Starting as a political news and celebrity portrait photographer in DC, Sam was instantly drawn to wedding photography as a space to promote more inventive ideas. Sam’s focus is on photographic techniques that are deceptively simple but have the potential to transform difficult or uninspiring shooting environments into one-of-a-kind opportunities for every photo made.
Katherine and Ben got married in Ithaca, New York, and this one had everything I love about a wedding day. We spent part of it out at the falls, which are just absurdly beautiful in person, and most of it around the Ithaca farmers market. The couple leaned all the way into who they are, checkered Vans, a “kiss me” lip tattoo, a white tux with a checkered bow tie, wildflower bouquets against black bridesmaid dresses. Nothing about it felt forced. It just felt like them.
Standing at the base of a waterfall with two people who clearly adore each other, waiting for the light to do that rainbow flare thing across the water, is about as good as this job gets. I threw in a couple of my more experimental shots too because Katherine and Ben were completely game to run with whatever weird idea I pitched. If you are planning something in the Finger Lakes and you want photos that actually look like your life and not a template, this is exactly the kind of day I live for.
Photographers… you can find deconstructions of images like these and more over on my patreon feed.
Everything edited w/ my profile.
