In the middle of the frenzy of pre-wedding preparations at her parents house near Slidell, Louisiana, this bride paused for a few minutes to catch her breath and read a beautiful letter her groom had written for her, an emotional moment that I quietly and discretely captured in this classic and timeless black and white photograph.
This is a great example of how a significant portion of the craft of wedding photography consists of observation, simply listening and watching in order to be aware of what's possibly about to happen, as this enables me to start thinking about how I want to compose the shot so that I'm more prepared for the moment when it occurs. Of course, photographers often don't have this luxury, as moments during the wedding day often unfold suddenly and unexpectedly. But whenever there's an opportunity to know something is coming and put some thought as to how I want to document it, I take full advantage.
In this case, as I was shooting details and prep, I overheard the bride tell her mom she would be reading the groom's letter soon, and I took note of where she set the letter and the gift bag down, assuming that she would return to this spot to read it. I usually take a hands-off approach and just let things naturally happen, but if absolutely needed, I would have suggested a better spot for this. However, after a quick evaluation, I decided this sitting room that the bride had chosen, with some soft natural light coming in through the windows, would be perfect, and I did not interfere.
This is also one of those times when I was especially thankful for the capabilities of the modern and professional camera equipment I work with, in particular, the fast lenses that give me the ability to shoot in modest lighting conditions without having to use flash, and the silent shutter feature of my Sony cameras. Though I'm sure the bride knew I was there off to the side photographing her reading the letter, the lack of the repeated click-click-click of a camera shutter enabled her to be fully engrossed in this special moment and not be distracted by me.
The wedding ceremony and reception both took place at beautiful Vintage Court in Covington, which is now known as The Greenwood.
Location: Slidell, LA.
