It’s our favorite post of the year! The Brooke Tyson Photography Behind the Scenes blog post is always so fun to write; Kelsey, Justin, and I have a great time working together, and it is so fun to go through and share some of the moments that happen behind the camera and the hazards of photographing weddings – plus those hilarious blooper moments that we didn’t mean to photograph! This blog post is dedicated to all that goes into photographing a wedding, starting with… the elements of danger! :)
Risk 1: Falling in water
Like the time Kelsey got a little too close to the pond during Christi and Nik’s wedding at Morningside Inn. The ground was SO soft right by the water – I sunk when I walked near it and was so scared of getting to close after that! We both clearly underestimated how far out the water went into the grass!
And Kelsey also risked it all by getting on this STAIRCASE TO NOWHERE! (Yes, she may have climbed under a “no trespassing” sign – but it was all worth it for the shot! I have to admit… I was really nervous about this rickety staircase – but it was so worth it!
I was less of a risk taker, but it is a little scary photographing on a narrow dock! Every time I remind myself “look before you walk!” because as a photographer, we all have the (bad) habit of walking forward or backward with our eye glued to the viewfinder.
Kelsey on vacation at a beautiful oceanside resort? Nope – just checking lighting at Katie and Joe’s gorgeous Celebrations at the Bay wedding!
Um, hi guys… photographer here… face away from the sun!
There is also the risk of just general falling! Justin helped me with Lauren and Kiel’s engagement session, and he got a few pictures of me rearranging their trash bins outside their house for a few photos.
Risk 2: Roads and Cobblestone
We don’t just risk walking into water though; sometimes we walk right into traffic! Also, check out my stylish incognito coat-and-huge-bag look!
Risk 3: Pulled Muscles
Photography always carries the very real risk of a pulled muscle too. We carry so much around; cameras, lenses, flashes, light stands, batteries, and of course, dresses! Check out Kelsey flexing those rock climbing muscles carrying an entire bridal party’s bridesmaid’s dresses! (Ok, ok, they weighed hardly anything, but it still looks impressive!)
And TWO camera bags loaded with lenses and flashes and cameras and as much heavy stuff as I can find! (At least that is how is seems sometimes… haha!)
And I get to carry beautiful bouquets! This was at Kimmye and Matt’s wedding at Mountain Memories at Thorpewood.
Risk 4: Adorable Distractions
There is always the risk of being distracted by cute dogs while photographing a wedding, like Katie and Ryan’s adorable pup who was at Christi’s parents’ house before her wedding. :)
There is the risk of rain, too, and anyone that knows Justin knows that he is OBSESSED with the weather (in fact, Kelsey used that exact line in her bridesmaid speech rap about Justin!). Leading up to Kimmye and Matt’s wedding ceremony, Justin said “those clouds don’t look good.” It was sunny and beautiful, so I was sure he was wrong, but I asked him to run and get the umbrellas and rain bags out of the car. Thank goodness he did – because it POURED! Here he is staring up at the sky as he rushed back with the rain gear.
Risk 5: Torrential Downpour
And at the end of the same night, he was still worrying about rain! Haha!
Risk 6: Being photographed!
There is ALWAYS the danger of getting in each other’s shot too! That moment when you realize you’re in each other’s shot is always a bit of a panic (“who has the better angle?”). I was chatting with Kelsey while shooting this beautiful reflection of Jackie’s stunning dress before her wedding to Dominic at Belmont Manor when Kelsey walked into the shot – and then panicked! Haha
Yup – we get in each other’s shots a lot…
Nicole and Sean’s ceremony set up was really unique – which made staying out of each other’s shots really difficult! My face clearly says “don’t get me in the picture!”
Ok, I made him pose for the one on the left… I wanted to see how noticeable the word “Manager” would be if I put my couple there. It was way too noticeable!
Here I am ruining Kelsey’s shot of Katie and Joe with a pointing hand!
And facing all these risks can make one go a little, well, crazy!
Like using the air conditoning vent at Kathryn and Fran’s wedding to make our hair dance…
Or this…
She was testing lighting for me and had NO idea these quiet guests had come down the stairs behind her!
Shooting an 8 hour wedding also makes us pretty hungry for wedding cake… (although we only tried the cake at ONE wedding this entire year! But they looked awesome!).
Demonstrating the cake cutting at Kathy and Jeremiah’s cake at the Belvedere in Baltimore:
Here is Teri “cutting the cake” (aka testing light!) at Ashley and Cullen’s Tidewater Inn wedding:
Look at that pure joy over getting a cup of coffee!
