"Let's Make Some Magic!"
I was surprised when Chrystalain contacted me to ask for some advice and information with pursuing photography as a side career. She resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband Aaron and was my former cadet-mate in the Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) Program at San Diego State University (SDSU). I shared my story with Chrystalain on how my career started in photography as a complete happy-accident and gave her many tips and recommendations on how to achieve her goals.
Several days later, Chrystalain inquired with me to photograph her wedding at Leonard Lake Reserve, in Redwood Valley, California and her engagement session in D.C. I met with Chrystalain and Aaron via Facetime, and we hit it off from the start. They chose Leonard Lake Reserve to have a beautiful outdoorsy wedding overlooking the lake and Chrystalain really loved a ring of Redwood Trees that she saw upon their first visit to the venue. They booked me.
The day before the wedding, I flew into San Francisco, and met up with my second shooter, Christine, who lives 2 hours north of my home in San Diego and flew separately. After picking up some camera equipment rentals at Borrow Lenses in San Carlos and grabbing a quick bite to eat, we drove our rental car for nearly 3.5 hours north of SF in heavy rain and traffic. We then steered off the freeway to take an unpaved dirt path 40 mins west into the woods until we reached the family owned property. It was a cold, dark and scary drive, with no phone reception. We arrived shortly before 10pm, greeted Chrystalain and Aaron, and called it a night. (Thank you for driving Christine! LOL!)
Wedding day came the next morning and it rained. And rained more. And more. And harder, until it poured. And it kept raining heavily all day long until late night. The originally planned outdoor ceremony under Redwood trees overlooking the Leonard Lake was cancelled and relocated to be held under an events tent covering near the main cabin due to the rain. The day was hectic with many limitations on types of wedding shots we could take of the wedding couple and their families and guests. The schedule ran behind and the rain didnt make it any better. Or did it?
Chrystalain made an announcement to all of her family and guests formed in a small group around her, that regardless if the wedding had many changes due to the rain, she wanted to have only 1 thing to leave with on her wedding day that would make her happy. She wanted a newlywed photo, in the ring of Redwood Trees she loved, which was up the hill from the main cabin. She looked at me in front of the group and asked if I can do it. Without any hesitation, I told her she hired me for a reason and I said loudly, “Let’s make some Magic.”
With only 2 minutes to setup our off-camera flashes (we forgot our plastic bag rain covers to protect the flashes from getting wet and breaking), light stands, camera equipment, escort the couple out of the SUV they waited in to keep dry and direct the couple with several poses for the shot, we did the best we could in the ring of redwood trees.
We were lucky that day, as everything was in going our favor for that moment. We definitely made some magic, and got “THE Shot!”
