Ok so though this might sound a bit pick-me-ish, lemme pitch myself ok? I am a huge believer in reading the ENERGY of the people I photograph. So now we’re gonna sound a bit woowoo (but hey, I’m super woowoo so it’s ok).

I hate when I look at a photo, and I can tell the person was not into it. The smile wasn’t as fresh. The pose doesn’t feel like them. They just seem to have this slight, uncomfortable energy. And honestly, that can be a part of the process. It can’t take a bit to find a groove when you’re shooting. Buuut I personally think you need to keep adapting until you do find a groove. I don’t believe in overly committing to a look, location, pose if it’s not working. I think you just need to gently move to the next thing.

In my expereince this keeps things fresh, prevents you from feeling like you’re doing “bad” at photos. And results in more natural experiences. It truly is those micro expresions that make a photo ok vs amazing. You’d be amazed to see the difference between someones smile in the first 3 photos of a burst of photos vs the last few.

Another thing I’m looking for is light. Light is insanely important and truly what makes or breaks a photos. I think candids can have any lighting if the emotions are right. But when it comes to editorial moments or just wanting something stunning, you gotta be watching the light like a hawk. And not just hunting for pretty golden hour light. I mean watching it alllll day. If the light in the church is just stunning, I am watching and adjusting my settings to capture it. If the DJs lights are just looking real cool, I’m watching and using that. It’s not just watching the sun. It’s watching allllll light. I adjust my flash to get certain effects. I’m keeping an eye on overhead lights. I’m hunting for the light at all times in all locations. It will 1000% dictat where I put my couple, where I stand, the vibe I’m trying to pull. Just so so much.

If it a tad exhausting? Honestly no. It makes things much easier because I’m working WITH the light vs against it. So inconclusion (lol) I feel like light and energy are the two things I am FOCUSED on when it comes to a wedding day.