Day 82 - Photos last longer

Today we had a photoshoot with who will be our wedding photographer. This was to see whether or not we enjoyed his style and talent. Photography, to me, is a subject of which I know I can be a total c*nt. You see, I know some people believe they are photographers just because they have great cameras. I have seen some people take beautiful photos and get lots of praise, but the photo itself has nothing to do with their talent and more to do with their camera. These same people would use a creased bedsheet as a backdrop. This is not terrible, provided you are honest with yourself and your limitations. If you are trying to pass yourself off as a professional photographer and I can see the folds in your bedsheets behind your subjects ... I am not spending hundreds of dollars on a photoshoot with you.
I never had a concern that this would  be the case with Shawn (my photographer) however for me the real test would be, how quick can he capture a moment. I don't want a lot of posed pictures at my wedding. I want a natural candid style photography. When it comes to capturing the emotion and the moment with a photo you have to be right on and focused. Some people have it and some don't. What better way to test this than to have a candid photoshoot of our two daughters (my ring bearer and flowergirl) running around playing. No fancy backdrops, no on site location, just a simple moment when all he had to rely on was his ability to capture the girls with their moms and all the precious moments that happen throughout a day. To add a challenge my ring bearer has days where she is full of the dramatics. This, was one of those days. I swear the moment we stepped out of the car she screamed and hollered the whole time. You couldn't even LOOK at her at some points and she would pitch a fit. Of course this raises the stress factor for most people, including her mom, and so it can make it that much more difficult to work under. But Shawn kept at it and didn't flinch. And although there were probably many a snotty nosed shot there were still many others that caught the moment. Some of the girls playing, some of me with our little diva blowing kisses, others where you could see the tired love in her moms eyes as she held her. When I look at that one photo I can see the expression on her face of, "please...don't you know I love you? Can't you please stop crying? PLEASE!" Many of my daughter and I playing and her swinging from their rocking chair. One of my favorites, however, is one of myself with our little diva. I had sat down on my knees and was speaking to her about how she had to be nice to her mommy. I told her that when she cries all the time it makes her mommy sad. In the photo you can see her looking off to the side, holding her hands in front of her and looking genuinely remorseful for making her mother sad. Not everyone would have captured this moment, it's not a particularly flamboyant moment of sunshine and lolipops and THAT is what I love about it. It's real, it's honest and it's what I want. I didn't tell him to take that photo, he saw a genuine moment and he captured it and that is what I want in a photographer. Sold!