Today I want to tell you the story how Carmen and Ben were married on a perfect cloudy spring day, and talk about why I don’t make light and airy photos.
For over a decade now, most folks who find me are searching for natural and candid wedding photography. That’s always been the core of who I am and what I do. Natural means your photos look true to life. Candid means you don’t have to fake a thing. Together, they are the magic sauce that tells the real story of your day.
When I started my photography business in 2009, light and airy was at its peak. It was the thing everyone wanted to do. It’s still popular with some folks, and that’s fine. I like it too. You’ve seen it. Bright, high-key pastel tones, soft colors, glowing highlights. For some couples, it’s perfect. But to me, it’s like putting sugar in my grits. Plus, it often changes skin tones, flattens colors, and changes the mood of the moment. Done well, it can be amazing. But it really only fits a very specific kind of location and lighting.
When I edit, I focus on accurate color first. Skin should look like skin. Your bouquet should look like it did in your hands. The sky should look like the one you stood under. Everything I do is about capturing the true mood and atmosphere of your day. Moody skies, the deep greens of the forest, the soft light that wraps around everything on a cloudy day. Those details matter. They make your photos feel alive.
My love of candid human interaction and natural atmosphere is why I love photographing weddings at camps and retreat centers. They’re automatically low-key and relaxed, and that lets folks be themselves. Not long ago, I photographed a wedding at Camp Kiwanis in Athens, GA. The couple wasn’t traditional in the slightest. Carmen and Ben met on Tinder, a surprise for both of them. They’d been together seven years when Ben proposed on the waterfront in Manhattan, during Carmen’s first lingerie trade show in New York City (btw, if you ever find yourself in Athens, Georgia, be sure to check out her shop Grail Bra Specialists.. they’re incredible).
They showed up to their wedding dressed to the nines, a little nontraditional, and perfectly themselves. They said their vows in a big outdoor amphitheater, on a misty afternoon where the air felt damp but the rain never came. More than anything, they wanted a big party with their loved ones. It was understated, relaxed, and beautiful. My favorite moment from the day was when everyone walked down the trail to the amphitheater together as a group, Ben and Carmen included.
Every photo from their day is about who they are. Their kindness, the way they treat each other so gently. The way they laugh together. That’s what natural and candid wedding photography is about. Honest color. Real emotion. A vibe that takes you back when you look at it years from now.
If you love light and airy, there are amazing photographers who will give you that. But if you want photos that are natural, candid, and timeless, whether you’re dressed in lace in the woods or in feathers under the stars, then we’re probably a perfect match.
Carmen and Ben’s Creative Team
Officiant: Heather Slutsky/ Secular Moments
Baskat Catering
Gardenia Floral Design
Beaute Force Beauty/ Mikayla Hiers
