louise and david couple portrait at tithe barn

Their Favourite – Louise and David at Tithe Barn

Recently I decided to get in touch with a number of wedding couples from the last few months and ask them what I thought might be a simple question.  Share with me their favourite image(s).  I asked them to select at least one and no more than three.  Simple right?  It appears I may have underestimated the challenge of this task.

As a wedding photographer I’ve always believed its important to remember that what I think makes a stunning image may very well be different to what my clients think.  This is often driven home to me when I look back at some of my own personal photos.  Recently I helped in collating images for a memory board for a funeral.  The images were, from a pure photographic standard, often quite poor.  But the reality is that the memories that they hold, the ability to be transported back, removes all of the esthetic elements.

My job, as I see it, is to deliver the best quality images I can but at the same time remembering that sometimes an image that’s not entirely perfect for me may well be for them.  You might be thinking “where is he going with this?”.  I suspect you already know.

The image that Louise and David selected is, for the most part, one of those images.  Backlit and blown out this was never going to be the best image taken photographically.  But when Darren gave it back to me (yes, this is actually one of Darren’s images) I knew it had something.  It was a moment in time.  Before everyone could see Louise, that last moment with her Dad before everything changed.  Here’s what Louise had to say about it:

“I love this photo as I remember exactly how I felt at that moment as we entered the church, my heart was racing, Dad squeezed my hand and we started to walk in. Everyone stood up and turned to look at us as the organ began to play . I love how you captured the arch way and church doors really creates a dramatic entrance, the angle of the shot is perfect and I’m so glad you made it black and white its completely timeless.”

Being a great wedding photographer is only one part of the equation.  Seeing an image for its how it makes someone feel is just as important.

bride enters church with her father

Want to see more from Louise and David’s North Waltham and Tithe Barn Wedding?  Click here.