A series of unfortunate incidents
If you are shooting a wedding, don't do this! Photo by Josh London/DMPJ
This is a story that is completely true. This is a story that will sound like I’m blowing my own horn but it would be impossible to tell such a story without giving the facts–and horn blowing are simple facts. In order to balance out all the self-deprecation I will have to toot the horn to keep in “fair and balanced” like Fox News (this is a joke since Fox is anything but balanced and I won’t touch the fair part either).
This story should speak to all the couples that asked during our initial meetings, “What happens if your cameras fail during the wedding?” My answer up to now has been they’ve never both failed so I can not speak from any experience. I’m sure these situations are on all our minds as we photograph our weddings but nobody has every imagined this scenario–at least I never did and I imagine a lot.
I also have to give a shout out to my second shooter, Josh London, for having the where-with-all to shoot this pic. He correctly assessed the situation and thought there is nothing he could do other than document this momentous situation. Josh, if you are out there–thanks again, buddy.
This past Saturday started out like so many others this wedding season. One last check of the weather (rain, rain and more rain). I packed the car and collected my second shooter. Everything was going as usual as we photographed our couple, Christine and Brian, as they primped for their big day. We drove over to the venue, Elm Bank at the Mass. Horticultural Society in Wellesley, early to do some formal shots and couple shots. The rain was off and on but we had these fabulous umbrellas and we were set to make a go of it. Christine, my determined bride, had expressed a strong desire to utilize the beautiful gardens regardless of the weather. She particularly wanted a few shots by the immense fountain in the middle garden.
As is my nature I warned everyone about the dangers of this fountain and urged caution around it. We got thr0ugh the formals and some really nice couple shots under the overhanging roof while the rain poured down. As the rain let up we decided to take some photos in and around the garden. Great shots, nice rainy day light and just a fun couple willing to suffer for their art and get a wee bit wet. We’ve got 2 hours before the ceremony and all is going great until…
We decide to do a few more shots right around the fountain. At this point I’m walking directly toward the fountain talking to Christine and Brian. With a couple feet to go I’m asked a question (which I can not remember) and turn my head to direct a response taking my eyes off the road ahead. My right foot caught the top lip of the fountain and the next thing I see is nothing but water. I tripped for what seemed like an eternity as I quickly realized there was nothing to grab–expect the the bride to my right. I opted for the fountain and found myself completely underwater after a head-first plunge into the murky water below. I had both cameras on each shoulder, another lens in a holster on my waist, my flash and about 60 GB worth of memory cards plus my iPhone.
The water broke my fall as my head nearly missed scraping the bottom of the fountain. My right hand was bruised as I landed on it still clutching my camera. I went in like a drunken sailor and climbed out like a sea monster with water dripping from every piece of equipment I owned. As a crawled out my only thought was to get the CF cards with the past 2 hours of photos out of my water logged cameras as fast as I could. Christine hurried over in complete shock and just stood gaping. My first response was that this was not the end of the World. To which she replied, “Tell me how this is not the end of the World.”
I was all business and calmly instructed my second shooter, Josh, to take over the final few moments of the formal shoot while I headed quickly to my car to download the photos already shot. I toweled off with the only thing I could find, a fleece blanket. To my delight all the images came off the cards. My darling wife drove over a fresh change of clothing and a friends gear–thanks Tayler, and I was back in business within an hour.
Christine and Brian were great through all this and told me that they were so happy that it was me going through this instead of some other photographer–what? Brian told me that I will never forget them but think that they will never stop telling this story either. In the grand scheme of things I think this image will be somewhat dwarfed by all the other images in their final edit. I do plan to leave this in the final edit just so that when Christine and Brian are telling this odd wedding story to their children they will have the proof in full color to point to.
I thought at first, why me, but later realized that if this was ever going to happen to someone than that someone should be me. I can take it and bounce right back without missing a beat. I’ll post up some pix from this wedding as soon as I have them edited. Lastly, I definitely deserved that song dedication from Sean, the best man, of “Dirty Water“.
I’m leaving for LA today to shoot a wedding in Santa Barbara and have been scrambling around these past two days renting equipment, borrowing some gear from my great friends and buying some things that could not be had any other way. Four days in California photographing an incredible wedding right on the beach and then an open air reception at Fess Parker’s famous hotel is the perfect way to put this near catastrophe behind me.