A couple of weekends ago I had the fantastic opportunity to experiment with Through the Viewfinder and toy camera techniques throughout the course of a whole wedding. Louisette and Cory were extremely gracious to let me be there with my TtV contraption. Even though the weather wasn’t ideal, it was a beautiful wedding. The main photographer for the day was Clifton Saulnier. He’s a fantastic photographer and a genuinely great guy. The whole day was a lot of fun and it was a really valuable learning experience for me. This post is both to share some of the images I got from the wedding but also to sort out some of those things that I learned.
The rise of digital photography has made everyone more aware of and interested in photography. Clifton and I arrived to find cameras covering just about every flat surface in the bridal suite. Everyone takes pictures. I think it’s great. It challenges me to get better and better, to create images that are consistently high quality. It also makes clients more aware of what they want, which makes it easier as a photographer to deliver images that they are satisfied with. It also encourages me to try and incorporate a unique style into my work. The images that I was able to get at Louisette and Cory’s wedding affirmed for me that Through the Viewfinder is a workable style for weddings. I don’t think that anyone will look at these pictures and be confused whether it was me or one of the guests who took them.
The reason that I think Through the Viewfinder can work for weddings is the special place that weddings have in our memory. For the bride and groom it’s a life-changing day that stands out as the beginning of a part of their lives. The feel of TtV images fits with this, because the nostalgia that is built into the final image makes them feel like you’re looking into a memory.
It’s also really fun. I love explaining TtV to people who ask what I’m doing. There’s always a bit of a eureka moment when they look through my bottom camera. The blend of digital and analogue technology also keeps some of the pressure off. Getting a nostalgic look while also having the instant review of digital is a great balance.
All that being said, I also don’t think it is necessarily best for the entire wedding. It’s great for certain moments, especially the preparation time and capturing some of the unique details of the day. There are certain technical limitations that make it less practical as a full coverage style (Sorry for the flash directly in your eyes Cory!). I have ideas for overcoming some of these and have a much better sense of how to incorporate it into a balanced wedding coverage in the future.
So, thanks again Louisette and Cory! It was invaluable for me to be able to be there and figure some of these things out. I hope Vegas was as fun as your wedding.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the pictures I took at Louisette and Cory’s wedding yesterday. The rain wreaked havoc on their outdoor wedding plans but it was still a beautiful wedding nonetheless. I was shooting second for the talented Clifton Saulnier in order to try out some alternative processes to see how the work for wedding shots. Take a look:
Thanks to Daylight Savings Time getting up for the sunrise is easier this week. I headed for Cape Forchu yesterday morning. I’ve split this post into two, one today and one tomorrow, because I ended up with so many images I want to share. The one thing I didn’t get a picture of is the lights of the fishing boats out on the water. I don’t think that I’ve been out there after dark when the boats were out. It looks like the lights of another town out there.
This stretch of sunny days has been incredible (8 today). I’m not expecting this many days of sun in a row in the summer. I was able to take advantage of it again yesterday and explored the golf course at sunrise. I’m fascinated with the idea of making pictures that are within walking or biking distance. These were all taken within about a ten minute walk from our door. We’re working to make a lot of our life have less of an impact on the environment, so finding beauty nearby is important to me. There is no shortage of that where we live.
Wanting to make the most of this gorgeous sunny day, I got up early to go to Ellenwood Provincial Park to make some sunrise pictures. I haven’t met him in person but I thought I might run into Brian, who is there often at sunrise. No such luck, I had the place to myself. The woods were quiet when I started in but as the sky brightened the birds started singing. I also heard the first loud boom of the day from the ice on the lake. The ice shifting and settling is one of my favourite sounds. Can you tell I had a great morning? On with the pictures:
