?Everyone has a story…?
When I heard these words, they affected me immediately. I remember exactly where I was sitting in the living room of an old victorian house, attending a photography workshop in Vancouver. I remember the black and white image that was showing on the screen at the time…a bride?s veil flying in the air after just having been blown off in the wind. And of course I remember the speaker, someone I had looked up to and admired, the Ontario based wedding photographer Hugh Whitaker. He told us, in his calm, British accented voice, that everyone has a story, and it is up to us to document that story through our lens. No matter if the day is going amazing, with perfect light and a wonderful couple, or if the day is more difficult, due to weather, or timing, or mishaps. Our job, if we are truly passionate about it, is to tell that story, no matter what happens.
These words helped me get away from wishing for the perfect light, or wind, or expression, and allowed me to be free to create, and observe, and document everything around me with an open mind. It allowed me to capture those moments, the real moments, as the true story unfolded.
These words have also helped me become a better person, both in work and in life. So many people these days are focused on speaking and wanting to be heard, that they just don?t seem to be listening, merely waiting for their turn to speak. Becoming aware of this has helped me to become a better listener, which allows a deeper connection with those around me.
Looking back through my work from 2018, I wish to share some of those images with you. Of course, with the amazing couples I am lucky enough to work with and the beauty of the world I am surrounded by, I was given the opportunity to create the other images as well…the perfect light, the perfect wind, the perfect setting. But among those images are the moments in between, the moments that matter.
To all of the wonderful couples that I have been lucky enough to work with this past year, thank you for allowing me to capture your story. Everyone has a story, you just have to be present to hear it.
