friends stood in and performed during the reception. All of the performances were brilliant, and a unique aspect to this reception.

Ilford Delta 400 +2

Ilford Delta 400 +2

Ilford Delta 400 +2

Ilford Delta 400 +2

Ilford Delta 400 +2

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

Ilford Delta 400 +2

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

Ilford Delta 400 +2