Two Photographers, One Sequence

Howdy!!!

Lots happening over here at flint headquarters. New logo design was unveiled this week (more on that in my next blog - check out my website in the meantime and please, feedback!!), a profile in a local magazine, the insider, coming out next week, and one super-amazing-fantastic wedding after another!! Busy in an understatement...good times nonetheless.

A couple of weekends ago, I had the pleasure of working with Nichole and Mike as they tied the knot in a quaint little ceremony on Seneca Lake at the stunning Geneva on the Lake Resort. If you haven't been to Seneca Lake, it is the largest of NY's Finger Lakes & represents the heart of NY's wine country. I brought along a second professional photographer (as I always do), to help me in the documentation. There are many reasons that I do this...security, stylistic diversity, personality, etc., but the number one reason is that I simply cannot be in two places at once. As the primary shooter, I've learned that establishing a loose strategy for camera placement can greatly benefit your end results.

So here's what we had:
-Primary Photographer: yours truly
-Second Photographer: the richly talented Kelli Marsh
-3 cameras
-1 ladder
-complete creative control
-fired-up-ed-ness
-a balcony view of the ceremony site
-a burning desire to create an interesting sequence of Nichole's entrance
-one shot at it

Here's the site:So the thought was...get Kelli in the balcony since she will be with the bride during the moments before. I planned to be down on ground level shooting the guys, officiant, family, friends, etc. I won't post those as they do not pertain to this sequence but overall, you get the picture. Anyway...with Kelli in the balcony, I had to be aware of her shot and therefore, give Nichole room to breathe. Then the plan was to rush behind the groom, get the over-the-shoulder shot, leap down the 5 or 6 steps to retrieve the ladder that I had stowed away in the bushes, set it up and, using the 3rd camera w. the fisheye, get the wide shot of the ceremony with the resort in the backdrop. Here's how it played out:

Entrance...safe, sweet
Kelli top down - one of my favorite shots of the entire day...well done Kel!!!
detail shot...same moment from the second perspective...

another 'safe' shot as i retreat to behind the groom/officiantbride approaches...you can see me as I bunny-hop the bush-thingy!!!
over the shoulder...just moments before the barrel roll down the steps
kelli fills with a killer landscape capture. Again, awesome!!!
Ladder set up, tommy on top step, camera change...success!!!
Now those of you who have worked with or around me know that I do not try to preconceive any aspect of the day. I function on the premise of 'revel in what you got and don't beat yourself up over what you missed'. From time to time though, I do see an opportunity and set forth a challenge to myself and my crew. In my opinion, this is a shining example of why I bring a second professional photographer along with me. Not just a second photographer, but a second professional photographer. These moments are once-in-a-lifetime and deserve nothing less.

A giant thank you to Mike and Nichole Jones for trusting us with this momentous day and to Kelli Marsh for your tireless dedication to stunning imagery. A couple more pics before I go. What would the day have been without little Benjamin??? ...and how handsome he looked in his little tuxedo!!!

cheers guys!!!Till next time...

be well,
t