July 9, 2016
Beardslee Castle
Little Falls, NY

O my luve is like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in June;
My luve is like the melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.

     When capturing a live-event creatively it’s crucial to embrace not only the structure and design of the event but also its inherent spontaneity and location’s natural beauty. In the early morning hours of Rachel and Chris’ wedding day in Little Falls, NY, while filming under the coverage of foreboding dark clouds, I discovered that because their interests and chosen aesthetic were so deeply rooted in the natural world, we would have the unique opportunity to blend these elements harmoniously.
     Oftentimes “bad” weather and filmmaking, at least from a logistical standpoint, don’t mix. When there is a concern for heavy rain, we immediately consider taking shelter. However, contrary to what one would initially believe, rain is incredibly beautiful and a pleasure to photograph. Aside from its physical beauty, rain carries this feeling of romance, a manifestation of love that cannot help but burst at the seams and impact the landscape.

**Creating movement through water and glass**

I chose early on, not to fight these natural elements (really, what would be the point?), but to embrace them. I loved the look of silhouetted trees against cloudy skies, of water droplets resting on tops of flowers and running down glass. Early on in the film, we see two abstract shots: one white image with a subtle grey running down and the other a piece of glass speckled with rain, and behind, a dark figure that moves from right to left. I quickly wanted to establish this sense of subtle movement characteristic of a soft rain. I also wanted to stress right away that the piece was poetic, not literal, in form. This poetic approach is reinforced by the voiceover as well - a Robert Burns poem read by one of the Bridesmaids during the reception. Another early decision was to embrace the soft and muted colors. We chose to remain true to the color of the day, washing much of the imagery in an earthly slate blue.

**Highlighting the medieval Irish architecture**

**Entrance detail to build anticipation**

The wedding took place at Beardslee Castle located in central New York, along the Mohawk River. The construction of the castle dates back to the mid-nineteenth century and was modeled after medieval Irish architecture. The structure again connects us with the natural world, the stone castle literally being made of the earth, covered in green ivy and the color mirroring the cloudy skies. Typically, I don’t like to highlight the venue in wedding films because ultimately it’s about the people getting married. I prefer not to capture anything that resembles advertisement for the venue which is why I almost always avoid text and signage. That being said, it’s incredibly important to capture the feeling of the space as well as any details that the couple fell in love with upon being introduced to the location.

Because I felt that the weather and exteriors were particularly important, we wanted to slowly build up to the interior footage. The opening one minute and fifteen seconds of the film has very few shots from inside and when there is, they are typically close-up and more abstract. By photographing the bride through windows during prep, we once again stress this importance of location by showing the subject in reference to the space. The first shots of the bride are slightly obstructed by the side of the wall. The out of focus portion of the shot adds a kind of haze to the image, a soft and surreal quality that I thought fit well with the mood of the piece. It also slightly abstracts the image, making an otherwise "plainly" composed shot much more dynamic.

**Dreams and reality: Bride through windows and walls**

And speaking of abstraction: As I’ve stated in previous posts, I’m always looking for creative ways to capture an image. If I’m confronted with the task of filming an object or space, it’s never solely about the object or space, it should also carry conceptual weight as well.

When I first started shooting wedding films, I stressed so much importance on photographing the dress before the bride put it on. After all, it’s not only iconic but is also a staple in both wedding photography and video. We all know the shot: the wedding dress hanging in the window or the shoes carefully placed on top of the railing. After multiple weddings of convincing myself that these types of shots are essential, I now find very little reason to capture such literal and staged material. In my opinion it has become so overused, so closely tied with wedding filmmaking, that it is neither personal nor interesting. But again, much like my thoughts on location shots, it is still incredibly important to capture any details that the couple fell in love with while preparing for their special day. This prompted us to photograph Rachel’s dress not in wide shot hanging in a room, but in close-up, allowing us to continue in abstraction and capture the beautiful detail and lace that she would have initially been drawn to. For the shot, my assistant slowly panned a hand-held LED light across the surface of the dress. This subtle touch gave shape and movement to an otherwise static object. Because of the moving camera, the dress’ clear sequence would drift in and out of focus, reflecting and refracting the light as if they were drops of rain. Again, an object is never just an object.

Early in the morning, while Rachel was preparing inside, Chris was outside with his father and brother, assembling the altar that they would soon be married under. Searching for these types of scenes throughout the day reminds me that while I do stage material and set up "glamour shots" of the location and various details, I am still very much working in the form of documentary filmmaking. Capturing moments like these not only adds a personal touch to the piece but can also be used to build anticipation. Functionally, these shots introduce key “characters” in the film: the groom’s brother (and best man) and father as they carry out this sweet gesture. Formally, the scene provides a back-and-forth structure to the edit that both balances out and extends our bridal prep footage.

