I had a wedding Saturday after having three weekends off from the summer, so it was a nice break.  However, on Saturday I had a funny feeling.  I noticed that my jaw was hurting a little bit.  Then I noticed that my face was getting sore.  I figured it out.  I was smiling like a kid in a candy store.  My face was actually hurting from smiling so big as I was taking pictures.  It isn’t that I don’t usually smile at a wedding, but I was just so glad to be back doing what I love to do.

It is funny to me when I hear about photographers who are tired of doing weddings, or they don’t like to do weddings because of all the chaos that they encounter.  I actually love the challenge of the day.  I love looking for things to shoot for the bride and groom that will help them in ten years to remember what their wedding day was really like. 

I was talking with the owner of a hair salon in town called Posh Salon and Day Spa and we were just discussing brides, weddings, and wedding up-dos (don’t ask how I know about that) and other things.  I was amazed because she was so into talking about her business and what she does.  I just was listening thinking that she loves doing what she does.  It is something that I look for when I talk to people to see if they have a passion for their work.  I thought about this the other day and I think that is something that being a wedding photographer requires.  You really have to love doing it.  It is too obvious when you go to a wedding and see a photographer who doesn’t have a passion.  They take two shots and sit back down.  They get the usual boring photos that are announced.  So make sure that you look for someone that you can actually see that passion in their work.  Listen for that passion in their voice to see if they really do love their work.  It is not hard to see or hear this, and it is almost impossible to fake.