The Moment Isn’t Luck: How I Photograph the Things You Didn’t Plan

A lot of people think candid photography is about being in the right place at the right time.

And sure, sometimes it is.

But most of the time, the moment isn't luck.

The photographer isn't spontaneous. The moment is.

I Learned Patience From Nature Documentaries

I actually learned this lesson from watching nature documentaries.

You know those incredible five-second shots of a tiger walking through the jungle, or some animal doing something completely ridiculous and beautiful? There is often a person sitting in a tiny hut somewhere who has been waiting for that shot for a week and a half.

Most people hear that and think, That sounds awful.

I hear it and think, Yeah. But look at the shot.

There is a cost to everything. Sometimes that cost is money. Sometimes it's time. And sometimes time is exactly what gives you the photograph.

That idea has stuck with me.

Photography isn't always about reacting quickly. Sometimes it's about knowing what might happen, putting yourself in the right place, and being willing to wait.

And that's a huge part of how I approach weddings and events.

First, I Scout the Location

When I arrive at a wedding or event, especially somewhere I've never photographed before, I'm immediately looking around.

Where's the good light?

Where are the interesting backgrounds?

Where will the sun set?

Where are people naturally going to move?

Where will the reception happen? Where will the speeches be? Where is the DJ? Where will the head table be?

I'm building a mental map of the venue.

I'm looking for little pockets where I can disappear. Maybe it's a corner with an interesting background. Maybe it's a doorway. Maybe there's a leading line that naturally draws your eye toward where someone will be standing.

Sometimes I'll find a spot and just stay there for fifteen or twenty minutes.

Because the second you move, something happens.

That's just how events work.

So if I've found a good spot with good light and an interesting angle, sometimes the best thing I can do is nothing.

Just wait.

Then I Scout the People

This is where experience really starts to matter.

I'm watching how people interact. I'm looking for the people who naturally create moments.

Maybe someone hasn't seen their friend in ten years.

Maybe there's an uncle who is clearly the resident comedian.

Maybe the grandparents are having a great conversation.

Maybe someone is already making everybody laugh.

And yes, I pay particular attention to grandparents.

For one, they're important. But they're also usually among the first people to leave after the cake is cut, so I'm not waiting until the end of the night to photograph them.

One of my unofficial wedding checklists is basically:

Hugging grandparents? Check.

Sometimes the couple will tell me beforehand, “I haven't seen so-and-so in forever.”

That immediately goes into my mental notes.

I'm not just scouting locations.

I'm scouting personalities.

I Listen With My Eyes

I don't mean I sit around eavesdropping on everyone's conversations.

Although sometimes I probably look like I am.

Instead, I'm watching the emotional temperature of the room.

You can learn a lot without hearing what someone is saying.

It's almost like Simlish.

You hear a certain tone and think, Okay, this is a good conversation. There's probably a laugh coming.

You see furrowed eyebrows and realize there's a serious conversation happening.

Someone leans toward someone else.

Someone starts gesturing wildly.

Someone's face changes.

Sometimes you hear a big cheer and panic that your missing something!

Those little signals tell me something might happen.

So I wait.

That's really what candid photography is:

Listening with your eyes and being patient enough to see what happens next.

I Want to Be There Without Being There

This is one reason you'll often find me dressed in black.

Not because I'm trying to look mysterious.

It's because black is surprisingly good at helping you disappear.

At some point during a reception, I'll inevitably become the photographer everyone has forgotten about.

Which is great!

Unless someone suddenly wants a group photo.

Then it's:

“Where did Taylor go?”

I'm probably in a corner somewhere thinking:

Oh, these people are having a really good conversation.

Those people are dancing.

That guy is definitely about to do something stupid.

And I'm waiting.

Because people behave differently when they don't feel like they're being photographed.

That's when you get the real stuff.

Sometimes I Know Exactly Where the Moment Is Going to Happen

There are easy moments to anticipate.

The kiss during the ceremony, for example.

I know where it's going to happen. I know where I need to stand. I can get my focus right and wait.

But anticipation gets more interesting when you don't know exactly what is coming.

At Chris and Nicole's wedding in Atlanta, I knew there was going to be a slideshow.

As they started setting it up, I noticed where they were going to stand and thought:

Oh, this could be really good.

I photographed them from behind at first.

And it worked.

Sort of.

You could see the slideshow, but I realized the more interesting story wasn't actually the pictures on the screen.

It was their reaction to them.

So I moved behind the screen.

Suddenly, you didn't need to know what was being shown.

You could see it on their faces.

The screen was telling the story.

Their faces were showing us what the story meant to them.

That wasn't luck.

I saw the setup. I recognized the opportunity. And then I moved and waited.

Trust Your Instincts

If I had to boil my approach down, it's really three things:

Scout the locations.
Scout the people.
Trust your instincts.

Experience teaches you what to look for.

Patience gives you the opportunity to capture it.

And then sometimes you just have to be ready when something happens.

That's the funny thing about candid photography.

The finished photograph can look completely effortless.

It can look like I just happened to be standing there when everything came together perfectly.

But usually, there was a lot happening before I pressed the shutter.

I was watching the room.

I was watching the light.

I was watching the people.

I was waiting.

Because the best candid moments aren't necessarily the moments you got lucky enough to find.

They're the moments you were paying enough attention to notice.

The photograph may be spontaneous.

The photographer isn't.