The wedding's design elements were so elegantly constructed and incorporated into both the ceremony and reception space. This always provides me with such a great starting point and ultimately elevates the quality of the visuals. Bouquets of lavender and sage were placed throughout the space. The guest table centerpieces consisted of potted plants and at their base were rings of delicately woven twigs and flowers. While it can be technically challenging and I do often have to accept a slight drifting in and out of focus, I typically like to shoot wide open (oftentimes I try to keep a consistent F2.0 F-stop to stay consistent across lenses). This look works particularly well when filming details. The thin line of sharp focus not only draws your eye to what I believe to be important, it can also accentuate movement as we slide in and out or past objects closer in the frame. This allowed me to focus on particular parts of table settings, at times emphasizing pops of color while other times using depth to create more dream-like images.

Bouquets of lavender and sage

**Dreams and reality: glasses through glass**

While creating a consistent visual structure is key, to ignore the importance of song choice can not only result in a missed opportunity, it can be detrimental to a piece. Rachel and Chris' film offered a unique opportunity to me as I typically lean towards instrumentally driven, folk-inspired soundtracks, a style that has very much in common with Celtic music. The song's connection to traditional Celtic music is subtle as it’s still in the realm of "folk love song." However, as the music builds, the fast plucking of the guitar along with the accompanying mandolin and violins brings to mind this traditional Irish and Scottish sound while maintaining a feeling of love and romance.

With any piece of artwork, much of its success and beauty can be judged on how the artist synthesizes the controlled aspects of their project with the spontaneous. This is particularly relevant in documentary and live-event filmmaking where one must adapt and discover, oftentimes quickly, how to bring all of these elements together in a way that is both beautiful and thematically cohesive. In the second to last shot of the film, the bride and groom stand under the altar, having just kissed and now listening to their guests' applause. They are somewhat obstructed in the frame by moving umbrellas and though the unexpected rain falls on their shoulders, Rachel and Chris are all smiles, overjoyed by what has just taken place.

April 16, 2016
Old Daley on Crooked Lake
Averill Park, NY

Dahil sa iyo, ako’y lumigaya
Pagmamahal, ay alayan ka
Because of you, I found happiness
That to you I offer this love that is so blessed

Upon arriving at Old Daley on Crooked Lake, one is immediately struck by its serene and secluded location at the foothill of the Berkshire Mountains. The interior of the house displayed quaint decor and an expansive view of the lake. I immediately understood why the bride and groom chose this space to host their wedding. Aside from it being so close to home for the two of them, this was the perfect location for two people who always seek to be artistically and musically inspired.
I knew very early on that music was going to play a key role in shaping my creative approach to capturing the day’s celebration. Both the bride and the groom stressed that music had been a vital part of their lives together. Caryn, the bride, whose family is comprised of a long line of musicians, currently works for Manhattan School of Music and is a flutist for a woodwind quintet in the city. Francis, now an online marketer, is a student of art and design and former trombone player. To my advantage, my assistant for the day and longtime friend and collaborator, Jesse Kerns, is a musician himself and worked with me in finding ways to capture shots that were not only visually beautiful but also musically inspired.

**Crooked Lake reflection as audio wavelength**

We knew that Crooked Lake would be a crucial part of the landscape to capture and while shooting early morning exteriors, we discovered that in composing a traditional wide shot of land and water reflection we could allow the visual landscape to reference sound, the mirror image resembling an audio wavelength. In setting up a macro shot of trees being reflected in the water, Jesse pointed out, “See that’s musical to me. In that reflection. The tips of the trees just dancing.”

**Finding musical inspiration in movement and shape**

In speaking with Caryn and Francis about the look of their wedding, I also realized that I would want to emphasize all of the yellow that would be incorporated in their decor, flowers and clothing. Being that it was a beautiful Spring day, aside from capturing all things yellow, I wanted to photograph as much blue sky and green grass as possible. The flower of choice for the couple were daffodils and were incorporated throughout both the indoor and outdoor spaces. In a pre-production meeting with the bride and groom, Francis recalled a story of when the couple first started dating and him surprising her with flowers. There was however slight confusion at the florist, when Francis requested dandelions, not daffodils for his girlfriend. Lucky for me, I was able to find a line of dandelions growing outside of the venue and quickly grabbed a close-up slider shot of the flowers, a subtle nod to one of the bride and groom's sweet early memories together.

