Weddings
Just recently, I received a response to a questionnaire I sent out and this is what Jesse and Patricia had to say:
" Jonathan's photography is technically excellent and artistically inspired. He is a pleasure to interact with. Photography was a top priority for us and we shopped way way ahead. We had our pick of the best of Vancouver and met with several of the best-known, award-winningest wedding photographers in the city. In the end, Jonathan came out as our first choice…”
As a documentary wedding photographer, I approach a wedding with the mindset of a photojournalist and am on the lookout for amazing “candid” moments to build a story of an entire wedding day, giving brides and grooms and authentic retelling of their day. However, as I soon learned, we as wedding photographers usually have to wear many hats on a wedding day!
So I found out pretty quickly that my little Honda Fit car is able to fit a bride and two bridesmaids... and with room to spare. You see, the bride was about a 15-20 minute walk away from her venue but the day was hot and I didn't want the bride Dayna to sweat like crazy just before her ceremony at Brix! (We were at David Lam Park and it was warm that day). That's when it dawned on me: "Why don't *I* drive the bride up? I'm parking there anyway!" So there I was, with a client clad in her bridal gown and with her bridesmaids were in my car as we scooted up a few blocks in my little Honda Fit to Brix & Mortar. I've photographed in a lot of weddings and this was definitely an amazing first.
Day 3 of 3 - Reception at Swaniset
The final day of the wedding consisted of a reception at Swaniset Bay Resort and Country Club, located deep within Pitt Meadows. It was great being able to document all the people and friends and family interacting with one another. Also, there was a Lamborghini.
Read MoreDay 2 of 3 - Vania (Ceremony)
The second day of this assignment with Jody Nay Photography started back at the hotel. Today was the Nikta, which I believe translates to the Muslim marriage ceremony (someone correct me if I'm wrong!). I started in the room with Irfan the groom and his buddy Seef, who was his best man (or Muslim equivalent).
While I spent a lot of time with the groom and his best man, I also had a chance to head over to the women's room to document them getting ready as well. Out of respect for their customs, you will only see a few selected photos here from the women's side. With that in mind, I only spent a limited time with the women and stayed in the room with Irfan and Seef.
Read MoreDay 1 of 3 - VANAI
I remember arriving at the hotel in Richmond and standing next to all the participants with water balloons in their hand and a big pot of green goop on the side. There was also silly string canisters and one of the girls was putting on a helmet with a GoPro camera on it.
This was my introduction to a Muslim wedding.
Read More…It is photography that has allowed me to get assignments such as these. Natasha Priya asked me to second shoot for her at Andrew and Alyssa's wedding and I was very happy to take it on. It was a day filled with laughter, emotion, some real cheesy puns and some Tim Hortons... oh and the limo broke down! In the end, though, the day went smoothly, Andrew and Alyssa tied the knot and I gained a couple more friends than I had before.
Read MoreThere’s been a lot of buzz over a recent Facebook post from Singapore with a bride posting a few of the “worst” photos from her wedding. There’s a whole background story to this that I will not repeat here (you can google it) but the conversation that started got me thinking that perhaps many brides and grooms don’t know necessarily where to start when looking for a wedding photographer. As much as I’d like to write an entire book on this, I’m going to provide just a few items to consider…
Read More…Regardless of whether it’s a model, a family, a bride and groom and their friends, a little cat or the people of Chinatown, I shoot documentary photography. It’s my passion and forms a major part of my vision and how I see things. Even on a styled shoot such as this one with lots of posing and a professional model, there’s a lot of storytelling behind the scenes that I desired to convey…So my role was that of telling the story that was going on behind the entire project….
Read MoreAs a documentary photographer who photographs many weddings, I’ve had the opportunity to observe people through the emotional tides that arises from a wedding day and it’s such a privilege to be able to be with brides and grooms in this amazing time of their lives. From anticipation to the sense of relief of having completed the ceremony (without tripping or losing the ring!) to the sense of celebration and exuberance at the celebration in the end, a wedding day is full of moments that are easy to miss in the hustle and bustle of things but are there. I’ve always focused on getting those genuine moment and telling stories through them.
Read MoreThat morning, as I woke up, I noticed that the sun was out. This was amazing. It was November. In Canada... on the Pacific West Coast. Just days prior, when I went to check the wedding site, it was pouring rain. That weather was expected. The sun was not. But there it was, gleaming and shining in all it's glory!
However, it was really cold. Frost was still in the air and as I made my way down to Hazelmere Golf Course, where the wedding was taking place, I could see steam clouds rising from the ground as the sun melted the cold morning dew despite the chill temperatures. Regardless, the sun was great to have that day and made for a great day to an already beautiful wedding for Keith and Jeanine.
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