First Looks & Newlyweds
These are the pictures where wedding photographers get to show off. You've never seen yourselves like this before!
A good photo will make you smile.
A great newlywed photo will stun you.
The first thing I did upon receiving my own wedding photos was print & frame one of the photos from our first look. When I say photographs are meant to be printed, not imprisoned behind screens, these shots always prove my point. Every artistic decision you made in planning your wedding plays a role in these photos; your outfits, the venue you selected, any florals or colors you've chosen, and the time spent working on a style consultation all coalescing into images featuring you at your very best.
But I thought you were a candid-first photographer?
The thing is, these shoots are often the one part of the day when you get to slow down and focus on each other, and I try to bring out that connection in the final images. I'll instruct on posing - the complexity based on what we've discussed ahead of time - all while encouraging you to take the time for shared laughs and swapping stories from the day you've already been having. We keep it fun and, critically, we keep it short! For weddings between eight and ten hours, I aim to get the shots I need and you back to the party within 20 to 45 minutes. After all, you it's bogus paying for eight-dollar-a-head hors d'oeuvres if you don't get to chow down yourself.
And also...
portraits can tell Stories
It's not like this wasn't always my goal, but now I have more than just one style to offer. I just got better at the dramatic stuff! I spent years intimidated by flash, and now I love working with multiple off-camera flashes. I'll always be documentary-first, but I like encouraging clients to not be intimidated by the studio experience!
Washington, D.C.
They for their second date under the Calder mobile at the National Gallery of Art. We took photos under the Calder, but in this shot you actually see the artwork.
Blue Ridge
They wanted to have "the most lesbian wedding ever". They felt they were even competing for a title. So logically, they exited in a U-Haul. Bravo!
Richmond
She came to our photo location a little tired from getting ready, and a group of prom-bound girls screamed for her. I said they could take a picture with her, brought back the fun of the day.
At my own day, I only got one shot
I wanted to express my love & care with a single frame, and then to focus on being in the moment. That's what newlywed and first look photographs are perfect for. It's the shot that brings you back to the moment of big, romantic emotion.
Also, first looks kinda rule
If you're even considering one,
it's probably right for you
Montgomery County, Md
They exchanged their vows privately before reciting them at their ceremony, knowing they'd be too emotional the first time. I threw on my zoom lens and gave them their space.
Washington, D.c.
Unseasonal heat meant their first look would've been sweltering. I asked the art gallery next door if they'd give them refuge.
Most importantly, First looks give you more time to party
You'll appreciate not having group photos standing between you and your friends
75% of my clients now are seeing each other prior to the ceremony for at least a few photos together.
About 25% of my clients also make time for group photos with family or extra pictures with their wedding parties together.
"But I'm not Photogenic"
Trust me, I get it. But you are (everybody is), and you just haven't worked with a photographer who really knows what they're doing before. At this point in my career, I've proven hundreds of people who believe this about themselves to be wrong!