**All things yellow! Capturing the personal details**

     One thing I constantly try to keep in mind whenever I film anything is that my goal is not to just point the camera at something and record. Even if an object or subject is perfectly lit, its colors rendered crisp and strong and is overall composed pleasantly, if I don’t incorporate my conceptual thinking into the aesthetic, it will never be anything more than that object or subject.
     For example, when taking a tour of the venue, my eye gravitated toward a grand piano in the lobby. Keeping in mind that music and musical instruments would play a key role in my visuals, I knew that I would want to capture this piece in some way. Nowhere in my footage do I have a wide shot of the piano. I didn’t need it. What I was really looking for was something more graphic and abstract, something that would capture the essence of the instrument. When we think about music, we never think of static imagery, we think of energy and movement! I opted to just photograph the strings with a macro lens on a slider. This gave me the design and movement I was looking for. I knew that it would only be used as a transition shot, possibly in a sequence, and felt that it was in line with my creative approach of the day.
     Later on, when we spotted one of the groomsman playing the piano during prep, I decided to compose the shot, slightly obstructed and in silhouette. I always like to keep the bride and groom the center of attention and when filming other members of the party or family and friends, I try not to focus or linger on them longer than necessary. Sensing that this image would appear early on in the video and could potentially offset the primary focus on Francis, I tried to keep the image a bit “mysterious” and emphasize the space and action rather than the subject.

**Macro imagery allowing for abstraction and movement**

**Groomsman playing piano in silhouette**

Obviously in crafting a film visually inspired by music, the choice of song was crucial in setting the tone and feel for the piece. José Gonzales’ “Stay Alive”, while not a traditional-sounding wedding song, was particularly intriguing to me because of it’s lyrical references to rhythm and time. The rhythmic “tick” throughout the song reminded me of a metronome, establishing a pace and continually reinforcing the way we measure time. If a song is accompanied by lyrics, I’m typically drawn to soft voices that will not over power any voice-over being incorporated. The song’s composition also allowed for a dramatic arc that I knew could eventually swell and take over, something I especially wanted when we arrived at the grand entrance and musical performance.

By the time we reach the last third of the video, golds and yellows begin to dominate the film’s color palette. As the sun went down and less daylight filled the reception hall, I let the indoor tungsten sources stay warm, once again emphasizing the yellows and warmth of the space. I don’t worry so much about perfectly balancing my whites, especially in an instance such as this where I’m building on a conscious aesthetic decision made by the bride and groom. I also find that this transition from a more blue daylight to a warmer indoor light captures the passage of time as the day progresses and keeps the visuals more dynamic and true to life.

One of the loveliest and most unique aspects of this wedding was Caryn and Francis’ musical performance. The couple, rehearsed two numbers for the big day and they wanted it to be a surprise to all of their friends and family. They took the stage, joining their wedding band Grand Central Station, in a ska performance of Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia”. They followed the instrumental with a performance of Chicago’s “Just You ’n’ Me”, this time accompanied by a new drummer, the father of the bride.

**Bride and Groom musical performance as rock concert**

Aside from this being a critical moment to capture in full (we set up a stationary camera with a 14mm lens close to the stage that rolled during the entire performance), I also recognized that this would give me opportunity to shoot creatively, capturing material that would be unique among any of the weddings I had shot previously. I constantly “floated” during these performances, picking up as wide a range of perspectives and as many angles as I could. With such a large amount of footage, I was able to build up the speed of the edit, cutting much more quickly to silhouettes of the the audience clapping, close-up imagery of the different instruments and various portraits of Caryn, Francis and the father of the bride performing. The imagery and music crescendos and, providing a feeling of “exhale”, cuts to a rotating and slowly zooming out macro image of a daffodil.

Caryn and Francis’ wedding day was filled with warmth and energy and we were able to plan out different ways to capture this as effectively as possible. But it was also a day full of surprises, not the least of which was revealed to the bride and groom during their ceremony. Upon exchanging their vows they realized that they both decided to reference the same Filipino love song, “Dahil Sa Iyo” (“Because of You”). In the final moments of the video, Caryn and Francis’ vows come together. Their voice over is cut in a way that goes back and forth, allowing the two of them to finish each others' sentences. Caryn has the final words. She states, “Mahal kita. I love you”, and at once begins to laugh tearfully, overwhelmingly excited for what’s to come.