What this post is about is the “jump” that has at once become one of the most cliche shots in wedding photography and the most genuinely enjoyed shot by many couples. It’s a great example of a shot, once done at a few weddings becomes passe to a wedding photographer but like selective coloring before it, and countless subtle or not so subtle techniques before that, continues to be requested by brides long after the photographer’s interest in doing it lives strong.

That said, WHO CARES about what has or has not been done before. The bottom line here is to have fun and when Ryan said he wanted to chest bump, well by God we did a chest bump shot… and to me it is fantastic. I NEVER tire of shots like this or any other that loosens up the day and gets people out of their shells a bit. This is YOUR wedding, not my last wedding, your sister’s wedding or your best friend’s wedding. Also, who’s to say the PERFECT jump shot isn’t the next one I do?

I think the heart and soul of my wedding photography is a careful blend exploring the ideas of my couples (including the jump) and my own sensibility of trying something new. 

The bottom line is that I FREAKING LOVE jump shots, don’t mind doing the occasional selective color treatment to an image and nothing is passe to me if you want to give it a go. 

If the choice is between just standing there looking at the camera or flinging yourself in the air with reckless abandon…well I choose abandon 100% of the time

This shot is a perfect example of that. Donna and the girls wanted to do a shot by the water. I could have just stood there, taking shots as they walked down towards the water and not interfered at all. That’s what it looks like happened but not quite. Sure, I DID just stand there and shoot while they walked down to the water but what isn’t evident is that they were walking towards a spot I picked, to stand facing a direction I chose and with a bit of direction about how Donna should hold her dress, etc. The idea was that I directed the scene, put the actors (insert: bridal party) on the set the way that would be most flattering to them and the overall image and then began shooting before, during and after the “shot” we intended to shoot. The result? The best shot was actually made before they were ready. Sure, I set up the shot but in the end, it was about capturing Donna and her girls being themselves (thank you for so much of that Donna , something that probably didn’t happen nearly as much 20 seconds later when they were just standing near the water.

The morale to this story is that yes, I will occasionally direct the action to a great location, into some great light (that either exists or that I provide) but in the end, I look to capture the best moment, whether that be when I planned it to be or not. In that way I am both a photo journalist AND a traditional-ish photographer (just don’t ever use the word traditional…hardly

Donna & Ryan’s beach wedding was a fantastic experience. From a spectacular church (yes, Donna, it was to a great beach setting and a huge, open reception room overlooking the ocean, it was hard not to get some great images. Again, and as I always say in my consultations, Donna & Ryan (not to mention their attendants) being great sports, full of ideas and willingness to try something fun really helped.