I mentioned in a previous post how it is a standard practice of mine to visit the site of the wedding and/or reception prior to the event to familiarize myself with the location and scout out potentially interesting areas to shoot.
This image is the result of that very practice. This couple were both graduates of James Madison University; they met there and the school meant a great deal to them both. So much so that they decided to get married and have their reception at the school in a building called The Drum for its two story curved wall of windows that gave the impression of being on the inside of a drum. One made of glass, I guess.
Even though the school is located about two hours away from Richmond, I took the opportunity to meet the couple and the bride’s mother at The Drum a few months prior to the wedding when they were going to be there planning the ceremony and reception.
As we were looking around and discussing their plans, I couldn’t help noticing that one specific position on the second floor gave a view downstairs that might encompass everyone on their guest list. The idea for this shot etched itself into my brain and I knew we just had to do it. I discussed the idea with the bride and groom and they were all for it.
When you think of equipment your wedding photographer may bring with them to your wedding, you might not be inclined to list “ladder” along with “cameras” and “lenses”, but more often than not, I do, indeed, pack a short ladder in my vehicle. For this image, I’m standing on that ladder, about 4 feet above the bride and grooms’ head with a flash aimed in their direction. The exposure was set to allow the ambient light to provide detail on the guests downstairs and the flash was powered down so as not to over-expose the B & G.
I enlisted the help of the DJ in getting all the guests into position to toast the newlyweds. We did three shots. As these things frequently work out, this was the very first image of the three.
