Once upon a time I was an introvert running a business wherein I met 150-300 new people bimonthly.

I have several weddings where I distinctly remember not speaking for most of the day. What worked about this might surprise you. Those who don't speak up largely fade into the background. By fading, you can get amazing images invoking natural moments and emotion. You can see stories and feel the details and find the timing. You flow in the background.

There are weddings where I fell in love with families, over toasts and hugs.    There are weddings where I came to wonder why they were getting married (don't worry, this is actually pretty damn rare). There were a lot of weddings where I tried to understand everyone involved, the other quiet ones, or the loud sorority sister friendships.

I often wanted to be friends with my clients. Is there a time when we are more soul-bare then when we plan a once in a lifetime event? We decorate ourselves as we see beautiful. We highlight a venue with what we think is creative, special, worthy of our guests, personal to the people celebrated at the event. We invite those that we enjoy, or those that are familiar, or those that impress us. 

We hear ourselves toasted. Shared are the moments once private. The sand ceremony with children also pouring sand into the container that combines a newly crafted family. Oh, humans are so creative we invent family. 

Beyond these accoutrements, people often become stressed and that is where the reality of a relationship is. Support, encouragement, understand, kindness, friendship, beauty? I have seen all these, in nearly every wedding. I have seen hope, tenderness, compassion, tension, tears. I have never witnessed a fight between the newlyweds. I believe in love, because you have shown it to me at over 200 weddings.

It is a wonder to me. 

In my lone-ness at weddings, I basked in noticing details. I created ways to highlight details, I delighted in lighting love and like and wishes of forever. And I often left in tears. 

I took a break, for personal reasons, for several years from the business of wedding photography. I have learned to be me while caring about others, while trying to be inclusive, while offering help. 

By doing this, I have not garnered inclusion on the family tree, but I believe the quality of the photography has surpassed the creativity to some extent. As my focus shifted from what I saw to what you want, I instead find I'm centered around offering images that are sharp and expected. I suppose that, too, can be a good thing. 

I'm excited to be back to photographing weddings in Raleigh, Greensboro, well.. wherever I can go, come to think of it. If you're looking for a wedding photojournalist please let me know. I'd be honored to photograph the event for you.