Granny Waves On
Why I Love this Wedding Photograph
Granny Waves to the New Bride and Groom
From The Archives: Alistair & Rebecca’s Wedding at Malmesbury Abbey
I'm taking you back to 2011 for today's "Why I Love This Picture" entry.
Alistair and Rebecca were married at Malmesbury Abbey before heading to their reception at the nearby Kingscote Barn.
I've been looking through my archives recently, and there are some photographs that I remember making so vividly. And this is one such image.
As the newly married couple sat in their wedding car, ready to be whisked off to Kingscote Barn, there was a beautiful break in the clouds, and I could see Granny heading over to the car.
As a Documentary Wedding Photographer, it's often extraordinary in the ordinary that I'm searching for.
So, in this case, the vivid reflection, the lovely complementary colours and the kaleidoscope of characters in the frame made for an engaging and entertaining picture.
This photograph is over ten years old, but I hope Alistair and Rebecca still look back at their wedding photographs with pride and love.
Of course, this particular image I remember them pointing out at the time as one of their favourites, and it made the selection for the wedding album.
This picture won me quite a few awards back in the day, and it's one that I'm proud of. Every time I look at it, I notice something slightly different. But mostly, I love the fact that Granny got her wave. She's smiling. There is a lot of love and affection in this photograph.
Personally, as a storyteller, I would rather make this type of photograph rather than the more "traditional and contrived" Bride and Groom looking through the back of the window with champagne in hand.
I genuinely believe in the power of nostalgia through photography. The power of nostalgia is something I constantly reiterate to my students.
This post is part of my Why I Love this Wedding Picture series, where I describe why I, as the photographer, love a particular image or series of photographs.
“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.”
Want to see another from this series?
Take a look at Father & Bride Walk Down The Aisle from a Wedding at Widcome Grange.
