Weddings in Atlantic City have so much photographic potential. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy the beach? That’s why One Atlantic wedding photos have that distinctive feel that can only be experienced at the shore.
"Take a look at what you're looking at."
One of my all-time favorite photographers, Jay Maisel, said this in a seminar I attended about 10 years ago. I thought, wow, what a phenomenal bit of information for a photographer to share. To me, it was profound. After all, "seeing" is what it's all about for us. Seeing moments, light, anticipating, and reacting to all of the elements that surround us.
To me, Jay's advice was so profound that I truly do double-takes at nearly every turn while I'm shooting. See something, then try and see it differently. Thanks to him, I'm constantly trying to look at scenarios in different ways to capture something interesting. Be it light, reflections, angles, texture, juxtaposition, or other photographic elements that grab the eye; they're important tools to tell the visual story.
Here, our groom Keith was awaiting his ceremony at St. Michaels Church in Atlantic City. I always try and find both the bride and groom moments before the ceremony. Often, I'll find them deep in thought. My goal is to capture them without camera awareness, so I don't distract them in any way. These are precious moments, and they are their moments, not mine. So, perhaps when Keith looks back on this moment, he'll remember what he might have been thinking at that very moment rather than his recollection of me telling him to "look cool" or "don't mind me."
I could have just photographed him looking out the window, deep in thought. I took a look at what I was looking at and then saw this. It's simply his reflection in the framed sign on the sacristy door. I like it. I hope Keith does, too.
1/125; f/4.5; ISO 6400; 35.0 mm.