Having a connection with someone can be as simple or as intimate as anything else in life. I have been blessed to be up and coming in the wedding industry. I know that we have oh so much to learn. There’s always something new to learn. We are always trying new techniques with photography and business. I have been able to make so many friends as of late. I am more than grateful for the warm welcome that Marta and I have been receiving. We always strive to be different. We always strive to have a connection with our brides, friends in the industry, and other photographers. A lot more can happen when there’s a bond there.
“Having a connection with someone can be as simple or as intimate as anything else in life. I have been blessed to be up and coming in the wedding industry.”
It’s kind of like a dance. If you don’t know the steps, then you’re probably going to step on someone’s toes. Practice, rapport, and a bond are necessary for amazing things to happen. Sometimes it isn’t something that will happen, and that’s okay. Not everyone is meant to have a connection with some people. We are all different. That one of the beautiful things about this world.
Recently, I had the pleasure of getting a call from a friend in the industry that needed a wedding photographer. I was humbled by the fact that they thought of Marta and I. We are still getting used to having friends in the industry. So, the call came in and we agreed on photographing the wedding. It was small, it was intimate, but it had untapped character. There was a story there to be told. I’m not sure what it was, but there was something magical about that day. There was one thing that I did notice, and that was the lack of a connection.
Here I am, a wedding photographer. About to record one of the most important days in this couple’s life. I found out their names the day of. The spark notes version of their story five minutes was all I got before their wedding ceremony from the sister of the bride.
I can totally understand where it was all going and why it was going in that direction given the circumstances of the couple, the ceremony, the day of, everything. I am grateful and honored for the opportunity to be a part of their day. It’s something new. It’s a new location. That being said, I can tell that the couple was stiff.
“We’re down to earth and not fake. We develop a rapport with our clients. We develop a connection.”
There’s something that I realized when we started photographing the wedding portraits. There were smiles that were forced. There were poses that were rushed. I felt rushed, which in turn made them feel rushed. Anyone of our past couples can tell you that we’re known for making them feel comfortable. We’re down to earth and not fake. We develop a rapport with our clients. We develop a connection. All of it boils down to that. I’ll grab a beer with you. Would you want a stranger photographing you? Someone, you don’t even know? That’s kind of creepy, even if they’re hired. If a connection is established, we become friends with our couples. Slowly, we start to become more and more guests and not photographers.
“If a connection is established, we become friends with our couples. Slowly, we start to become more and more guests and not photographers.”
I say it all the time, “We aren’t having a photo session. We’re simply hanging out and I just happen to have a camera.” I talk to our couples. I get to know them. I learn what their story is. It’s something that I can say is more important than any care package/welcome packet that I could provide to any of our couples. Their story is very important. Why would you tell your story to a complete stranger? Wouldn’t it be easier to tell it to a friend? Someone that you’ve developed trust with.
Whether a couple books us or someone else, they should make sure that they work with someone that they feel comfortable with. Someone that they have a connection with. As a photographer, we’re there with you the entire day. If you don’t like your photographer, then it’ll be much harder to get those awesome images that you want. Take the time to make that connection.
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