Life is a Journey

_DSC1035nxpsplnx 72dpi, originally uploaded by Donnie Fulks.

This is one of the first candid shots at the reception site, Eden Try. We had gotten a bit behind schedule wrapping up the formal pictures at the church and only had a few minutes for these pictures and these were the ones the couple had most wanted to get. Ryan and Gayle choose this estate for the reception largely due to the beautiful grounds. I think they will like this one as it includes the estate house.

I like the interaction between the newlyweds, juxtaposed in front of the heart shaped tree. My goal was to do less formal posing by placing the couple in scenarios where I could capture interaction and gesture between them. Naturally, my best laid plans included back lighting from a 3:30pm sun with me low on the ground. A rain shower had just passed while we were en-route to the site and the guests had been flushed into the tent early putting more pressure on the shooting timeline. Despite the very overcast conditions, the highlighting is better than I hoped for. The key is to get the subjects in front of a dark background in order for the back lighting to show. Laying on the wet ground for this shot was out too, as I still had to take part in the wedding party introductions.

We all know there are the occasional bumps, even a jarring rut or two, on the road we call life. Memories of happy times help us hang on until the next smooth part of the path just around the next bend. All the best, Ryan and Gayle.