As a photojournalist, I get asked a lot why I left journalism. Those questions generally revolve around two main topics: Was it because of the state of the industry? Or was it because you wanted/needed to make more money?
The answer is no. No and NO.
Notice I didn't say "former photojournalist" because I don't consider myself retired. Unfortunately there is an overwhelming negative connotation within the journalism industry that when a photographer decides to do something other than journalism, they are selling out. I don't consider my decision to document weddings over working for a newspaper as "selling out" because at the end of a wedding day, I don't see the difference. A wedding is a story. A beautiful, tear-jerking, heart-warming story. And bottom line, I would much rather document the joy of a wedding than the pain of loss. Call me a weenie, but it's true.
I prefer happy things; I just don't have the stones to shoot the sad stuff. But that turning point is another story for another day.
{rodin+lenny} are a reminder as to why I believe all of the above. Their entire day was about them. Just them. It was a simple celebration with a close-knit group of {friends+family}. There was love, there were tears, there was an accordion... and there was a kazoo.
Yes, a kazoo.
Bottom line, it wasn't about the "stuff." It was hot and it was rocky. It was a long, long day. I was so sore the next day my couch developed a Dianne-print because I didn't move much. But as most weddings are, it was worth every minute. It was a resounding positive reminder as to why I love doing what I do... it was a reminder that at the end of a day (especially such a long one), weddings are both the beginning and the end of an amazing story. And I was blessed enough to be chosen to document it.
Without further ado, here are some excerpts from the Italian-Peruvian-Vegan-Jewish festivus that was {rodin+lenny}: married.
