falling for photography

ey blog friends!  You might've seen me mention on social media that my photography business is in the running over at King5's Best of Western Washington!  Today is the last day to vote and if you guys would mind heading over and giving Morrow Studios a vote for Best Wedding Photographer I'd be oh so thankful!  To vote all you have to do is login using facebook/twitter/google+, etc, and then click "vote now"!  I've been doing a lot more photography this year (non blog related, that is) an it's been super refreshing to be able to be behind the camera and get to create beautiful images for my clients. 
When I took on my first wedding client over a year ago, I was ever so tentatively dipping my toe in an ocean I wasn't sure I'd want to dive into.  It was the wedding of a good friend of mine (actually one of my bridesmaids in my wedding), and she was so chill that I knew the wedding would be as stress-free as possible.  She also had another photographer friend second-shoot the wedding so I knew that I couldn't fail too hard with a backup there.  After that first wedding I was still tentative, but open to the idea of doing weddings.  The more weddings I did, though, the more I realized that I actually really enjoyed them.  Not only did it combine a bunch of different styles of photography that I enjoyed, it was also so wonderful to get to play a part in people's special day.  In a way, the wedding photographer is a part of the wedding almost as much as the bridal party.  I'm there as they get ready, I'm with them as he gets his first look at his gorgeous bride, I'm beside the bride as she calms her nerves before walking down the aisle, I'm there in the ceremony as they get their first kiss as husband and wife, I get to capture them signing their marriage license, laughing along as their friends and family toast them.  
I've realized that I love it.  I love having the privilege of being the person they trust to document these special moments.  It's so fun to photograph a bride on a day she feels totally stunning and loved.  It's my favorite to capture that look on the groom's face as he sees his love, the most beautiful woman he's ever known, looking like a queen.


 

Now I can't wait to shoot more weddings.  It's definitely a lot of work and by the end of the day I'm ready to pass out, but before I crash I always have to look through the day's photos and edit a few of my favorites.  I think I'm just as exhausted after shooting a wedding as I was after my own wedding!  All that excitement, running around, meeting people, laughing, crying.  It's kind of like getting married all over again!  And in a way, every wedding I shoot reminds me of my own.  Hearing people's vows reminds me of standing next to Dan, making our vows to stand beside one another through the good and the bad, the easy and the hard.  Wedding days go by in the blink of an eye and by the end it's like you just ran a 100meter dash it was over so fast, but your body feels like you just ran a marathon.  I'm so glad I had Sarah there to capture those moments because everything happens so fast you barely have time to remember everything and everyone, but the photos last forever.  I love the photo I have of Dan's face as he saw me for the first time as I walked down the aisle.  I love the photo I have of me chatting with my grandparents during my reception, and the moment I surprised Dan by singing Carole King's I Feel the Earth Move.  Those photos are so special to me, and being able to capture those memories for other people is the best feeling ever.  Even though most weddings have similar schedules, each one is so unique and it's wonderful to see the bride and groom's unique personalities throughout the decor and festivities. 




I've never been a wedding person, per se.  I wasn't a girl that grew up dreaming of her wedding day but I remember flipping through my mom and dad's wedding album so many times growing up.  I remember loving those images and getting to see that day through the photos.  It's so special to me that now I'm the one who can create those images for someone else's big day.  More than any other photos, wedding photos are heirlooms that are treasured for generations.  It's amazing to be trusted with the honor of being the one to create those images.

I'm booking for 2015 and I'm already so excited for the weddings I have scheduled!  It's so funny to think about how blogging brought about my love for photography.  I liked taking pictures before blogging, but after taking photos nearly every day for five years for the blog I found a passion for photography beyond just blog photos.  It's been super fulfilling to take photography beyond the "walls" of this blog and I'm excited to take it even further in the years to come!