Wedding photography

Carey Nash

Having previously struggled to find critical articles on wedding photography, I turned to one of the social media photography groups I visit frequently, Facebook Wedding Photographers, run by working photographers, Chris Fawkes and Skip Cohen, founder of Skip Cohen University and author of several books. Through these groups, I have come to the conclusion that there’s no genre more precious than the wedding photographers; at worst, many of them are competitive, rude and obnoxious but I find it fascinating reading their critique of one another’s images; between hissy fits, they actually make some pretty good points. Chris and Skip have recently developed a new feature whereby respected members of the group are interviewed, this week we have taken a peek into the life and work of Carey Nash: http://careynash.com/

Originally a travel photographer, Carey moved into wedding photography around ten years ago in order to provide stability for his family; however these images show how he often manages to incorporate travel photography into his work.

Carey does stress though that in this line of work, his artistic desires don’t always fit in with customer requirements but this is something he has come to terms with; when the job is done, he can always ‘book a flight back to Africa and find [his] artistic voice there’.

What really struck me while reading this interview was his response to the question: What was the single greatest thing that helped you in your education/evolution as a wedding photographer? Carey’s answer is that it is his perspective as a family man; as his own children grow, he feels more personally involved in the proceedings, to the point where he sometimes feels quite emotional. He goes on to say:

‘Knowing and feeling this allows me to look and shoot for the connections and interactions I see all day between loved ones, not just the bride and groom. This evolution has been the best gift I can have personally when approaching a wedding. I can do the "epic" shots on my own time but I don't want to miss the small special moments that happen all day.’

Browsing Skip Cohen’s titles, I noticed that he had written several books in collaboration with celebrity wedding photographers such as Joe Buissink and Bambi Cantrell. I continued my research to both photographers.

Joe Buissink

Buissink has photographed weddings all over the world, including those of Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez and Hilary Swank; his work featuring in publications such as People Magazine and others. Although photographing weddings, his style has been described as fine art as he redefines what is traditionally known as wedding photography. Buissink’s more traditional images show a distinct style, using creative angles and making use of the given environment such as the spiral staircase and image of women bathing.  

He also shows great talent for capturing moments; tearful bridesmaids, a giggling couple and male guests at the bar checking out a lady’s bottom, a simple shot taken of guests relaxing becomes a work of art. His philosophy that "there’s no such thing as a perfect image–only a perfect moment" shines through in these images.

In his book, ‘Wedding Photography from the Heart’, Buissink emphasises ‘learning to see’ as training oneself to anticipate the moments that matter and developing trust with the client. He considers, in wedding photography the right moments to be much more important than technically perfect photos along with an ability to create images which , even decades later will capture the joy of the day. 

Bambi Cantrelle

Bambi Cantrell has been photographing in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 25 years. Although known for her passion for capturing the decisive moment, her ‘set up’ images show enormous talent and creativity; Bambi was presented with the Golden Eye award in July 2008. A highly regarded photographer and author of several books on the art of photography, Bambi claims her secret to success is simple;

 “I just love people, and believe truly great photographs are a reflection of who the client is, not who I want them to be.”

The selection of images below shows inspiring examples of Bambi’s skill for capturing moments in her photography: