K + G wedding

In January, I went out to Utah for my brother's wedding. He asked me at one point if I would be willing to do their engagement photos, but I wasn't able to make it out there for that. I'm glad they ended up going with a pro anyway because their engagement pictures turned out great.


Waiting for the bride and groom (I'm kneeling in the front)

I don't mind taking "backup" pictures at weddings, but I usually recommend that people use a professional. Bradley and I recruited a friend to take our wedding pictures. Some turned out OK and some did not... we were poor and didn't want to pay a professional, but if I had it to do all over again I would have found other ways to save money. Anyway, the cool thing about being the backup photographer is you can observe the professional at work and get ideas on poses, lighting, etc. But you don't have to follow the bride and groom around the entire time, so you're free to enjoy the party and take pictures at your leisure.


There was the standard kissy pose...


... and also some fun stuff like this pose of the bride with her four older brothers. You can barely see Amy (the professional)'s arm here-- I was hijacking her photos all day. :)

I really liked the poses Amy had them do at the temple, but I was a little disappointed that she only stuck around for a few minutes at the dinner that evening. Even then, the pictures she took there were with a flash. I avoid using flash whenever possible-- I just don't like the unnatural light and shadows it creates.


The cake


Cutting the cake


The bouquet. I did use the flash here, but you can barely tell. I like the depth of field on this one, the way the bouquet itself is in sharp focus but the rose petals behind it are not.

The only problem with not using the flash is that you really have to have a steady hand and know which modes on the camera will create the most natural light with the least amount of blur. My pictures often turn out blurry because I'm so stubborn about the flash, but it forces me to keep practicing.


One of Amy's photos, with flash.


One of my photos, taken at the same table but without the flash. It's ever-so-slightly blurry, but notice how much more natural the lighting looks.

Anyway, I'm not trying to be all smug about my photographer skills. I have a lot to learn still, so that's why I like watching how other people do it. But it was interesting to compare and think about what I would have done in that situation. To sum up, it was a beautiful wedding that K and G will always remember because they have so many wonderful pictures.