Last week I went to the Association of Bridal Consultants in the beautiful Watercolor, FL. When I found out that David Jay and Mike Colon were coming this close to my home I knew I had to go! These guys are industry leaders in the wedding photography world. I’m also happy to say these guys are down to earth and super friendly. They’ve both done a tremendous amount to encourage and equip photographers all over the world.
This conference wasn’t about the “how-to’s” of taking photos but the BIG PICTURE concepts of doing what you love and creating the life you want. It wasn’t the “what” of what you do but the “why” of what you do.
A little history:
I’ve always been a visual person. As a kid I loved drawing, painting, and coloring. Throughout middle and high school I took all the art classes offered. I also began picking up my grandmas “huge” video camera. Remember those cameras that took VCR tapes? HUGE! I very much preferred to video tape the church Christmas play than be in it. I got my first digital camera in college, a whooping 2 mega-pixels, and began taking photos! It wasn’t anything fancy, just a consumer brand camera and my photos consisted of family and friends. I still have that camera actually and the photos are stored somewhere on discs. I’ll need to find a few and post them on here.
Fast forward a few years – my love for video was re-ignited when I saw a friend and co-worker, Derek Boggs, editing video on his Apple Power Book G4. I was working as a middle school youth pastor at the time and got excited about being able to edit video for the church! Derek had a consumer level video camera that he graciously let me take on youth camps and mission trips. I was hooked!
A couple years into my passion for video my interest for photography began to resurface. I got my first digital SLR camera and began taking photos. I jumped into my manual, began reading blogs/forums, and took tons of pictures. Most of my pictures were of flowers, trees, landscapes and my dog. Most of them were bad, some were decent, and a few were good. I was hooked! The bad photos made me want to get better and the good photos inspired me to keep going.
Fast forward just a little – eventually my photography turned back towards people. I had the privilege to learn from a fantastic photographer in Panama City. She gave me some great opportunities and great education. I was learning, growing and seeing my work change before my eyes. I was and still am so excited about photography!
And then I got married!
Photo by Ruth Berry Photography
On June 20th 2009 I married the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. The emotions of falling in love, the “is she the one?” question, getting permission from her parents, proposing, and experiencing my wedding day has changed me and my photography. I’m a bit of a romantic at heart anyway, but experiencing the emotions first-hand gave photography a whole new meaning. I’m all about my photos being technically correct, and I strive very hard to be the best photographer I can be. But more than that is capturing the emotion: the laughter, the anticipation, the joy and the love. When I look through my wedding photos I can’t help but fall in love with my wife all over again. And when I photograph a wedding, I can’t help but remember my wedding day and fall in love with my wife all over again! This is why I do what I do.
At my core level I love families. I love being able to preserve the start of a family on their wedding day, the expansion of a family as they have children, and the depth of a family as I witness generations all gathered together in one place. It’s a great honor and privilege to be invited into the lives of families and capture who they are, to preserve the emotions of here and now for generations to come.
by admin
no comments