Third Wedding this Year

"Ceremony" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/210 sec, ISO200
“Ceremony” San Antonio, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Do you know that period of time when you are about 30 and many of your friends around you are getting married? Well, that was 20 years for us, and since then we haven’t gone to many weddings. However, just within the past half year, we’ve gone to three! And the ages of the couples has varied quite a bit. First, my brother (six years my elder) got married, then some friends (10 years younger than me) got married, and lastly, my nephew (23 years younger) got married.

And the types of weddings were also quite different. California beachside with Mexican food, Hill Country with Texas barbecue, and historic San Antonio with chicken, steak, etc. None of these were at a church and thinking about it, I guess church weddings aren’t as popular as the used to be. But one thing is always the same: weddings are perhaps the most emotional occasion for the newlyweds, so it is an honor to be part of them. And they are always fun!

This latest wedding for my nephew was great. The food was excellent, with a nice bar (Suntory Toki whiskey!). There were oysters on the half-shell, shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, Beef Wellington, and jalapeño poppers. And those were just the appetizers! It was also really nice to see my extended family, some of whom I only see at family reunions. I have to say that family weddings are the best since we get to welcome new members into our crazy Leesang/Fujimoto clans.

"First Dance" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/90 sec, ISO6400
“First Dance” San Antonio, 2019

I hope you had a great day!

またね~

Wedding Day Photos

"Wedding Vows" Oceanside, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 44.4mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec, ISO200
“Wedding Vows” Oceanside, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today my oldest brother and his fiancée got married. The wedding was held on the beach, with the sun and surf joining the 80 guests in witnessing the ceremony and vows. It was fantastic!

My brother had asked me if I could take photos during the ceremony, and of course, I was happy to do so. I’m not a wedding photographer so this was pretty new for me, however, I have some experience shooting events and have confidence in how to operate the camera so I wasn’t nervous at all. And that made it a lot of fun!

While I was taking photos, I remember thinking that when I was younger, I would have been so nervous about how the shots will turn out, if I am getting the right angles, if I am missing shots, etc. All those feelings were not present this time, though! I guess that just comes with experience and preparation. And I’m sure the fact that no money was involved and it was a casual wedding had plenty to do with it too. 😀

Anyways, the lighting conditions were pretty challenging (direct sun backlighting) but it made for some really nice shots too. I made lots of use of exposure compensation and was thankful that Fujifilm provides that dedicated mechanical dial just for that function. As much as I dislike using zoom lenses, I have to admit, the Fujifilm 18-55 XF lens worked nicely for the shoot.

All in all, I am happy with how the photos turned out, and I am happy that I was able to be a part of an amazing and joyous event!

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I hope you had a nice day!

またね~