When I pick up my camera, I’m rarely looking only for the obvious moment.
Of course I want the beautiful portrait, the laughter, the dress, the flowers, the people everyone expects to see. But I’m also watching for the things that happen just outside of those moments; a hand reaching for another, a nervous smile, someone quietly watching from across the room, the way the light falls for only a few seconds before it changes. Those are often the photographs I end up loving most.
Photography has taught me to pay attention. To always be ready for the unexpected. To take a step back. To slow down enough to notice the little things people may not realize they’re doing. The glance between two people who know each other well. A parent watching their child when no one is looking at them dance. The chaos right before everyone finally gets into place. The shocking reaction of seeing an unexpected yet welcomed guest. The moment after the “perfect” picture, when everyone relaxes and becomes themselves again. Hugs. Sweet Kisses. The happy tears.
I think that is part of what makes photographs meaningful to me. They don’t only show us what something looked like. They remind us what it felt like.
That’s what I hope to share here.
This blog will be a place for the stories behind photographs, things I’ve learned from being behind the camera, helpful thoughts for anyone preparing for a session or wedding day, and probably a few moments that simply made me stop and think, I’m glad I caught that.
Because sometimes the photograph that matters most isn’t the one everyone was looking at the camera for.
Sometimes it’s the one happening quietly in between.
