Inspired Photography

I love this image because it has a lot to say. It has three different stories going on.

It is a real moment frozen in time.

I've found that as I've grown and matured in photography, I value real moments and images that testify to relationships and personalities more than any other.

I realize that every bride wants beautiful images from her wedding day that are planned and perfected. And most people appreciate shots that are set up so that they are looking in to the camera and looking their best. And so I aim to shoot all of these things.

But since today is my 10 year wedding anniversary, I'd like to share a thought, that is really just my opinion, but I'd venture to guess that others might feel this way too as time goes on. When I look back at pictures from my wedding day, those that are posed do not speak to my heart. They don't awaken the feeling or the memories of that day...not at all. It is the real moments (that in my case were caught on film by accident) that take me back in time and bring back how I was feeling on that day. That is the potential power that a good image can have for you years down the road.

Right now, you may idealize an image that makes you or your kids look their absolute best. But when 10, 20, 50 or 100 years have passed, you and your children or great-grandchildren may not connect with the images that find people posed like fashion models or forcing one more smile at the camera after an hour of shooting. But rather those that tell the real story...even after you are not here to tell it.