Moments: the hidden gems we as photographers attempt to find at each and every wedding. Moments are what motivate me to continue to shoot as many weddings as I do per year.
Now, I'm a big fan of the lovely image of a beautiful bride with her veil backlit by the late afternoon sunlight. However, these are moments that I create. I prompt and control the situation in order to produce that portraiture. I will always enjoy that; however, nothing beats the challenge of the found moment. They're not my moments, they're my clients' moments. Intimate split seconds in time, captured for future generations. I still, after decades of photographing weddings, enjoy this aspect as much as ever.
Here, during this wedding at Knowlton Mansion in Philadelphia, a mother and grandmother of the bride share a moment while the bride and her sister look on from the doorway. I truly have no idea what their conversation was about. It's not my business to know. It's my business to capture the decisive moment from that situation. It's about anticipation and reaction. If we can't anticipate something, we'd better be able to react. Of course, it doesn't hurt that there's some great light on mom! And grandmom is precious.
The setting at Knowlton Mansion is like an oasis in the middle of Northeast Philadelphia. When I shoot wedding photos there, I always look forward to using their bridal suite. It provides beautiful backgrounds and great light.
D3S, ISO 1600, Nikkor 85mm 1.4G
Location: 8001 Verree Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19111.
1/400; f/1.4; ISO 1600; 85.0 mm.