Posted on 05/04/09 at 04:04 AM

This weekend, Charletta and I and the rest of the Erb family traveled to Harrisonburg, Va., for sister Veronica’s wedding. It was quite a weekend, full of meeting new people, eating good food and long hours setting up. It was also my first gig as a wedding photographer.

Going into it I was fairly nervous. Although in some ways the stakes were lower working for my sister-in-law, I also knew that  a major mistake could strain relations for years to come. I prepared on Friday night by shooting the wedding rehearsal as if it were the real thing. I stepped through each part of the ceremony and figured out where the best angles were, what lenses to use and what aperture and speed would work best. I was also very fortunate to have local photographer Kimberly Glick working as an assistant.

Being a photographer at a wedding really changes your perspective on things. For about 8 hours straight I had my photographer’s blinders on and was constantly watching for the best shot. It was fun to be able to freely wander around the auditorium during the wedding. My black outfit and camera were a license to step outside normal expectations and roles and creatively explore the space and the people moving through it. It was completely different from my previous wedding experience as an audience member, groomsmen and groom. I think I could get used to it.

In the end, things went beautifully. We managed to avoid any major mistakes and we got lots of positive feedback from random attendees. Most importantly, the bride and family enjoyed the slideshow I provided Sunday morning. All told, Kimberly and I took over 3,000 photos total. Which means the numbers are on our side. Even if only 1 in 10 is good, that’s still 300 good photos.

Watch this space next week for photos I took on Friday while wandering around downtown Harrisonburg.