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2007
Height Photography Featured in Stowe Brides Magazine
Story and photos by Jesse Schloff
One of the most rewarding aspects of my career in photography has been capturing moments and memories from the weddings of loving and happy couples. Making sure that every shot, candid or posed, is just right can be both incredibly challenging and rewarding at the same time.
As a wedding photographer, I carry a tremendous responsibility. The events I am recording happen only once for these two particular people, and they will remember that day for the rest of their lives. The way they remember their wedding is directly affected by how well I do my job.
That is responsibility and I absolutely love it.
Because of this, the wedding photographer - while not as recognized as an adventure or fashion photographer - may have the most important job in the art of photography itself.
My favorite style of wedding photography is the photojournalistic approach: capturing the day in a candid, documentary style is the least obtrusive form, and can produce images of true authenticity.
The focus, of course, is always on the bride and groom, but the unique eye can pick up finer details, the subplots of the day, and moments that the busy bride and groom may not even be aware of.
While the couple will certainly cherish the photographs of them reciting their vows, or dancing the first dance and eating the first piece of wedding cake, equally important are the photos of Grandpa Marvin doing the macarena, or the wide-eyed look on a girl's face as she takes in all the splendid sights and sounds of the event.
Of the wide range of skills it takes to be a wedding photographer, two separate the mediocre from the successful: skill and knowledge of photography, and invisibility.
The skilled wedding photographer will know how to create poses that produce beautiful, memorable images; to use correct equipment and lighting; and to make sure that the images make people look their very best.
Equally important is invisibility; the invisible photographer can catch all the candid moments of the day, almost entirely unnoticed. There's nothing worse than a photographer buzzing endlessly around the happy couple.
It is vital to have open lines of communication with the bride and groom well in advance of the wedding. They should let you know if there are any particular shots you need to get. If Grandpa Marvin is on his last legs, they may want special photos taken with him.
Walking the grounds where the wedding and reception will be held allow you to plan the best locations. A schedule of the wedding day is a great help, too.
I try to think of all the details ahead of time, before the day arrives. Knowing everying has been carefully planned for make the day more enjoyable.
But things can always go wrong - weather is perhaps the biggest culprit - and it's crucial to plan for and be prepared for those changes.
I have taken many wedding images that I cherish, but not until the fourth or fifth wedding did a bride and groom request a photograph I now try to take at every wedding - the group shot.
A staple of other big family events, such as reunions or parties, it is not always taken at weddings. It can be a chore to organize. But I've found that, with planning, it can be one of the most-loved shots of the whole day.
Finding the right spot to fit everyone, with good light and a pleasing background, is crucial, and sometimes it's just not there. And, of course, making sure in advance that the bride and groom are interested in the group shot is important.
A wedding photographer's job is unique. You are intimately involved in the most special day of many people's lives.
The memories I help create will last all their lives, and if I have done my job well, they will remember the work of their wedding photographer forever.
Jesse Schloff is co-owner of Height Photography.
From Stowe Brides 2007
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