"The One Shot" from The Wedding Photographer

As some of you know, I do photography on the side. One of the latest gigs I did was for a Mormon couple who got married at the Orlando Temple on June 30. I was privileged to be their wedding photographer, my 4th wedding gig of the year. Here are a few shots from their event (and as an aside, the picture with them with the temple as the backdrop was not the choice location for that shot, but the bride didn't feel like drudging through the grass in 100 degree temperature to get to the ideal location, so that was the best we could do). The happy couple is Jeremy and Kristi Shaw.



But during the festivities, there was one shot I took that is my all-time favorite, not that it was a great picture in of itself, but the realtime saga that was going on in order to take that picture. I think that sometimes the story behind the picture can paint a bigger picture than the picture itself.

It was at the end of their wedding reception and they were making a grand exit. I was beginning to realize that my flash was taking about 5+ seconds to recharge. I didn't have time to change the batteries. How was I going to capture their exit, in the dark, with a slowly recharging flash?

The family and guest were forming a human line from the church building to their getaway car. I positioned myself at their car facing the exit where the couple would...uh...exit. Normally I would be able to take about 3-4 shots as they walked through this path, but with only one flash opportunity, I had to wait for the right time. I had to make that one shot, or forever lose that moment in time.

Slowly the couple made their way through the line. People started throwing rose petals from the left and right...

wait for it...

wait for it...

NOW!!!

It wasn't the best composed picture in terms of color (I know, I'm picky, but you can't do much with an orange light in the background illuminating the evening with a bluish flash coming from my camera) but, in my mind, I don't think I would have been able to capture that moment any more perfectly...the father of the bride looking on from the left, with her brother and other family members filling out to the front, the rose petals flying in the air, neatly accentuating the expressions on their faces (especially hers).



Of the thousands of pictures I've taken this year, that is my favorite shot because it was my one shot.