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This is a wedding which I’ve been thinking about all year. December 28th is usually dark and cold, and this year was no exception to say the least. (I felt bad for all of the Australians who were swapping their summer beaches for our dirty snow banks and hope they had some great ski time in after the wedding!) Brix is a picturesque location to be sure, but dimly lit and covered with a black ceiling. After meeting Oonagh and Richard, however, I knew I wanted to shoot it even more than I wanted to keep ducking artificial lighting. This Wedding is certainly my first shot entirely with artificial light! I used hotel lamps, on camera flash, off camera flash, hot lights with and without umbrellas, a massive strobe with a massive umbrella, and the miniscule ambient light from chandeliers on a dimmer which could only be used with the new 5D mark II. Some of the ceremony shots were done at ISO 6400 at F 1.2 at a 25th of a second which I hardly believe myself. Setting up and moving the lights took extra time and limited the ‘flow’ of the portrait shoot somewhat from what I’m used to, but Oonagh and Richard told me they weren’t noticing. The five foot umbrella with the big brand new flash head caught the wind and went crashing down with its tall stand on the street, but fortunately the umbrella was so big and the rig landed in such a way that it was more of a bounce than a crash. I think I’ll cut the shop talk here and comment on the wedding itself between the photos.

This is one of my favourite shots ever. Oonagh’s mum seeing her for the first time in her dress near some lamp light in the Hotel Vancouver.

Getting the chuppah assembled and ready to move down the corridor.

The courtyard at Brix is a beautiful spot for a ceremony.

Oonagh and Richard had a Jewish ceremony which includes the tradition of the bride walking around the groom seven times. I’m surprised by the minimal motion blur considering my shutter speed!

I don’t usually post family formals, but I’m doing so because *this* was the shot I was stressing about all year: Lighting a big group head to toe outside in near total darkness. It’s so easy though! Just a huge light and huge umbrella. Shooting Vancouver summer weddings I’m used to the light lingering till after 10 pm, so I’ve never had to face this situation before now.

As soon as we finished our portrait session the bride and groom re-entered the restaurant and the hora commenced! Talk about high risk.

This isn’t a great photo, but it is the aftermath of Richard’s attempt at body surfing the crowd. Man down!

Peter Fong of Ganache Patisserie made the cake. That man is so cool. This is the moment I had to fully commit to my no sugar deal.

Taylor and Johnathan got married at home with their closest friends and family around them on one of the snowiest days in Vancouver history I’m sure! The bride was slightly delayed, in fact, due to car vs. snow issues at the bottom of her road. This was my first wedding with my 5D Mark II, and I was very glad to have it since I like to shoot available light at the best of times, but especially during the ceremony, and on a dark winter’s day that means 6400 ISO, 40th sec at F 1.2, as you can see here in a couple of cases. I am starting to realize, however, that the ability of this camera to shoot in very low light gets people worried that my pictures aren’t going to turn out! Luckily they do for the most part. Anyway, I wish Taylor and Johnathan a very pleasant stay in Maui as we continue to thaw here. Not missing anything in Van!

So my mother got married recently, and although I was busy chatting with people and doing bride’s maid type activities I took some photos. I am happy to post them because I am just so pleased to have Patrick and his two cool kids in my family. The wedding was a very small affair in my uncle’s back yard. The ceremony lighting was the most treacherous I’ve ever had to deal with because not only were the bride and groom in strong direct sunlight (not a huge deal) but a piece of decorative tulle had fallen out of place on the tent and cast a big black shadow over both of their faces (huge deal). I have managed to reconstruct a shot or two, but the rest will just be there for us… unedited… on disc… for another time if we need them. The light for the rest of the afternoon was gorgeous, however, and one couldn’t have asked for a better October day to photograph one’s family.

Champar, my adopted Trinidadian sister was the maid of honour. Here she is with my cousins. Patrick’s daughter helps him button up.

Although Rev. Marilyn Knipp won’t love this picture, she was fabulous at the wedding and put my very nervous mother right at ease. Sorry to post this one of the ceremony but it was one of the easiest to salvage.

I *made* this bouquet. Seriously.

My lovely cousins again. Apparently they asked if the role(s) of flower girl had been filled, found out it hadn’t been, and volunteered their services.

My sister, brother and grandfather sharing a bad joke no doubt.

Patrick is a new grandfather. This beautiful baby has heightened my mother’s desire to become a grandmother in her own right….hmmm. See fawning photos below.

My mum poisoned me with chocolate before I could even speak, getting me hooked on the brown drug… which is why I was dumbfounded when her ivory and green colour scheme won out over a truly chocolate cake. I still can’t believe it and feel just a little betrayed.

I’m sorry if my mum doesn’t like this photo, but I do so love her excitement about the cake, despite its lack of cocoa solids. I know the feeling.

This is the cool friend who introduced the two.

The Sorenson kids. Fred, me, Jordan. They’re much handsomer and younger.