My last wedding?

 

 I've been busy sorting out my camera gear and charging about 20 camera batteries (not that I need that many) Ready for .   Drum roll.  Maybe my last wedding.

I got a wedding for a mate coming up, and with no more on the horizon, this is looking like maybe my last one.

Over the years (a lot of years) I've done a LOT of weddings, and I mean a lot.  Easily many hundred, probably thousands.  I've learned a lot since I started, and strangely out of all those there's been only a few I haven't enjoyed.

OK the first few I was nervous about, but I still enjoyed them.  The rest I've had a blast!  

Yes I know I'm mentioned I like being alone, but I've also said I'm not anti social, so getting to meet and talk to all the wonderful people I've met at weddings over 50 odd years has been fun.

I've made friends with some, others still say hello and remember me.  The same applies with other photographers.  Again I've worked with a good few.  All of whom I still think of and some I'm really good friends with.

It's been an experience.  I've had to treat casualties, mind children, deal with barmy vicars, stop fights, calm down VERY stressed brides, repair bride and grooms clothes and deal with a death.  All at weddings.

I've done then in baking heat, pouring rain, howling gales and snow.  And they say wedding photography is easy.  

So what will I miss after this one?  I'll miss the atmosphere, the meeting people, the interaction between myself and the other photographers most.  I'll miss the cooked dinners and buffets, and wedding cake (come on I'm human) and I'll miss the challenge of getting great pics in terrible places.

What wont I miss.  Orange brides, pissed grooms, fights and bad feeling between the two families. Barmy vicars, pitch dark churches and wedding venues (pay the electric bill you tight bastards). 

I wont miss the long drives, trying to find the bride or grooms house, wondering if my car will be still there when I come out.  I wont miss annoying children trying to grab my camera with sticky fingers, we're photographers not a cheche.

Nor will I miss the editing, now admittedly if you can get it right in camera, it cuts down a lot of editing, but there's a ways some that need a bit of tweaking, and others that I like to add some effects like black and white, or soft focus too..

That's a few hours over a few days, I find trying to do too many in one session gives me headaches from the screen.

All that said overall I will miss them.  Maybe I'll still get the odd one, but as I say there's nothing planned, and the wedding photography things seems to be dying.  Phone cameras I'm guessing.

Still at my ripe old age and with my various old bastards health problems, maybe it's time to hang up my camera strap, get my slippers out and start keeping chickens and settle down with my old sweetheart...... oh hell!  That's when they always get killed in the films.  So maybe not......