The Little Moments

Catching the little unexpected moments is one of the great aspects of shooting with a photojournalistic style at weddings and events. Living in the moment and discovering the small interactions that make each event powerful gives me, as the photographer, the opportunity to stop time and capture that little relationship that sparks with energy.

One of the exciting things about that relationship is in the unknown. Usually at a wedding, the photographer only has the chance to get to know the bride, groom, immediate family, and some of the wedding party. But that small circle certainly doesn't dismiss the fact that so many other relationships are taking place within the room. And these 'unknown' relationships can radiate with electricity. More importantly, the bride and groom has a chance to see the beauty of their friends and family during their big day - even after it has already taken place.

To shoot effective photojournalism, it requires the ability to shoot fast. And I don't just mean pointing the lens fast. It means you need the shutter speed to move fast enough to keep crisp pictures. If the ceremony is outdoors with plenty of sunlight, this is usually a pretty simple task. Shooting in dark churches or nighttime reception halls, however, can be tricky. And while on/off camera flash can be a saving grace, there truly is an art to making it look natural.

For photojournalistic portrait work, you really need to find the right balance between aperture and appropriate ISO speed. This combination - when measured carefully - gives you the range necessary to shoot at faster speeds. It will, of course, limit your depth of field - but when shooting people in a busy room, this is usually a good thing. I tend to shoot with f2.8 Canon L series lenses. These offer a wide range of focal distances while keeping a consistent aperture for low light. Really fast prime lenses like the 85 or 50mm f1.2 can open everything up for using ambient light in the room.


Quickly calibrating light is the true art here. Since you need to be shooting manually to get the quality results clients come to expect, there is a lot of background math going on. A good tip is to try and get into the room a little early, meter several areas and keep a running tally in your head. While they may not be exact, they give you a head start in the fast moving process.