Wedding Day

Jason and Tracy may look married already in these pictures, but it is not so just yet. They will be married later this morning.

Mormon weddings inside the Arizona LDS Temple are considered sacred events and are never photographed.  Pictures are taken outside before or after the event.

Since a lot of couples are being married and sealed today, the mother of the bride and I went to the temple to make some shots yesterday when stress and time would not be huge factors. 

As a ritual, couples are photographed on the steps as they exit the temple. Behind them there is a revolving door which never seems to stop when the temple is open. The temple was closed so there were no interruptions. ( However, the temple grounds themselves looked like a large bridal show with so many other brides jockeying for prime backgrounds and taking advantage of the more placid environment.)

Today there will be daytime group shots after the ceremony. The light will be different, but that won't matter because the really will be married by then. Maybe Jason and Tracy will have different expressions relative to the solemnity, seriousness, and sacredness of the sealing and marriage vows. I wish them well as they settle in Tucson and continue with their college classes.

Family Shoot

Christmas is not the "happiest...happiest season of all" so it is great when I get to participate in things that are "happy making".

I have often commented that the young children in our family make my day a really pleasant one. As I get older, I enjoy the wonder and innocence that the grandchildren and younger grand nieces and nephews bring whenever we gather together.  It helps that I don't have to worry, like a parent, that their exasperating behavior suggests that I am not doing my job. I get to observe these little ones being their natural selves in ways that do not always demand a disciplinary reaction but definitely inspire joyous pondering and reflecting.

Today's shoot involved 17 of these guys. The oldest was a teenager, who is not old enough to drive, and the rest were less than 12 years old. The plan was large and small family group photos, so there was bound to be some variety of behaviors.There was, but it was all manageable and fun to watch.

No one knows when this family will all be together again. They do know, however, that there will be one more than was there today. For now, each one has a mental memory and will soon be able to view and to print physical proof of those experiences. As an event, it was a happy time for me. I have to say "Thank you!" to all of them for that.

It's just a photograph...isn't it?

This weekend I will photograph a large family group. Then, it will be broken into individual family groups. Maybe there will be some "just the kids" shots. I am certain some of the participants will approach the shoot with the attitude that "it's just a photograph." Well, is it?

As a label, a photograph is what it is, but it is something more. It is an event. It is a memory. It is documentation of a family's legacy.

Individuals come and do what they have to do because it is their duty. They wear clean clothes, paste on a smile, and then walk away. It's finished. No thinking required. Well, I beg to differ.

This is documentation of your legacy. It is what has come into the world through you and everyone else in the shot. It is the result of frequent trials, challenges, birthdays, and both sad and happy moments. In it you are all survivors. All are winners. You are here. It won't always be this way.

After this you may lose a child, a parent, a grandparent, or a spouse. New members may enter in. The size and/or the dynamics of the group will change. Heights and ages will change. Smooth skin will wrinkle. Clothing and hairstyles? You know. It is only a moment in time.

If you are a nit picker about things other than the people, let it go. This is not what a family photograph is about. It is about the people.

After twenty-five or thirty years have passed, people will examine the faces and spirits of the participants. The viewer will wonder and imagine. They may react to the clothing or the setting, but they will be attempting to connect with this "memory". It will not be the same as now.

So if you are having your photograph taken, whether in a group or not, allow yourself to consider a bigger picture. It is a memory. It is a legacy. It is a moment in time. Nothing displayed will necessarily ever be the same again. Viewers will not look at it with a nit to pick. Stand comfortably, but relaxed; strong, but vulnerable; and confident, but not so vain. Give the future a memory to examine and ponder.

First haircut.

Generally, the first haircut for a son or grandson is a big deal. It is a rite of passage. When the first haircut happens for a girl, who takes note?

Yesterday, Anna invited me along to get shots of Janie "getting her bangs trimmed".  I had a camera handy so I did not mind. It was to be a small thing. However, the salon maven was not to let it remain such a simple event for long. It turned into a full-fledged haircut.

Well, Janie did not behave like a boy who screams with fear and indignation. No. She behaved like the little diva she is.  For her it was a pampered non-event...like she had gone through this experience many times in her life. I was caught off guard and fascinated.

Of course, there were pangs of sadness to see her lengthening curls dropping at beautician's feet, but it was a rite of passage. Even girl's have them. This is one I had never thought about.

Is that a compliment?

One goal that a serious photographer has is to capture a signature moment or something that clearly connects the subject with "his or her" reality. He tries to capture an individual's singular essence or a thread of their uniqueness. It still surprises me when I am successful.

When the subject is happy with the results, kind and complimentary words often follow.

Well, today I received a note from one of my clients. She writes: "That is the best picture I've seen of me since I've gotten so old." I reckon that is a compliment. I don't know when she got "so old", but I do know she has a couple of decades on me. I just felt the need to smile when I read it.

I take compliments when and where I can get them. Just don't expect me to post the picture. She is happy with it, so we will leave it to your imagination.

Progress.

Lately The camera and the off-camera flash have seemed unwilling to speak to one another at the most inopportune moments. They refused to even respond to my remote control at all. On Thanksgiving day, the camera alone decided to throw a tantrum and would not to turn on and do its job.


Well, I have striven to be the patient photographer and to use soothing commands and encouragements. Today they have seemed to set aside their disagreements and agreed to help me out. What a relief! This shot is a breakthrough.


As a result, I dared my wife and son to sit down with me for a Christmas portrait to send to family members. Things worked out okay for a change. Of course, I cannot post the image until cards are mailed, but I am happy to see progress in any place I can find it.