The Shot List

Melissa Jill (photographer and blogger extranordinare) recently articulated a thoughtful post on her blog about "Killing The Shot List” that wedding planning sites seem so keen on putting out there these days. They are providing couples with a list of 'must have shots' and insist that the photographer the couple selects should stick to this list. It prompted me to think about this aspect of wedding photography (I guess I did a little work on my vacation) and how I typically work in relation to a list, as well as articulate my own thoughts on the matter. Where does the need for capturing certain shots and the artist in photojournalistic or documentary style photographers begin and end?

For a non-traditional photographer, I believe that list kind of becomes a non-issue. Documentary photographers like myself are constantly shooting, constantly watching and making sure they do not miss any moments, big or small. And the good photographers, the ones whose images make you feel something, whose images evoke emotion or give you a sense of place and time, are doing more than just watching. They are listening. They are anticipating. They are feeling and shooting with their heart, their eyes, their ears, and all of their senses.

Their goal – my goal – is to freeze all of these little moments in time for you. So that you can look back and remember the fleeting moments that may have gotten lost in the surrealness of the day. Did you see the way your mother was looking at you when you were putting your dress on? The look of pride on her face? And then there is you, the bride… do you know how beautiful you look when your friends or family are helping you put on your veil? The feeling of anticipation running through you, the butterflies, the quiet introspection… it is all radiating out of you and is beautiful. You look in the mirror and see yourself in your gown, the one that you dreamed about for the past 20 or 30 years (or that you spent months searching for) and you feel beautiful. But did you see the way the light falls across your face when you are looking? I did. And it just made for a stunning close up portrait of you without you even knowing.

The problem with the shot list, as I see it, is that it is so confining. The first kiss, the first dance, dad (or mom or brother) walking you down the aisle. Those are certainly all moments not to be missed, and with me, they won’t be. But what about everything before and after that? What about the way you two laughed together right after the kiss when they announce you as husband and wife to your guests? The look of joy on your faces. If my only concern is your first kiss, then I’ll miss those other fleeting moments that transpired seconds later.

When a couple books me, and even before when they are in the evaluating process, I often ask what is the most important aspect to them regarding their photography? What I am really asking is: What are you most looking forward to on your wedding day? Which relationships are extremely important to you? What moments do you anticipate will bring about a great deal of emotion for you? In this process, I am striving to get to know my couples so that I know the things to pay extra special attention to, and the moments they will especially cherish when they see the final images. The images beyond the standard shots.

I always take traditional posed family portraits when requested, because the majority of brides and grooms do want some posted shots with their families… and parents want them nearly 100% of the time. I encourage and ask for a list of grouped family formals that are important to the bride and groom and I am sensitive to diverse family situations. If the groom and his buddies have been friends for 20 years and all love to joke around with each other, I make sure to know that and capture those relationships too.

I take well over 1000 images at every wedding -- sometimes we end up with close to 2000. I am constantly watching, listening, anticipating, sensing and feeling. I have shed a tear or outright cried at every single wedding I have photographed. There is not one couple for whom I did not feel some sense of emotion for at some point in the day, and many for whom I felt a strong connection too.

I am extremely, extremely blessed. I absolutely love what I do and feel such an intense passion for photography. (Okay, I'm kind of obsessed with it.) Making images that have an intimate feel or tell a story or capture the essence of individuals is what I live to do. I cannot imagine doing anything but this.

Hopefully couples can focus less on making sure their prospective photographer will follow a set shot list, and find one with whom they connect and trust will capture all of the moments of their big day.