#FatetobeSlate

Ok, so we all know how crazy everything is during this pandemic. We have all had to find a new normal, and adjust to new guidelines and restrictions. Weddings are being canceled and rescheduled and even though that is absolutely the responsible decision, that does not mean that makes the decision an easy one. Today I am writing about a wedding I had the extreme privilege of capturing for friends of mine. We didn’t know each other until recently when they asked me to help capture their engagement photos ( which were incredible btw ) and then none of this was imaginable. They had planned to have a big wedding in Kentucky and for reasons had to cancel this once, and upon rescheduling we all met Covid-19. They had to cancel again, but they were determined to become husband and wife despite the chaos. So the original large wedding was drastically downsized and moved to Tennessee. When they decided this as the new plan, they contacted me to see if I was available and comfortable with a small wedding all things considered. If you follow me on the socials, you already know the answer to that. What you may not know is how amazing this family is. How deep the love they share for one another, and the children of this new union. They are also fans of the outdoors and The Office, I mean its like fate had other plans for us all.. I love The Office :)

Even though we all have to make hard calls and rethink our daily living, I am so glad to introduce you to Mr and Mrs Slate. #fatetobeSlate I am so very blessed to call them friends of mine now and look forward to many many more memories we will create together going forward. So lets get to the goods shall we… drum roll

I would normally thank the other vendors involved but this wedding was special. This was a show of love for one another by one another in almost every way. I am also extremely pleased to say how much these FEEL like my work and that makes me one happy photographer.

Also, I shot some film.. one roll isn’t developed yet but.. these are !!

Yes you want a professional! EVERYTIME

I am still new to vlogging and hope that each shows improvement along the way. If I'm honest I don't particularly enjoy doing them, but if only one person finds them helpful, entertaining or insightful then its worth the effort. I am still very uncomfortable in front of my camera and I can see the benefits of that. I hope it helps me relate to those who do it so much better than myself but also help me relate to my clients who I ask to be themselves in front of my camera. I say that to announce that going forward I am going to try a few things different, one of which is to be more genuine regardless of whose feathers I ruffle. Heck, maybe that will even help my views LOL. This video touches on how I have learned the value of what I do for a living, to other. How my capturing your moments is so much more than a few pictures to look back on some time. I strive to record your life with those you adore, and of yourself. I do not have near enough people shooting for themselves in my opinion. I had an engagement session this past weekend in Chilhowie, Va and it was the first time we ever met. This is always exciting to meet new people, and hear how they met and the try and capture the love story which is so genuinely there own. We were talking about whether the groom to be should tuck his shirt in or not and when they asked my advice I was quick to say " I want you to be yourself and the as comfortable as possible." He decided that untucked was the way, and when I explained that I was there to tell their story not to write it for them, that I had a moment of clarity. At that moment I realized that is exactly what my goal is in every situation, at every session, and for every wedding, I'm blessed to record. This is a reason you should hire a professional. Anyone can show up and push the button when asked. A professional will be early to learn the location, it's lighting, the best options for your time together and work with you to create something special. This is not a stab at the newcomer or what has quickly been dubbed the "soccer moms with cameras" and for the record, this means soccer dads too but the men are far outnumbered in my opinion. We all start somewhere but the proper way to do that is to assist and second shoot for others, not just hope for the best and as the client, you shouldn't be ok with that either. You should KNOW going in that there is nothing left to chance, this doesn't mean that "shit doesn't hit the fan" and things go wrong. Cameras can malfunction and memory cards can fail but hopefully, this will be something your photographer is prepared for as much as one can be. Life is so short, trust your memories to someone who cares about them as much as yourself. I care about my clients, their thoughts, opinions, emotions, and expectations. If you are reading this and have never worked with me, I guarantee it will be a positive experience. I'm going to lead you when you needed, encourage your face off, and cut up every chance I get! So without further delay, here's my latest video. I apologize if the audio is off. I shot this one on my phone instead of mv Fuji Xpro2. Please like, comment and let me know how you agree, disagree and I would be open to some hard feedback as well. I'm tough enough to take it.

I discuss the value of our craft and why hiring a professional is always the best bet. Im not sure what happened to my audio towards the end and apologize for that. www.jeremygouge.com www.instagram.com/jeremy.gouge