I THOUGHT by THE SINTRA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Photos of the groom and bride in the gardens of Quinta dos Alfinetes in Sintra, at the wedding reception

• Pode ler este artigo em Português. 

It Seems Like Pretending During the Couple’s Photo Session

It’s all pretend, but… Of course, the photo session I conduct with the newlyweds in the late afternoon, when everyone’s stomachs have settled and their feet begin to twitch in anticipation of the DJ’s set, is a bit of make-believe. We agree on certain spots that the wedding photographer has previously scouted during a purposeful disappearance, setting up a series of staged scenes he believes will make them look beautiful, thus preserving a record of how they appeared on their wedding day. It’s customary; the wedding photographer can’t do without it, and the bride and groom pretend they’re models for a fashion magazine or one of those specialty publications filled with wedding suggestions, including dresses, suits, makeup, hairstyles, and… you know the ones.

When the Wedding Photographer Seems to Be in Charge

There’s nothing like a good semblance of authority on a day that truly matters. The photographer, respectfully addressed as “Mr. Photographer” when called upon for something they want from him, is entirely convinced that he’s the one setting the rules, at least in that moment, since, during the rest of the time, he merely follows what’s given to him, and no one pays him any mind. This feeds his vain ego a bit, making him think that, finally, he has some control.

So, he sets off with the couple:

• “I want you like this over here.”
• “Now, lean against each other that way.”
• “Yes, yes, beautiful smile.”
• “Now look off into the distance, wonderful.”
• “Hold hands and pretend you’re strolling through the garden—it’s quite lovely.”
• “Don’t mind them; don’t mind them. Right now, you’re all mine, and I won’t share you with anyone. Guests, please go dance a bit; they’ll join you shortly.”

In the End, the Bride and Groom Weren’t Pretending; It Was Real

Those directives, so important, fill the wedding photographer with pride and give him the illusion that he knows a lot about the subject. The couple pretends, there it is again, that yes, they’ll do everything Mr. Photographer commands, and nothing could make him happier. To show he’s capable of improvising, he even discovers two or three more spots on the fly while walking to the new setting, and that’s it; they can rejoin their guests who are waiting to continue the celebration.

Well, it all seemed like pretense, but when the wedding photographer starts selecting photos from the grand session, he begins to realize he was deceived. The pretending was, in fact, a grand charade. He didn’t even notice that they were genuinely enjoying each other’s company, that all those directives were only partially followed, and that it was all real.

Gentle Newlyweds Toward the Wedding Photographer

When they looked at each other, they were truly looking at each other. When one was in that spot for the close-up with the appropriate lens that the photographer had envisioned, they were doing it for the other because no one can pretend that well. When asked to sit closely together at the edge of the bench for that depth effect, you know the one, those tricks photographers use, they didn’t do it for the camera.

Without saying it, and being kind to the wedding photographer, they went on doing what they’d been doing all day, and from then on. Well, after all, I was the one who told them right at the start to pay no attention to me, as if I were invisible.

That’s what they did, and, all things considered, it’s just as well.

Dot by dot:

• In the late afternoon of any wedding, I like to take the couple for a more or less staged photo session so they can remember how they looked that day.
• The wedding photographer’s vain side leads him, all pleased, to this session as if he were the one setting the rules and the couple merely followed his commands. And the instructions begin…
• The couple, on their wedding day, pretends to obey the photographer’s instructions; he feels delighted, and when he thinks it’s enough, he lets them return to their guests and continue the wedding celebration.
• But later, the wedding photographer sees that, in reality, they were only pretending to follow his directions during the session’s photos and were only doing what they wanted: being with each other and having fun. And that’s a good thing.

Need to Know:

• The staged photos were taken in the gardens of Quinta dos Alfinetes in Sintra, where the wedding celebration took place.
• I would also be immensely pleased to appear as if I’m the one in charge during your late-afternoon photo session. To make that happen, just contact me, and we’ll arrange everything.