Today we have another simple image, but an effective one nonetheless. This was taken back in July last year and shows a guest from the wedding hugging the bride. In the last ‘What it Means to Me’ I blogged on some of the subtle and not-so-subtle moments in bridal preparation. This image was taken after the bride and groom arrived at the reception venue, and sort of fits into the category of both subtle and not-so-subtle all at once.
Wedding photographers often talk about anticipating the moments; half the challenge is being aware of the image that’s about to develop and getting yourself in the right place for it. This hug was a fleeting moment that probably lasted a couple of seconds and was the more easy-to-spot element, but the raw intensity of the emotions in the picture were only there for a split second, and that’s where the subtlety lies.
Reportage, documentary, candid, call it what you want. For me, this picture exemplifies why this style of wedding photography is so important – a hundredth of a second of real life is captured to look back on in years to come. It’s not been orchestrated in advance, it’s a real moment.
