Flannery and Mark’s urban Toronto wedding filled with style and fun shared with the insight and wisdom of Martin McMahon Photo.
What do you think of this quote in relation to the process of photographing a wedding day? “look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.” Yousuf Karsh
– not sure if I connect with this one. Wedding days are kinda crazy and you have to be a ninja with a camera chasing moments. If you spend too much time looking and thinking you’ve probably missed a bunch of great moments. Always be ready!!
What did Flannery and Mark express to you as the biggest priorities for their wedding experience and how did you highlight these choices with the way you documented their day?
– I was fortunate to have met Flannery and Mark at a previous wedding I photographed. Like every wedding I shoot it’s really about them coming together with their closest friends and family to celebrate their love. My job is to document the people and more importantly the moments. I generally stay away from directing or posing. No sense me trying to create a fake moment for a photo. I prefer to allow people to simply enjoy their day and trust me to capture all the amazing moments as they happen naturally.
I show up early in the morning to allow plenty of time for the bridal parties to get used to having me around. At first you can always tell that they are quite camera aware but this goes away pretty quickly and that’s when the good stuff starts to happen. I purposely immerse myself into the crowds to be close to the action. I interact casually with everyone to gain their trust and allow them to relax. Earning the ability to get very close to the actions allows me to capture images that allow the viewer to feel like they we right there in the action. Rather than simply looking at a picture they can feel the moment come through as if they were there.
How did you create the stunning artistic wedding portraits with the enhanced creative lighting?
– While capturing great moments I try to incorporate interesting light and unique perspectives or compositions. Where it makes sense I might use flash in creative ways, I may use elements in front of my lens to create flares or other effects, or I might slow down my shutter to show movement in a moment.
What is your process for selecting which images to present in black and white?
– Black and white can be amazing to remove distracting elements and allow the viewer to really focus in on a strong moment. It can also be great for showcasing a scene or image with interesting light and shadows. From a practical side of things it can really help with editing of scenes with all sorts of different light sources (sun, incandescent, LED, fluorescent) and colour temperatures (proper skin tones are important) – B&W eliminates the colour imbalances on the skin tones.
How did you so effectively capture the movement and exuberance of the relationships between the couple and their guests?
– create a great relationship with the couple (I use the engagement shoot as a great relationship builder), earn their trust (and that of the guests) by truly immersing yourself in the wedding day, be present, be happy, always be ready to capture moments… they are always happening. Get close to the action and don’t stop shooting.
Looking back what makes you the happiest about this album?
– The images showcase Flannery, Mark and their guests in their true awesomeness. You can feel the love, the tears, the laughter and the music pumping!!
A quote that I found interesting…
“It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.”
– Alfred Eisenstaedt
Photographer : Martin McMahon photo
Venue : Berkeley Fieldhouse
Video : Jacky Patran
Wedding dress : Ferre Sposa Toronto
Hair Stylist : The Plumbers Daughter’s
