Weddings are full of moments. Some happy, some sad; some are preplanned, others are a surprise. Some moments are predictable, others are a gift. As a photographer, I am always visually hunting for these elusive moments. Most times it involves patience, quick fingers and a little bit of luck. Here are a few of my favorite moments from last weeks wedding in Canandaigua, NY.

One thing I have noticed about Moments, is that they tend to speak louder when in black and white. I love color too, but in quiet moments, color can be distracting. For instance, in the image below left, the wall is purple. The purple wall draws your eye to it, rather than to this bride’s face. The other thing about the two moments below, is that they are what I call “Created” Moments. These are images in which I told the bride and groom where to stand, then stepped back and allowed it to be a moment. It is still a moment, but it is a moment that would not have occurred without my involvement.

The second type of moment is a captured moment. This is where patience, experience and good reaction skills come into play. I often hear of photographers interrupting perfectly good moments to create a staged moment. This is something I try very hard to avoid! Whenever possible, I like to let the moments happen, and just be nearby to capture them. The very best moments cannot be staged.

At weddings, there is often more than one moment occuring at once. In this case, there was a moment behind the moment as this mother watched her daughter and husband dance.

There are also guests having moments, as they enjoy the love and warmth that surrounds a newly wedded couple. These candids are just as great to catch, and abound during cocktail hour and throughout the evening.

Finally, although I said earlier that most moments speak louder in black and white, this is not always the case. The beauty of upstate New York sometimes begs for color images. This is a created moment that became a captured moment, as the couple enjoyed a few minutes at this scenic overlook on Canandaigua Lake.

I strive to capture moments, as they are fleeting and unrepeatable. The result is personally very rewarding, and is what keeps me going week after week.

I want to say thank you to Erin Perrotta, who I second shot this wedding with, and to Sarah and Jimmy for being such an amazing couple! Congratulations, and here’s to many more happy moments!