Formal, but casual, photos are great.

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But what happens afterward is usually better! This is one of the reasons why I went digital, so I can shoot before and after "the shot" without worrying about cost. I generally take over 800 photos for a wedding, but I do not have an upper limit. Many of the photos may not be good enough for your album, but more often than not, there are a few standout photos that I would have missed if I had not just kept shooting.

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Pure, unrehearsed, unprompted emotion. This is what I look for throughout the day. Other than the formal shots, I will never ask you to pose. In fact, I start the day by asking you to ignore me, "Pretend I am not here!" A perfectly posed family portrait is a requirement, but how many people gush about how happy they were while posing for that photo? What people remember are their own emotional moments. That is what I try to capture.
I also try to stay well out of your way so you are not constantly reminded that you are being photographed. It is very difficult to act natural when there is a photographer in your face. This was shot from across the room.

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Though most weddings go through the same steps, no two are alike. I look for the moments that make yours truly unique.

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If necessary, I will use a flash during the entrance of the wedding party. But once everybody is seated, I will never use a flash regardless of how dark the church is. It is much too distracting. Some churches have gorgeous natural lighting which I try to capture. Shooting this way is much more difficult, and produces fewer non-blurry photos, but I think the result is worth the effort.

I may use a flash with outdoor weddings if I need a bit of fill.

This church was actually much darker than what you see here. I could have tweaked the exposure in Photoshop but that would have added a lot of noise to the darker areas and blown out the stained glass windows.
This was actually shot f/8.0, 1/2 second exposure, ISO 400, no tripod, no flash. Not drinking anything with caffeine helps.

Your guests are important too! I have two eyes for a reason - one watches you, the newlyweds, and the other watches everybody else.

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Details, lots of details, because I know you put a lot of thought and effort into them.

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I think my job is to document the day, to tell a complete story. So I start the day with you.

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And stay until the last guest leaves.

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Or when they fall asleep...

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