Nazo and Marine

The photographer with whom I was working at this wedding is an old time wedding photographer out of North Hollywood, who is still very busy and well loved. Once in a while I get a chance to work with him. He also is the guy who gave me my first opportunity to go and photograph a wedding with him. He is the formal photographer.

I on the other hand just look around as an opportunist to capture a glance or better yet a story. Sometimes I can’t resist taking few shots from his staged scenes and those are some of the best photos I have. Staging, posing and lighting are art forms too. To me one of the best art forms to practice is the art of conversation and human interaction. The quality of my photographs is directly tied to the level of trust I establish with my hosts or subjects. To me the wedding or any other photo assignment should be a chance to make friends, well at least 2. To me that’s very rewarding. I also understand that I cannot sustain myself and my family solely on spiritual rewards. I have to bring in the money and I will, but I will not bring in the money if I let it be my sole driving force. I can’t rely too much on it because it goes up and down a lot

- It was raining heavily when I arrived at Nazo’s house. Nazo is the groom. I introduced myself to Nazo and his family and friends. I had arrived good 30 minutes early so I could get familiar with the shooting conditions such as lighting and surroundings. Once I arrived I could feel that it was going to be a good wedding with lots of good shots. Since it was raining heavily that day, photographing the newlyweds in the park in that rain was out of question and I kept thinking of alternatives. I had to adapt to the situation which meant instead of seeing the rain as an obstacle I had to see it as an opportunity for variations.

The people came across as very friendly and open to my style of photography although I could tell it was unusual for them to see this guy randomly shooting pictures without asking them to pose or be ready. However Marine and Nazo (the bride and the groom) were open to the idea and felt comfortable with me. I tried to watch the level of excitement and not let it get the best of me (it usually does) and besides being calm and serene help my subjects to relax and let their guard down and just enjoy the event. I also make sure I smile and thank my subject right after I take his or her photograph.

Every time I shoot an Armenian wedding I have to admit I am a bit nervous especially at the reception when the alcohol flows and the spirits are high. Not everyone likes to be photographed and Armenians are not afraid to let you know. The problem is not in letting me know but how they let me know This is a huge challenge for the candid photographer. Good people skills is a prerequisite for this type of job. In the Armenian community, the concept of candid photography is a very new one. In fact many people are not even familiar with the concept, or worse they think that it’s the same as paparazzi photography. Of course it is not paparazzi or hidden photography. It is simply capturing what catches the photographer’s eye as beautiful and worthy of preserving as a document or a piece of art. For me the only photographic way to reveal things as they truly happen is to take candid shots. Candids are images that hold a small story inside of them. I’d like to document the event with my unique vision. The photos here are random for now but the complete package will be a story line with a beginning a middle and a conclusion. Enjoy and please give me your feedback and comments.