“No one’s breaking their neck on my watch…”

It would have been awful. A wedding day gone horribly wrong. The ultimate in wedding day disasters.

Here’s what happened. We were shooting the formals after the ceremony. The 88 year old grandma took one step backwards, then lost her balance.

She started an uncontrollable slow jog backwards. Towards the edge of the lawn in the front of the lodge where we were shooting the family portraits.

She would have gone over a ten foot drop. Seriously bad.

After she took three steps however, her 52 year old son, father of the groom, smoothly stepped in and caught her.

Close. Very, very close. Think about it. What could have happened.
Had he been a few feet too far?

Can you see it? The tears, the pain, the catastrophic wait for the ambulance to show, way out in the middle of nowhere.

Some people wonder why I stress over details when shooting weddings. I do. This scenario from a few days ago haunts me, and will for months.

I’ll rack it up to experience. Learn from it: “If I am photographing grandmas in dress shoes, on a slight sloping lawn and a dangerous drop nearby, I will pre-empt the situation.

No one’s breaking their neck on my watch.

I like weddings. I don’t like disasters at them however. Especially not this kind.

I teach, preach, nag and cajole on what it takes to be a true professional when shooting weddings.

A few years ago I gave a full day presentation on how I shoot weddings. It was very detailed. And I recorded the entire gig.

I also ran a four part series with Vanessa Joy on “The Business of Wedding Photography.”

Let’s not forget notables like Sam Sciarinno, Jaco Fourie, Genevive Trudel and one of the most popular presentations by yours truly, The Five Essential Poses.

All this and more in the forum.

I know, I know. Some things happen, and you’re wondering what this has to do with being a professional.

It has EVERYTHING to do with being a professional. It not only is about lighting, posing, capturing moments and all that.
It’s your attention to details, situations and the ability to avert disaster.

Be a pro.

Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”