I typically shoot a blend of styles.
The traditional formal shots are important for the long-term. The journalistic and candids have great short-term significance, as well as historical value.
Unless clients request otherwise, I will always try to work in some setting for a photograph with a strong romantic character and content. In the end, it's the blend of styles that make the totality of work resonate with the true character of the Bride and Groom and the event itself.
I don't have a son or a daughter. But, I do have a niece and nephew. Would I photograph their weddings? You bet. What's more, I think my brother and sister-in-law would insist on it.
Recently, I photographed my cousin's wedding. I had the whole clan checking me out. No mistakes allowed. It was blast. The results raised the bar on my efforts and the bar keeps getting higher.
I think it's truthful to say that I thrive on shooting in new and different situations. That, to me, is part of what weddings and photography are all about.
I enjoy the opportunity to photograph couples and families during one of the most important days of their lives. Weddings have enormous emotional, spiritual, and social importance. There's always a handful of interwoven stories to discover and capture on film or digital CCD.
Because I love what I do, I can have fun and do serious work at the same time. It's hard work, though. Often, people don't understand that. Most of the time spent on a wedding is not in the photography during the wedding day itself, but rather in logistical and administrative responsibilities that come afterward. Hours and hours of work is required to make sure orders are completed promptly, accurately, and with highest quality.
When I have too, I sacrifice promptness for accuracy and quality. Sometimes people don't understand this. In the end, though, they love the work.
I have carried my photography equipment to some very extreme situations.
Aerial photography, underwater, mountains, deserts, and rainforests. A good portion of my early professional experience was as a journalist. As you know, journalists are expected to work in a very diverse range of situations and produce evocative, yet truthful photographs.
Now, I market my self as an on-location specialist, because I can and will go anywhere. All my equipment has been chosen with the intention of being able to successfully adjust to any situation.
That's not to say that I don't do my research when I have the chance. Being able to anticipate what's going to happen is one way to make sure that I am in the right place at the right time with the right photography equipment.
