Jessica and Drew were kind enough to invite me to photograph their wedding, my first! These two were sealed in the Portland Temple on a beautiful sunny July day. I enlisted the help of my friend, Adrienne, as a second shooter and we had a great time photographing this beautiful couple and their family.

I was nervous tackling my first wedding. As one of the most important events of this young couple's lives I knew how important it was to get the shots they wanted. I knew I would have a tough time getting the candid shots that I live for since I'd be tied up arranging and shooting group shots. Luckily, my second shooter did a fantastic job of capturing those special moments that I would have missed. Another benefit of inviting a second shooter: borrowing a sweet wide angle lens! I would not have been able to shoot the large groups on the shady side of the temple without her Tokina 11-16/2.8.

I also rented a huge Nikon 70-200/2.8 VRII for the weekend. I'll admit, that it was well worth the $30 it cost me to adopt my new friend for the weekend.  My appreciation for good glass really increased in a dangerously expensive way...  I mostly shot with the wide lens at the temple. But as evening arrived I pulled out the big lens for the reception in Happy Valley. Wow, that 2.8 aperture with the big glass front just sucked in the light! I loved being able to shoot until it was nearly dark without my flash. Once it was time to cut the cake I had my lovely assistants follow me around the reception with my off-camera flash for some great candid shots of the guests.

So, my first wedding job turned out better than I expected! Check out my favorite shots and judge for yourself. And, if you're getting married in the Portland area and you like my style, contact me for pricing and availability!