Motography: Michelle - The Trifecta

Weddings are a harsh business. I happen to know this for a fact, as I am smack-dab in the middle of planning my own wedding. So here you have it, from an insider's perspective - we brides are a judgmental people. We are more likely to hire a professional because of her shoes or her haircut than any other group. To be successful in the wedding industry, you have to be more than just talented and business savvy. In addition, you need an impossible trifecta - sharp, driven, and damn good looking.

I have today one of those impossible women. Michelle, a Day-Of Coordinator at Kirkbrides Wedding Planning and Design, who happens to be a good friend. After postponing our session three times due to weather (in case you've been living under a rock, Northern Ohio has been less than lucky recently), Michelle and I finally met up at the park on a beautiful 50 degree day earlier this week. Unfortunately, we didn't think it through enough - despite the warmer temperatures, the trails were still covered in snow. But Michelle, thanks to the "driven" in the aforementioned trifecta, handled the conditions like a true champ.

The shoot was a pleasure. Michelle is so naturally photogenic and comfortable in front of the camera that I didn't have to give her any direction at all. In fact, I used the shoot as an opportunity to play around with my new toy a little more, testing out the external flash, manual focus, and the telephoto lens.

I got her talking about her boyfriend in this next shot. Can you tell?

Michelle really deserves a medal for this next series. She traipsed through snow, slush, and thorny plants to get into position. And it was worth it! I love these shots, and I LOVE that I got to use my new lens!