Here’s another wedding photo you don’t see every day. The point of view is from behind the alter, looking out over the bride and groom into the sanctuary. No, I didn’t go up there to take the photo, I’d never do something like that. Before the ceremony, I positioned a remote camera on top of a 12 foot light stand. The camera was rigged with a Pocket Wizard remote that would fire the camera whenever my son/assistant pressed the button on a matching Pocket Wizard transceiver from up in the balcony. The result is a view of the ceremony that no on else has.
I wanted to make sure the remote camera wouldn’t interfere with anything, so I had checked with the couple, the minister, the wedding planner and the church videographer before hand. I’ve heard some real horror stories from ministers about the behavior of some wedding photographers, so I wanted to assure them that I wasn’t going to tread into sacred territory. During the ceremony, I stayed at the back of the church or in the balcony. I also avoided using a flash at any time during the ceremony.
Modern digital cameras have really affected the wedding photography market. Many brides are questioning why they should pay a professional when their friend or relative has a good digital camera and can take good photos. To an extent, they’re right, anyone can take a sharp, well exposed photo. But, a good wedding photographer provides more than that. They should be giving you something you can’t get from everyone else.
Next time, I’ll post a more traditional picture of the bride and groom, but with a couple of twists to improve the photo.
