This summer, I photographed 18 weddings. It’s been by far my busiest summer yet. I just shot my last wedding this past weekend, and let me tell you, it feels good to be done. Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy photographing weddings. But it’s hard work and it’s consumed a lot of my brain power for the last few months. Since I’ve also had the World Race in the back of my mind all summer, I’ve discovered that being a wedding photographer just may have prepped me in some ways for my time on the Race. So here they are: the top five lessons learned while shooting weddings that just might come in handy on the Race:
1. Things rarely go as planned.
Oh, sure – you tried out that new lighting technique at home the night before the wedding and it worked like a charm. You couldn’t wait to make your bride and groom look fabulous the next day. But sure enough, at the wedding, with the entire wedding party staring at you as you arrange the bride and groom in a great pose and adjust your lighting just so, your flash completely craps out and you look like a bumbling idiot. Great. The fact is, you can plan as much as you want, but some things are just out of your hands. The reliability of your equipment, for example. Or maybe the countries on your route. Or crossing a border in Africa in a timely manner. As a wedding photographer and World Racer, flexibility is key. As Steve Winwood would say, you’ve got to roll with it, baby.
2. Keep your personal drama out of your work.
A wedding is a one-time deal. Well, I mean, for that particular couple on that particular day. Photography-wise, there are no do-overs. You need to be 100% focused, 100% of the time. There have been a few times that I’ve woken up on wedding days with all kinds of stuff on my mind. And there have been many self pep talks in my bathroom before leaving for those weddings, reminding myself to look at the big picture (no pun intended), to appreciate the fact that I get to capture two people joining their lives together and to, well, get over myself. There are things bigger than my problems. And the things I see on the Race, the ministries we’ll be a part of, the people we’ll talk to and the love of God we will share are all part of the bigger picture. The bigger picture of God’s kingdom in this world and how I can do my part to make it happen.
3. It’s all in the attitude.
I will not lie to you – at hour seven or eight of a wedding, I’m exhausted. By this time, I’m at the reception; the music is loud, people are inebriated and have lost all concept of personal space, my feet hurt and I usually have a pounding headache. This is when mind over matter kicks in. With some prayer and an attitude shift, I can make it through the rest of the night with a smile on my face. Here’s the thing: we have more control over our attitude than we think. And sometimes we need to consciously choose to be happy…or at least not cranky. On the Race, I know there will be times when I am surrounded by loud noises, staring people, hurting feet and headaches. And a lot more, I’m sure. It’s during those times that I’ll need to be mindful of my attitude and reach out to God to make His strength perfect in my cranky weakness.
4. Always be ready to appreciate God’s beauty around you.
At weddings, sometimes the best photos happen in the quickest moments. A romantic look between the bride and groom, an adorable face made by the flower girl or a dad wiping away a tear during the father-daughter dance are all things that can be missed if I’m preoccupied or distracted. Living in the moment and keeping my eyes open to catch the incredible things happening around me is essential as a photographer and a World Racer. The truth is, weddings are pretty incredible events and it’s kind of amazing that I get hired to document them. Traveling around the world and ministering to the downtrodden is also pretty incredible and it’s kind of amazing that I’ll get to be doing it in about three weeks. The awareness that this opportunity is unique, that I am lucky to be a part of it and that is filled with amazing moments will ensure that my eyes are open and ready to see just how beautiful God’s kingdom is.
5. Inevitably, you will make a fool of yourself.
When you are standing in front of a wedding party of twenty in a church during formal photos with about 50 family members sitting behind you, you’re bound to say something stupid. When the two year old ring bearer is crying as you are trying to photograph him with the groom, you will find you’ll do anything to make him smile, no matter how dumb you might look. And when climbing around the floor of crowded limo to get photos of the wedding party toasting the bride and groom, the toe of your pointy high heel will get caught in the leg of your wide-leg dress pants and you will fall flat on your face in front of about twenty-five people (lesson learned: pointy high heels and wide-leg pants, while fashionable, are not conducive to wedding photography). The point is, sometimes in life, you have to forget about your image. And I know from experience that when you are living in another country, you will make a fool out of yourself. You can try to be cool, you can try to be mindful of the cultural nuances and you can try to act like a native. But there will come a day when you stick your foot in your mouth, say something wrong or just stick out like a sore thumb. If you know it’s coming and prepare yourself for it, it’ll be much more likely that you can laugh it off when it happens instead of beating yourself up over it.
Now that I'm finished with wedding season, it's time to focus on preparing for the World Race. I'm looking forward to learning a lot more lessons on the Race that I'll be able to apply to my future job – whatever that might be. Of course, I'll be sure to post those lessons learned right here on this blog, so I hope to see you back here real soon.
