I was keeping an eye on the videographer and noticed he had a big eye piece for viewing. I happened to walk by and just glance at the shot he was getting. All I saw through the eye piece was the bride. I stopped, stepped back a little and tried to focus in on the video screen in the eye piece. It took a certain angle and some careful manual focusing to get the shot. The photo pretty much framed itself, blurring out the video camera and the background which is the alter of the church. I kept all my settings for natural light shooting in the church. The video display just happened to be equally dim. This photo is basically straight out of my camera and had very little work done to it. I love that you know what the subject is, but don't know what the rest of the image is. It gave itself some texture and mystery, and that's what I look for.

Trash the Dress Sessions are one of my favorite subjects to photograph - I am able to mix traditional elegance with a taste of unique creativity and lots of color. It's a time where the bride can relax and not have to worry about looking picture perfect - hair in place, dress laying just right, etc... It's a time where I can really let my imagination run wild. I had a concept in mind of a bride at a public pool and was just waiting for the right client to make my vision a reality. When Melissa approached me with the interest of doing a TTD, I knew that she was just the girl to execute the shot - her sun kissed tan skin and her unyielding attitude to try anything was perfect for what I had brewing in my head. Of all the high energy shots I photographed - Melissa jumping off the diving board and going down water-slides - the relaxed, carefree feeling I get from this image makes it my favorite from the day.

This photo was taken moments before the groom was to leave his room and head to the church. I wanted to capture him in a natural pose exactly as he was in his final minutes of preparation. As he sat in the chair I asked him to slightly turn to look up at me and that was when I was able to capture this moment. The hotel room he was in was very modern and I wanted to accentuate that in the post production work, and this is where the blue hues came in.

The couple rented a great classic 1961 Cadillac, and it was pouring rain while we were on the way to the reception. When we arrived it was still raining hard, so while we were waiting for it to dissipate the bride got a call on her cell phone and the groom just gave her a sweet kiss on the shoulder. It was a relaxed loving moment. They had a 1950's retro theme for their wedding so I processed some of the pictures to have a vintage look with a cool tone to match the rainy feeling of that late winter March day. They were very pleased with this look. I liked the juxtaposition of the modern cell phone with the vintage car and style of the bride and groom.

I loved this shot not only because of the composition of the piece or for the fact that I shot this image from quite some distance away and could see every detail in her dress, but because of the moment that I captured. Looking back at this image from this perspective, I see two people very much in love. In this image, the bride's arms are wrapped so affectionately around the groom's neck. She's very relaxed and in her natural element. They only care for what in front of them and are oblivious to anything around them.

While shooting, I explained to the couple what I was looking for and told them to engage with each other and spark a conversation; laughing and smiling would be wonderful. Communication was critical for this piece as I was out of range but still wanted to control the shot to be very natural.

When the clients came to me, the first thing she requested was, "I want glamour, I want fashion". she gave me full creative freedom and we worked together to develop the story and the shot that was going to be done. I loved the ambience in the room, so I shot with the modeling lights on my broncolour units. I have two lights from left and right to light both of them. It was such a privilege to be trusted so much by a client and that drives me to push myself to deliver the best that I can.

We were in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. The bride didn't want to bring her dress back with her after the wedding, so we had a series of fun photos jumping into the water, and this one was floating down a pool, which I was shooting from a bridge above. Artistic approach is the same as always: put people in good visual situations, and wait for the right moment.