I once had someone tell me that referring to myself as an ‘artist’ was a bit bold for a photographer. “You’re not creating anything,” he said “you’re just taking pictures.” That stuck with me for a long time, and for the majority of my photography career I would often to refer to myself as a creative professional. It might seem like semantics, but I really started to question what role I played in the arts.
As photographers, we obsess over things like cool locations, dramatic lighting, what equipment we’re using, or what online blog is featuring our work. I spent my early 20s assisting other wedding photographers, and I couldn't believe how much time they would spend dramatically posing and photographing a pair of shoes, or how much equipment they would load in and set up.
What was the purpose? What story were they trying to tell?
I made a decision that I would prioritize the emotion of the day over anything else. There was no way I could do this for a living if I wasn’t doing it my way. So that’s what I did.
Telling the story of the wedding was not just the most important thing, it was the ONLY important thing.
My couples have already done the hard part - they found each other. They met, they dated, they were bold enough to fall in love, committed enough to make it work, and audacious enough to believe that it’s going to work forever. Love is hard, and it doesn’t need to be sugarcoated. In fact, love shouldn't be easy. It should be earned, cradled, protected and appreciated every single day.
My job is easy. I work with couples who have found and chosen to work hard for the one thing that makes humans so unique… Love
If you want me to be a small part of your story, shoot me an email and let’s talk. I’d love to hear from you.
-Eric