2016 Behind the Scenes: The Dream Team
Athens Atlanta GA Wedding Photographer

December 28, 2016

Last year I got a ton of awesome responses when I blogged my 2015 Behind the Scenes.  I showed before-and-afters, my setups for different shots, and how silly I look when taking photos. :)  And I just posted the same for 2016!  However, I left out one MAJOR thing: my dream team.  I couldn’t create the photos you see on my website or provide such an excellent service to my clients if it weren’t for the amazing team members by my side.
On each wedding day, I bring a second photographer and an assistant with me, making us a team of three.  These are trained professionals who share in my mission and work tirelessly to make my clients’ dreams come true.  Below you will see some behind-the-scenes images that explain the roles my team members play on a wedding day… and lots of us running around / having fun. :)

First, my second shooter.  Her job is to essentially allow me to be in two places at once.  While I’m with the girls getting ready, she’s with the guys.  While I’m photographing the groom’s expression while my brides walk down the aisle, she’s got the bride’s face covered.  While I’m taking family photos after the ceremony, she’s capturing the guests mingling at the cocktail hour.  Basically, she helps ensure that my clients are getting every special moment & detail captured during their wedding day.

Here she is getting different angles than what I’m getting.

 

As for my assistant, her job is to be an extra set of hands and another person my brides can count on to help them through the day.  She holds bouquets when brides want their hands free, carries the trains of dresses to ensure they don’t drag through the dirt, “detail checks” to make sure clients are picture-perfect during portrait time, and runs around relaying messages, fetching things, and catering to our bride’s every whim.  Another important job of hers is to help me carry equipment throughout the day and setup my lighting so that I’m always ready to shoot at a moment’s notice.

Ensuring that the bride’s train is laid out perfectly for photos…

Quick, fetch the bouquet!

Don’t let the bride’s dress drag on the ground…

Retrieving bulky items from groomsmen’s pockets…

What it takes to get the perfect lighting…

And when the wind isn’t quite doing the job of getting your veil going…

Last but not least, both my second shooter and assistant often jump in as “test subjects” when I’m practicing my lighting.  I never want to begin photographing the bride and groom until I know everything is set!

This includes standing in the rain…

Fake-dancing on the dance floor…

Pretending to cut the cake…

And walking through the grand exit before my couples…

Wait, that was way too dark.  Ah, here we go…

I hope you enjoyed this peek into what goes on behind the scenes of Claire Diana Photography!  Thank you to all of the amazing couples who trusted the dream team this year!  2016 was our best year yet!

Claire Diana