All photographers start somewhere. It’s important to look back at initial learning experiences and to see roots & themes embodied in our work today. Understanding those initial learning experiences that shaped our style today goes a long way at understanding who we are as photographers. Lately, the trend I see among higher-end wedding photographers is the shift to go back to shooting film, go back to shooting photojournalism, or go back to shooting what they love, or go back to shooting (fill in the blank).

Looking back at a wedding images shot during my first year of weddings in 2004/2005, I got a kick out of seeing how things have progressed with images sharing consistency to what comes out of my camera today.

My first wedding I photographed was held at a Boy Scout ranch and it remains one of my favorites. It was at that wedding I quickly learned to trust instincts at predicting moments of expression, still a favorite part of the wedding day for me. While the bride’s dress caught on the floor, I focused on expression of the kids and groomsman.

Use reflections to capture surroundings in an interesting way… and don’t be afraid to leave a photographer fingerprint within the image (yes, that’s me wearing pink).

Details in weddings still are sooo pretty. Kids help keep weddings real and can help dissolve anxiety and bring out laughter in a big way.

Knowing where to stand is the secret to photographing toasts. You can’t go wrong focusing on the bride during a Father or groom toast.

Shooting available light during the ceremony has always been the way to go:

Details don’t just say 1,000 words, but show it. Unfocusing from the obvious subject is a great ceremony technique.

Have fun with the bridal party (taken with a fish-eye lens which we rarely use now, but at the time when shooting with the Nikon D-70 was the wide-way to go.

The groom’s first look at his bride is always a sight to see:

Dragging the shutter and bouncing a flash balances movement and excitement of the celebration environment:

My first rock shot brought great pride, as FINALLY all those vacations of taking pictures of bugs and flowers paid off. The rock shot, now, is an opportunity for 100% creative control brought to the next level, showcasing a bit more creativity that my first shot here:

While I’ve always been fond of photographing shadows, as shown from this 1998 self-portrait taken at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, Australia while not-really studying on a semester abroad trip.

Sorting through old photos, I can across this favorite image taken in high school (circa 1994) with the camera my father gave me (which was the gift his father gave him high school). Then it dawned on me… noticed the similarity between the kern-photo logo and this image? I had no idea. Weird how subconsciously somethings work.

This Honeywell Pentax film camera got me started in photography. Today, it lives above my desk as a reminder of my roots in film.