first wedding of 2011

This past weekend, my friend Jonina (right) married her love, Jeremy (left).  I'll share the photos and tell you all the details in my next post, once I'm finished editing. Right now, however, I'd like to talk a little bit about the experience of shooting this wonderful wedding.

There were 6 things that made shooting this wedding so awesome:

1. My little brother was my second shooter

That's right - he was both my "date" and second shooter. Brian was at a conference and unable to attend, so my brother stepped up to the plate. As we headed to the wedding, he played "Marry You" by Bruno Mars and mumbled "I thought this would be a good song to listen to on the drive." Cute alert! Dressed in a (borrowed, from our other brother) shirt and tie, he was so helpful and professional, and I was so grateful for his help and company.

2. I shot the wedding with a Canon 60D


I bought this camera back in December and instantly fell in love with it. The quality of the images it produces is SO much higher than that of my Rebel XTi. My decision to upgrade (despite it not being the easiest time to invest, read: wedding this year) was instantly affirmed when I saw my first images. I especially love the fold-out screen and the way it takes crisp images up to ISO 3000.

3. I used a Shootsac

After several obvious hints, I received a Shootsac lens bag for Christmas. Invented and sold by California-based photographer Jessica Claire, this neoprene bag fits very comfortably over your shoulder and has room for 3 lenses + memory cards, batteries, flash, wallet, keys, phone, etc. It made swapping lenses super quick and easy. This was incredibly helpful, especially because...

4. I shot the wedding almost exclusively with prime lenses

A prime lens is a lens with a fixed focal length e.g. 50mm. It doesn't zoom. To get closer or farther from your subject, you have to physically move. The two main advantages of prime lenses are that they are fast and that they generally have wider apertures, allowing you to shoot in lower light at achieve that beautiful blurred background effect. Also, I find that having to physically move to frame a shot makes you be more mindful and creative with each photo. Right now, I have a 50mm 1.8 lens and an 85mm 1.8 lens. I am dreaming of upgrading to the high-end versions, but each will cost me about $2,000. Eek! But it will be so wonderful when I can finally afford them.

5. I wore flats

Enough said!

6. Amazing people

Jonina and Jeremy, their wedding party, family and all the guests were so kind, warm, and welcoming. People were actually getting me water and constantly asking if I needed anything throughout the day! There was so much love and fun in the room at all times. Also, it is always a sign of a good wedding when the dance floor is packed during the very first song of the night.

Stay tuned for photos from the wedding.