2012 was just a brilliant year for Emerson Photography. I hear all the stories of bridezillas, awkward guests, broken cameras, torrential rain, etc, and just feel incredibly lucky! It is 2013 this year though, so perhaps I shouldn't tempt fate!
Emerson Photography's brand of documentary wedding photography combined with dramatically lit wedding day portraiture seems to be going down well - fashion may finally have caught up with me (arrogant? Moi?)! There are plenty of photographers who are happy to take up a huge chunk of your day making your guests run around with bubbles / moustaches / wooden signs with cutesy messages, but it's just not for me, sorry.
I'd far rather record the event with a heartfelt and sympathetic eye, using experience to anticipate mini-stories and 'reading' the light to carefully position myself for the best possible photographs. That's not to say I can't do a spot of guest arranging where required (I have a loud voice!) and I almost always try to take my brides and grooms away for a few posed shots. It's often the first chance they've had to properly speak to each other on the day!
Natural light photographers have been very fashionable for the last few years; the idea being that refusing to use flash is somehow more pure. It's certainly less obtrusive - as soon as a flash starts going off, everyone turns to look and starts smiling at the camera and giving it Fonzy thumbs-up. The reality though, is that we live in the UK. I shoot a lot of Winter weddings, often in castles or venues which are like coal cellars as soon as the sun starts sinking. Until very recently, flash has been invaluable for the way I shoot.
Recent advances in technology though, have allowed us photographers to shoot in extremely low light, so the whole 'natural light' thing is finally becoming a reality. My kit was upgraded at the end of 2012 - a brand new Nikon D600 along with a few new lenses. I have never in my life been so astounded by new kit - almost literally like night and day. I genuinely can't wait for this year's crop of weddings. I'll still be using my flashguns, but it'll be for artistic effect rather than it being a necessity.
Anyway, here's a swift roundup of some of my favourite weddings of the year in slideshow form - enjoy, and all the best for the New Year!
Oh, and please, please press the HD button, bottom right or it'll look awful, thanks!
A year in documentary photography. from Jamie Emerson, Photographer. on Vimeo.
