Photography has filled me with purpose and joy, and taken me places I never thought I'd go. I have covered three U.S. presidents, been blessed by the Pope, and been stared down by Muhammad Ali. I've shared a laugh with Smokey Robinson, and had a picture I took of him used when he received a lifetime achievement award. I've photographed a 110-year-old woman as she told me what it was like to climb onto the torch of the Statue of Liberty. I was chosen as the only independent photographer allowed near Obama and McCain in their last meeting before the 2008 election. I'm the only photographer in the world to have been officially represented by the three largest photographic retailers in the Western hemipshere. Heck, I've even had a photographic technique named after me (which is crazy).
But I have never felt so blessed by photography as when I am photographing a wedding. At weddings, we are most visibly ourselves -- the walls we walk around with come tumbling down under the forces of joy, anxiety (and sometimes a bit of alcohol). To document that experience, the relationship of friends, families, and a couple launching a new stage in their life, is an incredible feeling. When a client says "This is the first picture I've seen of my parents that actually looks like them!" I feel like I've done something with lasting value. After years of shooting and more than 225 weddings under my belt, I still find each one to be more exciting than the last, and try to make each one the best one that I've ever photographed.
In addition to a staff of photo assistants, I am so happy to have my partner Wendy as a full-time studio manager to make sure that our clients' needs are met at every stage from the first inquiry until years after the wedding. Wendy is the hardest worker I have ever known, and she makes my clients' experience as stress-free as possible.
nicholas gonzalez - After waiting (a looong time) for a decent upgrade from crop sensor to full frame (I have a much loved Canon 7D and don’t want the 5D II, can’t afford the Mark 3 and the 6D appears underwhelming) I may skip over to the Nikon side with the D600. My only gripe is the Liveview feature. 7D’s Liveview is stellar. If all else fails, I can just take everyone’s 7D they’ll likely throw away for used Mark 2′s and 6D’s. The small treasure of a photographer.
Dan - Been shooting with the D600 for a couple days. Came from a Canon 7D. I’m loving the image quality. However, I can’t stand that the rear LCD screen turns off every time I hit the shutter button half way. I use the rear lcd often since my eyes are not great. Canon lets you keep it on all the time. I also hate that Nikon clusters their cross type focus points in the center. However, the D600 makes a great picture.
Mark - Hi Ryan,
I know you are extremely busy, now that Lightroom supports the d600 will you be able to give us a full review ? Your reviews are the best for wedding photographers. I’m trying to figure out whether I can get away with using it as my primary. Or just go all out into debt to get the d4 thanks Mark