Dark churches getting you down?  Off-camera lighting throwing you off your game?  Family formals killing you?  Trust me, you are not alone.  The reason wedding photography is one of the most dreaded (and highest paying) professions in the photography world is simply because it’s not easy!  Mixed lighting, harsh shadows, blown-out backgrounds, fast moving subjects in low light, tall brides next to short grooms, five minutes to shoot fifteen different group shots while the sun goes down… the craziness has no end!  And the scary part is, you can’t make excuses when it comes time to deliver images to your client.

I once heard a commercial photographer relate wedding photography to Russian Roulette.  He said “You’re bound to get unlucky eventually and then it’s all over.. you’re finished.”  He’s right… there are no re-shoots in wedding photography, and a scorned bride is not someone you want hanging around your Facebook fan page.

So here’s the good news:  I’m not just writing all of this to give you more anxiety about shooting weddings.  I am dedicating myself to a new workshop series called “The Uncomfortable Workshop“.  I’ve teamed up with Andras Schram, a photographer in Calgary who I deeply respect as an artist in our industry.  This workshop has been a long time coming and a long time planning.  It’s not my regular “set up the students with insane portfolio material” workshop.  If you want that go to my Vegas Shooting Workshop next month.  This workshop addresses the difficult and uncomfortable aspects of shooting a wedding.  It’s specifically designed to prepare you for the worst case scenarios.  We intentionally booked one of the darkest churches in Calgary to do one of our live shooting demonstrations.  We’ve also scheduled an outdoor night shoot for the group.

This workshop will not be easy, and will most likely stretch you far beyond your comfort zone.  But nothing worth doing is easy, and discomfort forces us to find a better way.  If you are ready to patch those holes in your game and become a more able and confident wedding photographer, come to The Uncomfortable Workshop.

I love photographing babies.  Especially when they cooperate and stay asleep :)  This is one of my favorite shots of Archer, Jessica Claire & Jeff Norwood’s newest addition to the family.  I just love the symmetry, the smooth tones, and the mixture of the cold, hard chair with Archer’s warm, soft skin and blanket.