I had the honor of making images for the wedding of a very close friends' Daughter. It was an all-weekend experience starting on a Friday night and going through to a Brunch on Sunday. While I enjoyed the entire event, my favorite part was making images of the Bride and Bridesmaids getting ready. The suite was perfect for making images with two large wall-to-wall windows. I worked almost exclusively with existing light using my Canon 5d Mark III and Canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens at anywhere from 400 to 1600 ISO. The great thing about this lens is that you can make very intimate images from a distance at low light, without being noticed. The other great thing about this portion of the event was that the girls were so busy getting ready and having fun that by the time I was there for fifteen minutes I was not noticed. That's when you get the real images! Many photographers tout themselves as having a photo-journalistic style as if it were some kind of magical term for getting good images. That is only partially true. First, you have to be good at that type of photography. Personally, I consider that my strength. But what does photo-journalistic mean? Simply put, not posed and not interfered with. The moment you move the glass on the table, you have altered the scene, and by definition are not photo-journalistic. Do I move glasses to improve the image? Of course! Where have I struggled in the past? Posing. I find it intrusive to an extent. But, as a photographer you have to know that, so I have studied it quite a bit and am pretty good at it now. The important point about posing is that it has to look like a believable, natural act. To make it easier, study your subject beforehand as much as possible. Spend some time with them, or even look at old images. One great way to get an idea of how to pose someone especially for a wedding situation is to observe them at the rehearsal dinner. Study their mannerisms. The way they lean and reach, and hug. At least it will give you a starting point. So my wedding shoots greatly lean toward being photo-journalistic. Don't get me wrong, you do need some posed formals also to complete the day. Above is an image of Janie. Un-re-touched with the exception of color balancing. Personally, this may be my favorite image of all. I have known Janie since she was a little girl and in this image she reminds me of a porcelain doll. All I can say is she is a natural beauty! And yes, this was a candid image where she just so happened to look in my direction. I am so glad she chose me to be part of this very important point of her life. Good Luck Janie and Russ. I hope you allow me to make images of more important events in your lives together.