I started shooting weddings pretty unconventionally. My career in photography started with children and families. My cousin Julie, took a shot on me letting me shoot her small desitnation wedding over 3 years ago. The following summer I got a call from another friend, Shannon asking to shoot her small creekside wedding. In both of those situations I was alone – I didn’t have anyone to go to with questions. Google and YouTube were my best friends. Those two weddings turned into three more that year and each time I would learn something that helped with the next. As of now, I am in my second full year of shooting weddings. Everything I do has been a result of trial and error. Most wedding photographers go into the business wanting to shoot ONLY weddings. It is an incredible HARD market to get into. It takes time, money, gear, patience, and familiarity with your craft. When you make it known you want to shoot weddings the first thing you’re told is start Second Shooting. As this industry grows even finding someone who will hire you to second shoot is hard. Expectations are HIGH and rightfully so. It’s someones most important day of their life. Up until last month I had never done it. On the outside it would seem like a step backwards. Why would you want to second shoot and take a backseat from being in charge to just take “extra” pictures? I looked at it a bit differently. I wanted to learn. I wanted to see if I was actually do things “right”. I responded to a post in a netwroking group I am a part of and happily was hired! From that wedding I was asked to second shoot again the following weekend. I had a blast! I was so happy to see that my way of doing things was pretty normal. I didn’t have the pressure of nailing key moments. I could hand over memory cards at the end of the night and not have to spend weeks editing pictures. It was excellent! I was able to see some AMAZING venues outside of the NNK and meet some pretty fun people. The guys from the second wedding were a BLAST! I was put in charge of capturing these guy’s portraits before the ceremony at the ODU football field – Something TOTALLY new for me! Being the second shooter allows you to capture moments from the day from a different perspective! While the lead photographer was photographing the bride and her bridesmaids I was able to focus on the mother and father of bride sharing a moment together right after the father saw his baby girl for the first time on her wedding day – It was SO special!
I love being the lead photographer on Wedding Days. I LOVE developing a relationship with the couple over the months they take preparing. I am so thankful that as unconvential as my start was – I am able to do to what I do. Second Shooting is an excellent chance to take a break and refresh a bit and I definitley will be doing more of it!
BIg thank to Michelle Donachy from Michelle Renne Photography for giving me this opportunity! You are wonderfully talented and kind and I am so thankful for the ability to get to know you better and learn from you! XOXO

Venues:  The Half Moone, Norfolk VA