One thing that definitely defines my artwork is passion. Really when it comes down to it passion drives us all. It pushes up beyond our limits and makes us reach for the sky. Here is a little insight into me and the art that I create.

I am passionate…

Passionate for moments, passionate for life, passionate for laughing, singing and dancing (my dancing may be pretty bad, and my wife may get a little embarrassed when we are out in public but I will tear up any dance floor. It usually won’t look pretty but i’ll always have a smile on my face). I love the saying “La Dolce Vita” in Italian translated means the Sweet life. Waking up in the morning with a fresh breath of air, enjoying the gifts God has provided me and the beauty that lies all around me are inspirational to me. I love the little smiles my daughter gives me when she wakes up. I love watching the trees move outside dancing to the wind while I sip on a Mocha. I am passionate for capturing life through my camera’s lens.

One thing that I have always been passionate about in my photography since my teens was capturing those perfect moments. For me that perfect image is always right in between moments when people put their guard down and are just being real, being themselves. I have always loved how photography can capture so much emotion and that perfect image can just bring you right back into the day. Photography for me will always be a way to capture life & to tell stories.

For most of you that really know me or have seen me work know that when I am shooting I get into the shot. I always want to capture the fun of the day and am usually laughing, smiling and crying along with the rest of the family. I was editing a shoot from last month and came across a shot that my 2nd photographer took of me while we were shooting a few bridal party images. This image brought me back to the fun of the day and really got me to remember why I do what I do, it’s not just a job its a passion.

– Mark
Fine Art Wedding Photography

And I always have to include a wedding shot in a post

One part of the wedding day that I really love to photograph (actually I love it all, but for the sake of this blog post one part I really love) is the first dance and father/daughter, mother/son dance. Normally these are in the reception venue where the lights come down, creating a nice dark room. I love to think of dark places as a nice blank canvas ready to create whatever vision is in my mind.

Since I have a really diverse background in photography (photojournalism and fine art) I pull out lots of different tricks throughout the day to really capture the images in my mind that will show off the day in a artistic and unique way. We usually setup some lights around the dance floor to create some unique lighting for the dancing. This can give us so many different ways to shoot with every angle being a little bit different for lighting.

Here are a few examples of some things you can do for some creative first dance shots: