On having the right tools for this Campus Club wedding
Cari and Mike and their guests enjoyed one of the finest spring days Minneapolis had to offer: warm golden sunlight on the patio of the Campus Club overlooking the Minneapolis skyline; humidity breaking into warm rain right as everyone moved inside for the reception; the resulting heat lighting and raindrops that became part of the stunning panorama; happy, laughing friends alongside them at the Stone Arch Bridge, at Cari’s family church, for toasts, and for dancing.
Yes, their wedding could have been perfect in dozens of other ways – with no rain, with cooler temperatures, with overcast skies, with less enthusiastic speeches. As long as Cari and Mike were there, as long as their happy, laughing friends were alongside them, it was guaranteed to be a very fine day regardless.
I was thrilled to be recommended (thanks, John!) as their photographer, but I was even more thrilled to be there to document the culmination of so much planning and time and love.
FINDING THE RIGHT (PHOTOGRAPHIC) TOOL FOR THE JOB
Technical tools (like flash composites or night portraits) are never, for me, a success unto itself googletest. They can only ever hope to be the right tool to express a feeling, a moment, that already exists googletest.
In short – never let your love of a concept be more important than making good photographs. googletest googletest
But when the right tools meet the right settings and people, then its just a ton of fun to play around.
The intense sun on the Stone Arch Bridge can be a real pain for portraits -being on a bridge leaves you exposed to the harshest part of the sun. (I actually wrote an article about all the ways I tackle photographing on the stone arch bridge). A flash composite made that dramatic sun into a super powered backlight for a dramatic portrait of the wedding party – billowing dresses and perfectly accented clouds all aligned for this.
The intermittent evening rain meant the skyline was hazy and saturated for night photos outside on the patio with Cari and Mike. A combination of gelled light here brought more color into the blue sky and made the night skyline pop.
ABOUT WEDDINGS AT THE CAMPUS CLUB
The Campus Club has continued to be an amazing space to host a celebration googletest. The biggest problem is always parking (there is a lot, and in true University fashion, it is connected through a series of elevators and underground tunnels). The biggest asset is by far the professional and attentive staff – prompt, knowledgeable, helpful – these are all traits that are not a given at all venues.
The chef at the Campus Club (who I’ve had the pleasure of photographing a few times on food projects) works closely with farmers and the university agricultural community to bring in fresh and local ingredients in unexpected ways. The full bar and kitchen on site makes for a pretty stress-free coordination of services. At night, the skyline is a perfect backdrop for celebrations googletest.
Cari and Mike’s Campus Club Wedding
Reception: Campus Club googletest