Jamie and Linda

I'll be honest: I was a little nervous about this wedding. When your client is also a friend, you feel it even deeper: you want your images to have real impact ("blown away" comes to mind).

Jamie and Linda were married in Boonville on October 11th. This wedding had all the makings of a perfect wedding from a photographic standpoint: the groom is a photographer himself , so he appreciates photography; the couple is extremely nice and laid-back; the wedding was not a Hollywood production, and the sanctuary was light and airy and very well-lit. The Pastor was very kind and had very few restrictions, which were respected.

The wedding and the couple didn't disappoint. We had a terrific time! Both Jamie and Linda were very supportive of what I was trying to do (which was, in fact, trying to support them); they were very patient, even when uncomfortable in the beautiful-yet-stultifying clothes we all wear in weddings; and their families know how to welcome people.

Amy was my second shooter, and did an excellent job of capturing expressions, gestures, and all those little things that make it special.

Below are a few images from the wedding; You can also view the full gallery.

Thousand-Yard Stare

It's 1943, and he's flying a B-25 over the Pacific. As on every patrol, his life, and that of his crew, depends on their vigilance. Each day they fly another mission. Each day they beat odds that no Vegas gambler would accept.

Flash-forward 65 years later. I'm standing on the tarmac at the Salute to Veterans airshow as the photographer for the event. A wonderful friend is the son of that pilot, who now is in his 90's and needs a walker to get around. He moves with the slow, deliberate gait of one who must watch his balance and his movements.

It's been arranged for this hero -- and the word is correct -- to visit planes similar to the ones that brought him home each time. We have two B-25's on display, and he looks at them closely. It fills him with memories; some good, some bittersweet.

As we were chatting with the owners of the aircraft we looked away from him for a moment. Looking back, we see our pilot put aside his walker to climb the vertical ladder into the B-25. A glance at the owner confirms that it's OK for him to go in, and with an assist from his son, he gets up and into the cockpit.

The smile on his face was priceless! He could remember every switch, every control, every nuance of the aircraft. I believe he could have safely flown it off the ground at that very moment. It was that much a part of him.

As he looked back, he noticed I was taking pictures, and gave me a big grin, then took off his hat to make it easier. Then the magic happened.

For a couple of moments, just a second or two, he forgot me. He forgot everyone around him. I believe in that moment he was back in the Pacific with his comrades, fighting the good fight, reliving the experience, mourning those that fell. I was honored to witness it.

I was even more honored to get a shot of that moment. This is truly one image I'll treasure for a long, long time.



I'm proud to be a part of the Salute to Veterans. To find out more about them and the wonderful work they do, please visit their website.

Roots'n'Blues was a blast!

The Roots'n'Blues'n'BBQ festival was held this weekend in Columbia, and it was terrific. Bands like the Del McCoury Band, Buddy Guy, Music Revue Relief Effort, and many more came to perform, and the music was excellent.

My daughter Amy also did some shooting, as she trains to be a second shooter at events. She did a terrific job. You can see her best stuff under the Special Events link on the website. She did a bunch of terrific shots, but here's my personal favorite:



Shooting many stage events can be challenging: the light is variable, highly directional, and sometimes very low. To get a good picture regularly (it's too optimistic to say "consistently") takes a lot of work and some experience. You have to learn a few tricks to make it work.

My favorite photo from the shoot was this one:



What a terrific time! And we do love event shooting!

New Camera!

Well, I'm stoked. I just got the new camera we've been waiting for. A Canon 50D is now in my grubby little hands, and I'm itching to seriously start using it.

When I looked at one of my memory cards I was putting into the camera, I found some images from my old camera, and it came back to me again: it's not the camera, but the photographer. My previous camera, while getting a few years on it, was still capable of putting out some outstanding images (virtually all the images on the website are from that camera). Whether a photo was a winner or not still was up to me.

Still, I'm going out tonight to a concert by the Del McCoury band, and I'll try the new camera. I'll know more when I get done.

UPDATE: Well, I had a good shoot, and learned a lot. I've created a Panorama that was shot at extremely high sensitivity (for those who care, ISO 6400). Very neat stuff. After my previous camera, which was nice, this is a major jump. Shooting with this camera is just a joy.

The photos are on photos.RichardBerry.org, under special events. Take a look!

UPDATE #2: My daughter, who is training as a second shooter, and I went back out to the festival tonight to shoot. Again, I'm so impressed with this camera! Very well sorted, nice balance, quick performance. It will be a pleasure to use this one! I'll soon have more photos of the festival up on the website.