Dee doesn't like posing for pictures. I love this about her. I love to document as best as I can what I see instead of saying--come over here and do this this way, turn, twist and smile. Smiles happen and you have to just wait for them and be ready. We did a bunch of group pcs for the family, Dee didn't really want them, but I had heard from several folks that they did and we sort of ganged up on the poor bride on her day to make her do what she didn't want. Then after that I suggested a few by the lake right across from the reception hall. I felt like I was just sort of getting into a 'thing' (a thing is a groove or a way towards working up to a really good photo) when Dee said "Can we be done after this?" She really wanted to get to the reception and begin having fun. I said yes and then made this picture. I was glad we at least did a few pictures at the lake and I think there are a half dozen from this short time there that will make the final edit...and I'm pretty sure...someday...maybe in 10...maybe in 20 years Dee will look back and be glad she has those pictures she hated posing for, because all those people in those photos were their because they love her and Greg. SayerMotter Photograph by Richard Sayer.
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Becky Fisher's Senior portraits are complete and above are a few of my favorites! SayerMotter Photography By: Harmony Motter
So I began documenting Dee's wedding in the morning with her hair appointment. I have some funny photos of hair flipped and flopped all over the place, pedicures, a bridesmaid writing her speech or transferring it to index cards(which she would later lose, somewhat freak out only be saved by pastor Art who found them and brought them to her) and just a few nice little moments. I think I inhaled more hair spray in the 2 1/2 I photographed the hair being done than I have my entire life. Hair is a big deal in a wedding and the preparation here was outstanding and fun to watch. Its part of the realness of a wedding that, though in the overall scheme of the wedding is a small part, its important and shows the behind the scenes connections that aren't part of the ceremony--and here is where you see essence of the friendships. SayerMotter Photographs by Richard Sayer.
I was reading Richard Sayer's post from yesterday. I got to thinking about senior pictures and what really qualifies as a senior portrait. I recently photographed Becky Fisher's senior pix and I really found myself liking this one. Becky is attending the Crawford County Career and Technical Center to further her education in practical nursing. SayerMotter Photography By: Harmony Motter
Cool--don't move. I think I said something along those lines to Eric Shilling when I was his face through his motorcycle helmet. The bridge we were under created a pretty dramatic light and I just had to make a couple of pictures. No idea if this is a senior picture, but thats the things about photography, If I see something I have to make a picture and worry about if it fits later on...sometimes it does--sometimes it doesn't, but I'm allays glad I make it... it like in the newspaper biz, may times a picture is cropped by an editor or a page layout person and it ruins the photo, but I'm still glad I made a good photo even if it might not look like I did by a bad crop. So I don't know if Eric and his family will like this picture and want it in the home or as a wallet to pass out, but I'm still glad I made the frame. SayerMotter Photography by Richard Sayer.
I'm not really sure when I met Dee, her students call her Miss Dee, but its been a few years now anyway. I have spoken about photography and photojournalism to her classes at Saegertown high school and we've gotten together to trade books and talk. It was a real honor to asked to photograph her wedding and to spend time with her and Greg on their great day. It began early at the hair dresser and ended about 12 hours later on the dance floor. I snapped a bunch of pictures which I'll be pouring over in the coming days/weeks to get their best images ready for them to make into prints and albums and things. I haven't photographed a great deal of weddings over the years, but I believe good photography is the same no matter the venue, seeking little snippets, little moments throughout the day that captures the essence of what the story is all about. It was a fun day and other than a brief little moment when Dee got really tired of posing for group pictures...she had fun. Her face was lit up and she was in the moment of her day. Beautiful! SayerMotter Photographs (and tons more to come) by Richard Sayer.
Tomorrow morning I'll be joining Dee and Greg(I'm not sure about Bella yet?) as they have their big day. My goal is to not disrupt a thing and record their wonderful moments with my camera. I was nervous about it earlier in the week but am looking forward to it now. I haven't really photographed a wedding on my own in over a decade, but I'm confident that since I have to sort of get into a situation and find pictures everyday with my job, that this will be no different. We'll do a few posed pictures, but mostly it will be candids and thats my cup of tea for sure. So starting around 10 a.m. tomorrow until they shut the lights out at station 3 I'll be doing my best to capture their moments. And I hope Bella can make an appearance! One of Dee and Greg's engagement photos by Richard Sayer/SayerMotter Photography.
Whenever someone asks to do a senior picture with their sports stuff I sorta cringe a little. I remember seeing photographs of sports equipment strewn across a white background with these white pedestals and the senior just sorta posed in the middle of it and I'm always afraid that is what people are looking for. I never think of a portrait as a formula, I always think we need to 'find' the portrait. So I'm always nervous that the client has a particular thing in mind and I might not give them that. Communication is key and I usually trust that clients are doing their homework to know what we offer and know we don't really approach photography in a cookie cutter fashion(the beauty of this digital age is that we don't have to do long set ups and take only 12 photographs--we can work an idea a little more). When I was chatting with Eric's mom we talked about photographing Eric at the rink with his gear. I wouldn't mind that but it is a scheduling nightmare to schedule the time I would want to be sure I set up the lights in order to have the background not be distracting. So we opted for in studio and tried a couple different things, but mostly we just went with the smoke machine and dark background with some strong light to light Eric. I have about 4 version of this set-up that work a little different and we'll sit down sometime soon when I'm done getting the rest of the proofs ready and decide if this will be something he wants as a senior picture. It was at least a good laugh filling the studio with smoke and opening the doors just to wonder if the sirens we were hearing in the distance were coming our way! SayerMotter Photograph by Richard Sayer
Above are photographs from the recent wedding nuptials of Nick and Tristen Grindstaff. SayerMotter Photos By: Harmony Motter
Shortened language has been used for years--mostly by kids who have developed a language all their own that their parents or other old-timers(anyone over 25) don't know so they can talk about things without giving away any secrets. Social media and texting have taken it to a new level with the lol and lmao and :) as well as countless others. After seeing lol for about two month when I first got on facebook I finally had to ask someone what lol means. Laughing out loud--its a way people explain to you that they thought something was humorous! Lol! Then the smiley face using the colon parentheses seemed to be everywhere. A couple years ago I took a painting and began to explore some of these things using an archaic for(painting). It seemed sort of funny to me to be painting the letters lol. LMAO I was! I have always believed in being happy over being mad. I figure that this life is much more fun when its happy and that why shouldn't it be? :) So I've begun some work to explore happiness, I always felt like I have been doing this right along but nearly everyone has thought my work was a direct opposite of my personality--so this may or may not correct some of that or may help understand some of the things I've done that I thought were exploring that, but didn't really show it. I found this little super-ball one time--it was buried in the dirt with its face sticking up (what sign huh--to look down at something buried and forgotten, but seeing optimism???) I had to dig it up! I've had it for several years and just now have begun photographing it. Now one of my old teachers, Tom King, challenged me one time to say peace without using the peace sign--it was a great lesson for me to learn--it taught me to explore beyond the obvious! So I've been hearing his voice telling me to explore happiness without using the smiley - face, but I feel I have to photograph this little ball a few more times before I'm done with it. This one came about simply because I had two meetings yesterday almost an hour apart and I can't just sit and relax! :-)
Photograph by Richard Sayer. Lol! |