Casie and Josh

This was a special wedding for me. I've known Josh since we were sixteen, back in our little hometown where the only thing for teenagers to do is get into trouble or get creative. It made for a thriving underground arts community, and I met Josh, as well as his best man Mike, when we began filming parodies of our favorite films from the 70's through the 90's. Yeah, naturally Pulp Fiction was in there, but so was The Godfather, Shane, and lots of other films most kids today don't know about.

Since then, both Josh and Mike have gone on to do great things. I met up with Josh again a few years ago at a party, and that was the first time I met Casie, who at that time was just another member of Josh's group of friends. Look what a little time can do - I was so pleased to be asked to witness their wedding, which was held at St. Brigid's Parish in Pacific Beach. Mike, who is now in a Masters program in northern California, traveled south to be Josh's best man, and Casie's family came from Colorado for the event.

Josh is not a bad looking guy:

The dressing room was PACKED! These are some of my favorite preparation photos of any wedding - the chaos and the calm on Casie's face, the way everyone revolved around her, how sweet her mother was through the whole day, and the looks of wonder on the faces of the flower girl and ring bearer:

Casie's smile says it all. This was my best of several shots, when her concentration on the placement of the veil turned into an expression of realization, as if to say, "All this planning and here I am!"

Another favorite shot, the contrast of heights between the ringbearer and Mike, the best man, how their eyes meet on one point of focus.

I enjoy ceremonies of all beliefs and denominations. But Catholic ceremonies provide a slow-paced solemnity that I've learned to watch for, especially (as on the next shot) during communion, when the bride and groom get a few minutes of time alone, a moment where, ironically, no one seems to be watching them, despite their placement in the center of attention.

The music kept playing during the exit from the ceremony, and Casie and Josh made their way back to the altar for a dance.

I can't speak enough how much I admire these two friends. A few years ago, Josh and Mike literally bicycled across America together. Before that, Mike walked across Spain, twice in a row. Our walk on the beach wasn't quite as strenuous, but it made for some fun shots before heading to the reception.

I like my portraits to show dignity, and to retain simplicity. I spend only a short time for portraits at each wedding, letting the couple return to enjoying the day instead of giving up an hour or more of posing to the camera.

The fun is in the travel, the times of transition, like this one and the two above:

Photographers use the word unobtrusive often. To be unobtrusive is not limited to hiding in dark corners waiting for the perfect shot (in fact, sometimes that can be downright creepy). More often it means blending, making the wedding participants comfortable with your presence. Here was a moment toward the end of the reception when the two fathers sat on the stage talking to each other. Josh's father, while having met me years ago, likely wouldn't have been able to pick me out of a lineup, and Casie's father had never met me before the wedding, yet through the day I had friendly conversations with both men, shook their hands, offered congratulations, and the result was that by the reception they were content with letting me stick close to them and capture moments like this. It's not the best of shots, the party lights are harsher than I would have preferred, but the honesty of their faces is what I appreciate so much about it.

Okay, and to wrap it up, here was a gag I pulled for Josh. Remember I mentioned we did student films together? I don't remember the circumstances of the storyline, but for a certain day of filming, Josh's character needed to be run over by a car. I spent all evening fashioning a dummy of him. His stunt double. It's not Jim Henson, but for a few hours work and zero dollars, it served its purpose. That's me in the center.

So during their group portraits, I pulled out the picture. Not only did it make for a few fun candids, but it brought some spontaneity into what are normally very posed formals:

Congratulations to Casie and Josh. I couldn't have been happier to be there.