Bride on the Rocks

I love this photo. I also loved unexpected giggles. This moment happened in Hawaii, when I had a day to wander about looking for awesome vistas. I certainly found one here, amongst these dramatic rocks that still seemed molten, with the rough blue-blue water hammering against its edges. Oh yeahhh baby, I could see it now as a wall mural or some ginormous digital billboard. Hey, a girl’s gotta dream!

I set up my tripod, prepared my shot, bracing myself in the strong winds that howled and rain drops that spit that day. With that, a wedding photographer and his client bride/groom trotted out onto the rocks, smack in the middle of my shot and set up for some dramatic snaps. Hahahah!!

I felt like I was poaching this guy’s shot. But then decided hey, they walked into mine! Besides, it was awesome, because in my photo, if you zoom in you can see him trying to organize and settle her train in 30 mph wind. I SO wouldn’t have wanted to be him that day!

Between the wind and the surf, you could barely hear the person next to you talk. But our intrepid wedding photographer moved back quite a distance to set up HIS shot. Long lens. Clearly going for that gorgeous compressed look amongst the wild-yet-divinely-tropical paradise. I hear him start hollering direction to his bride at the top of his lungs.

“WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND HIM!!” snap-snap-snap.

“NOW KISS HIS NECK!!!” He had to scream this one twice. It was very romantic.

“DIP HER BACKWARDS!!” Nothing. I mean really, who could hear anything in this windy/surfy ruckus? “DIIIIIIP HERRRRR BAAAAACKWARRRRRRDS!!” He shrieked again.

It went on like this for a few more poses, then they were done. As was I – and I headed back up to my car.

Whereupon I encountered the rest of the wedding party, all decked out in red satin dresses. Hair blowing, dresses fluttering madly. Everyone spoke with a deep Southern accent.

As I gratefully got back into my car and let my ears stop ringing from nature’s assault on them, I looked back at that wedding photographer and felt his pain. He still had an entire wedding party to do – and they didn’t look that thrilled at the whole proposition. I tipped an invisible hat to him. Wedding photography is NOT easy. I admired his focus and resoluteness, his ability to be creative and calm.

Go Mr. Wedding Photographer; we salute you!

Oh – and MY final shot from here looked just a little bit different. You can see how that turned out here.