Photos can be fun but also stressful, especially on your wedding day. Even the most confident people can suddenly become self-conscious and shy when they stand in front of a professional photographer’s camera. Photographers should prioritize the comfort and ease of their clients, making them feel happy, confident, and beautiful during any photography session. If you’re looking for a great wedding photographer in Manhattan who specializes in making people feel comfortable in front of the camera, look no further. You found me, your Manhattan wedding photographer!
How Does a Manhattan Wedding Photographer Capture Your Best Moments?
As a Manhattan wedding photographer with decades of experience, I love being both a business owner and photographer. I relish every image captured. Also, I believe that, like a good page-turner, a wedding should unravel like a story. Above all, it’s my job to capture the love and beauty of that story. To capture those special moments couples will want to cherish forever, incredibly candid shots!
My passion for photography shines through in my work. You can see the joy on clients’ faces as I capture unique moments they’ll cherish forever. I strive to balance formal poses with captivating action shots, helping the special celebration come to life through the photos. People who typically feel uncomfortable in front of the camera feel at ease when I am behind the lens.
Photography Styles
When it comes to weddings, my approach is a mixture of many different photography styles. Aspects of wedding photojournalism seep through in the pictures. This is because I aim to capture naturally-occurring moments without too much intervention. Many journalistic-style wedding photos are actually highly staged and painstakingly crafted. But my work leans toward a hands-off approach to getting true-to-life snapshots of the big day. I might ask a client to move toward a window for flattering light, move a few things around in the room, or ask people to stand in certain spots (or at least start there). Aside from that, I aim to capture real-life moments and expressions as they naturally happen, making clients feel at ease.
My wedding photography style captures natural, believable moments. Some tricks I use to do this are:
- playing with light and shadows
- focusing on emotion, interaction, and genuine moments
- adding a hint of dramatic flair
- capturing relationships between the couple and their family and friends.
Weddings can be stressful, overwhelming days. So as a Manhattan wedding photographer, I stick close to the couple throughout their day to ensure they feel at ease and have a smooth, happy experience.
Posing vs. Natural Moments
With its highly-posed technical precision, traditional wedding photography isn’t what I aim for during wedding-day photography. While a few well-posed images are a must, most of what I try to capture are natural moments. These may include the couple walking, talking, dancing, and acting as they would typically. After all, when years have passed, and couples look back on their special day, they’ll want to remember the beauty and excitement of the experience. But not rigidly posed, exhausting photo sessions. My sincere goal is to keep people comfortable in front of the camera so that I capture the most realistic snapshots of the wedding day.
Posed family photos are, of course, a part of any Manhattan wedding photographer’s package. Still, typically this isn’t the highlight of the wedding-day gallery. During the day, I like to devote about an hour to taking photos of just the bride and groom. For the most part, away from the hustle and bustle of the wedding celebration. This special time is a way to capture casually-posed, beautiful snapshots of the happy couple away from everyone else.
At the reception, I favor a documentary photography style. So I won’t go around to each table asking them to pose together. Instead, I capture the best moments of the celebration: people laughing, talking, dancing, and drinking.
Special Locations
One thing that sometimes comes up to a Manhattan wedding photographer is a couple’s desire to take photos in a particular, special spot, either at their venue or elsewhere. I am all for it and will do my best to get these photos. As long as necessary permits (if needed) are taken care of ahead of time. After all, it is Manhattan. Permits for a Manhattan wedding photographer may be required. So let me know ahead of time, and I will help sort through the red tape of New York City. Your happiness is my ultimate goal. Suppose you want all aspects of the day (or weekend) documented in multiple locations. In that case, there is an option to add a second or third photographer to capture all the different things going on.
Manhattan Wedding Photographer’s Personality
I also make my clients feel comfortable because of my compassion and dedication. Aside from taking photos, I don’t mind wrangling family members, advocating for the wedding party’s needs, adjusting the timeline for weather or traffic delays, and capturing photos precisely how the bride and groom want them. I see myself as more than just a photographer, but a trustworthy partner who doesn’t mind springing into action to help when needed. I can not tell you how many dresses I have bustled or boutonnieres I have pinned. Not all Manhattan wedding photographers will find themselves helping add finishing touches to ceremony decor either. The ultimate goal is to keep the wedding day as stress-free as possible, especially when taking pictures.
Examples of Natural Moments from Your Manhattan Wedding Photographer
Examples of wedding day moments that I have captured include:
- A groom holding a bride’s dress as they hike up a hill
- The bride grinning from ear to ear as she sees her wife for the first time before the ceremony
- The couple gazing adoringly at one another in the back of a car
- The bride kneeling on the floor playing with her dog before getting ready for the ceremony
- The groomsmen laughing and drinking as they gather outside the venue
- The bride throwing her head back and laughing as her wife tries to feed her the cake
- The bride and her friends laughing and embracing in a warm hug
- The bride’s lace veil blowing in the wind as she walks up the steps toward a church
- The bride’s mother and father tearfully embracing her as they catch a glimpse of her before the ceremony
- The couple standing on rocks hand-in-hand with the water and city skyline in the background
- The flower girl cheerfully playing in the bride’s veil
- The makeup artist carefully working on a groom’s wedding-day look.
Manhattan Wedding Photographer
Being more comfortable in front of the camera is more than just feeling confident and wearing something you feel great in. Choosing a photographer that makes you feel comfortable makes a huge difference! I am a Manhattan wedding photographer who truly values the client’s comfort level. Above all, I put them at ease by focusing on candid, natural moments and not on highly-posed, “perfect” wedding day poses.
