Photographer: Dennis Orchard
Peace Amidst the Chaos
Dennis Orchard met Tanya (below) when she was a guest at a wedding about fifteen years ago. A few years later, he met her again when he was hired to photograph one of her best friends’ weddings. Then, she started recommending his services to all her friends. “Finally, about five years later, she rang me up to book me for her own wedding,” he says. Having known Tanya for several years gave him a good sense of her personality and how to capture it.
In the image below, he photographed Tanya surrounded by her friends—bustling around and helping her get ready. Amidst all the activity, says Dennis, “She almost went into an inner zone where nothing was going to fluster her. I wanted to show how much support she had, but also her beauty even before she was ready. This was pure photojournalism; I just looked for the right angle on her face.” Cropping the image to a square added to the peaceful and solid feeling.
“This suited her mood as she concentrated in a relaxed way while everyone else was fussing around her. It was perfect for this wedding and her—not for every wedding,” says Dennis. “I like to understand the couple before I photograph them; I knew she would understand this moment.”
Mother Knows Best
“This image (top right) was another case of pure observation,” says Dennis. “The bride was walking down the aisle and everyone else was looking forward at her. The only one looking the other way was the groom’s mother, with a lot of emotion on her face.” Having gotten to know the family and their relationships, Dennis knew that the mother was essentially the head of the family and that she had a very close relationship with her son. “It’s a storytelling moment about this family. I saw this and knew what I wanted to say: grown-up boys are still Mom’s boys. Visually, it makes a strong story because her longing look says, ‘This is the last time I’ll have him.’”
A Little Sexy
Sophia and Barry (bottom right) were a glamorous couple—bubbly, warm, and sexy. Dennis wanted to show that sensual passion without it being too over the top. “When they sat down on this couch, her hoop skirt popped up so you could see half of her leg,” he says. “I asked her if we could lift it a little more to get some reveal and she liked the idea. The groom, who’s a body builder and a stylish guy, thought it was great, too.” Again, this is an image created to reflect the couple’s style—it wouldn’t be right for every couple or every wedding.
