“My best friend has just gotten married, and we’re having our wedding at a really great venue,” my mother told me while we were sitting in the coffee shop near her. “How will I ever take pictures without getting nervous?” she asked, and with that, I knew I had found the right place to get good photographs for my birthday. Ever since my freshman year in college, I have been obsessed with taking photos. So when my friend asked me if I would be willing to help her set up her photo booth for the big day, I knew it was time to start practicing.
“How much are you going to charge?” she asked. “I’d like to be able to make it a couple of hundred dollars,” I answered. She looked at me and said, “What, you think you can’t do that? I’d never even try it!”
So last summer I decided to finally get my act together and find the courage to ask her if I could do a wedding elopement photoshoot for her. She was more than happy to agree, letting me know that she was so excited about this special event, and so was I. And since I was very clear on my budget, I decided to go all out. That’s when I learned about the services of a wedding photography expert near me.
I told her I wasn’t a professional photographer by trade, but I knew my way around a digital camera and a few basic computer programs. She hired me because she trusted my skills. A few months later, I met with her for the first time. I was nervous, but she was very nice and treated me like an actual professional. After setting up the equipment and lighting, we spent an hour getting ready to have our picture taken.
When I looked at the photos, I was shocked at how good they were! It was really exciting to see my pictures and to realize that I got the chance to capture one of the most meaningful moments of my life. With my best friend as the photographer, I was able to have a very good, close, intimate moment with my soon-to-be ex-wife.
But that was just the beginning. We talked for hours about our love, our dreams, and our plans for the future. We talked about the pain we both went through as a couple, and I learned so much from her that I wanted to share it with you. (I’d recommend doing the same if you want to know how you can make your own wedding memories.)
Eventually, we arranged to meet at my office. I brought a dozen photos with me, all of my favorite ones, and she immediately knew who she’d get to shoot them. There’s a photographer that works right next to me at my office, and she knew that I needed her help in getting all of the photos that I needed. And I can say that she did a fantastic job. We struck up a nice conversation right there in the hallway and spent the rest of the morning with our photographer before heading out to celebrate my elopement.
What I learned from that meeting is that people love to be photographed. They’re very respectful and quite grateful to have their portraits taken. I told Joanne all about the photo shooting and how I appreciated all of her help. She’s always been helpful and generous with my ideas and thoughts, so this was a really wonderful experience. You’re sure to come across many other stories like this, but this was definitely one of a kind. It made me very grateful to have the chance to meet someone who really understands the pressure that having a new baby puts on a woman.
