Katherine & Luke

One evening (spring 2004), I got a phone call from Katherine, a friend from New York. Katherine told me that she was getting married that summer and asked me if I would like to be her wedding photographer. I was shocked! After telling her that I was just a student with only two photography classes under my belt, Katherine assurred me that she really wanted me to be her photographer. She told me that she had seen my photos from college and that I was a really good photographer. Then she went on to tell me a couple of perks if I were to take on this job. I would get a free flight to New York and she would pay me too. I told her that I would have to think about it and that I would get back to her soon with a final answer.

I ended up taking the job, my first big photo gig! I had such a fun time being the official photographer for Katherine's wedding. On the way up to the wedding ceremony, it was pouring rain. I was getting nervous about how I was going to get good photographs and wished that the rain would stop. Luckily, when the time came to take the photos, the rain stopped. It was still cool and cloudy though, which is perfect picture-taking weather. Katherine was a very organized bride and gave me a detailed list of what she wanted photographs of and who was to be in each picture. The list made the job alot easier on me. My dad was my assistant that day. He handed me a new roll of film when I needed one. I was nervous before I started shooting, but soon, felt like I knew what to do. I was not afraid to direct people around, tell them where to stand and how to stand. This job was so fun and I did not have a professor there instructing my every move.

The film was taken to a local drug store, Eckerd's. I was nervous to see the results of my hard work. When I opened up the first package of pictures, I was thrilled when I saw the photographs. They looked amazing to me. I was just an amatuer photographer. Katherine just loved the photographs!

This first big job of mine was very intimidating. I am so glad that I challenged myself and took the job. The results were awesome and gave me a big boost of confidence to continue my journey in becoming a professional photographer. Thanks for hiring me, Katherine! I am so glad you thought of me!