It’s the mid-blog-post break time game – Where’s Waldo, Brooke edition! Can you spot me at Alexa and Josh’s beautiful wedding? Thanks for the shot, Nichole! (Hint – I’m on the dance floor!)
But it’s all worth it!
All those “hazardous” risks aside, we have an INCREDIBLE time making our couples’ wedding day the best day possible and creating the most beautiful images (and videos) possible! We love it! Wedding days are filled with such special moments and so much love, and we have a great time being part of creating and sharing that joy.
I get to spend the entire day with my favorite people working together to make sure each wedding is great, and we have so much fun together. I couldn’t ask for a better team!
So many of our behind the scenes photos are quick shots to check our lighting before the couple arrives in order to make sure we have our ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and flash power right. We also snap quick shots of each other in different locations to see how a spot photographs or to make sure we can hide distractions well.
Location scouting before Kathy and Jeremiah’s wedding in Baltimore:
Kelsey is ALWAYS an expert light tester! Also, can you spot the highway and chainlink fence in the photo on the left? This was our best portrait spot because it was covered (and it was a rainy day – notice Kelsey’s camera rain bag?), so I was checking if we could hide the highway – and it worked! This was a gorgeous location for portraits!
Even when a bug flies in her mouth, like at Amanda and Bashar’s wedding…
Or when she somehow makes this face, haha!
Testing the lighting at Christi and Nik’s wedding for their night portraits
“I like this door – can I get a photo of you? Nevermind – weird keypad. Can I get a photo of you by this column to see if I can hide the parking lot behind it?”
Outside of beautiful Belmont Manor setting up lighting for Jackie and Dominic – with lightening flashing around us! Yikes!
Justin likes modeling to test the light too… Blue Steel style!
Justin testing light on me at Kimmye and Matt’s wedding:
At Carolyn and Dan’s wedding, I rescued a grasshopper from inside the layers of tulle in her dress!
We love spending the day with our awesome couples, their friends, and their families, and sometimes we get photos with them too!
Kelsey even knew friends from college at FOUR of our weddings this year!! Here she is with a friend at Katie and Joe’s wedding:
We also love all of the GREAT planners we get to work with each year; I wish I had more photos of them! Here is am working with Aly (at Aly and Seth’s wedding at the Westin in Annapolis) to put some cute pins on Aly’s bouquet :)
The team I am so fortunate to work with is SUCH a huge help at every wedding, and I am is thankful for the photographers I’ve worked with this year: Kelsey, Justin, Teri, Nichole, Sarah, and Missy. Thank you!!
Kelsey and I have photographed weddings together for FIVE years now and Justin has been shooting with me for THREE years! WOW! I am so grateful for them!
Kelsey does SO MUCH behind the scenes work; she makes sure everything looks perfect!
Sarah and Teri shooting ceremony details together:
Ok, this was during mini sessions, but Justin was a HUGE help during my long day of mini sessions!
Kelsey always helps me get the best detail shots :) I wish I had a better photo of the right; Kelsey was literally IN this weeping willow holding strands of tree back so I could get the perfect angle of Christi and Nik!
Thank you for always helping me get perfect night pictures!!
On the left is Kelsey at The Mansion at Valley Country Club; in the middle is Kelsey at Morningside Inn; on the right is Missy of Missy Freeman Photography at Bowles Farm testing light for Teri of TPoz (on a VERY cold night!).
Kelsey at one of our favorite wedding venues – Overhills Mansion in Catonsville!
Stealth Ceremony Photographer, Agent Kelsey Tyson:
Kelsey also makes me laugh at every wedding! She always has great pose ideas – and she likes to demo them for me! :) Here is Kelsey demonstrating that she wanted Amanda and Bashar to do a leading photo here (that was a GREAT shot too!).
And sometimes we feel a little silly posing for photos of each other – like on the left – and other times, we own it!
But most of the time, Kelsey is ready to pose for test photos – because she knows they will probably make it on this blog post!
It’s been such a fun year of weddings. I am so fortunate for the couples we get to work with, and I am so, so thankful for the team that makes Brooke Tyson Photography possible. I could not do it without them!
Veil Toss Time!
To end, here are a few veil toss favorites from the past year. Kelsey gets air!
Thanks for reading our Behind the Scenes blog post and all of my jokes; don’t worry – we stay very safe photographing weddings :) Be sure to check out my wedding favorites tomorrow to see some highlights from all of the beautiful weddings this year!
You can read Behind the Scenes blog posts from past years here: