Outdoor Weddings

Outdoor Weddings: Unforgettable Celebrations In Storybook Settings by Mallory Samson     Hardback Book: 176 pages              

First of all,  Mallory Samson is the photographer of the weddings in this book.   In very small print on the title page you will see: Text by Mary Duffy.   In my opinion, Mary Duffy is the star here, not the photography.   Perhaps my expectations were too high, no, I can’t honestly say that is true.    But I certainly expected a higher quality in the photographs in this book given the glowing, beautiful descriptions in the words of Mary Duffy.    However, I was really disappointed with most, not all, of the photos in this book.    Given Samson’s credentials citing other photos of hers in Vogue, Victoria, Martha Stewart Weddings, I mean, come on.    I am going to have to check out those photos because maybe a third of the photos in this book were worthy.    Maybe it was the artistic inflection she was going for, or more on long shots than those joyous close ups or her choice of satin (flat) finishes to glossy Diamond finishes that pop, but, no, so many instances here where great things were mentioned about the particular locations, surprises could have been shown and so many it became annoying were far away captured the backs of guests and I can’t give her a whole lot of points for capturing those special moments found all through a wedding.   There are so many potential Great photo opportunities to be had here and hopefully on the proofs she gave the happy couples I dearly hope for their sakes she captured radiant moments beyond so many of the shots taken from far away, no showing of many of the couples particularly in those dreamy eyed poses looking deeply and lovingly into one another’s eyes.   Only a handful of shots were descent ones of the couples together.   And then there is her penchant for taking photos of couples walking off together which is understandable showing them from the back walking off together into their future, but only 1 of those photos really works which happens to be the cover photo on the book.    But even that shot doesn’t entirely work because the couple look stiff, the bride is obviously not comfortable because she is holding her dress out again in a stiff manner to keep it from the dirt on the path (if you look – she didn’t make it) and the groom is carrying her bouquet which looks wrong.    It could have looked much happier if she held the bouquet and also held her dress up in a swirl and the couple were closer together because there body language is saying, “I am not happy right now.”    But the walking into the forest on the meandering path through the trees is nice but some of those other similar set up shots looked like the couple was walking off into a feng-shui nightmare of uphill all the way trials throughout their future together.   One couple looks like they are walking into a nest of rattlesnakes.   I have to question what the photographer was thinking when she included some of the really NOT GOOD photos in what I would imagine she meant to show what a great job she could do.   Not on this one.   The Italian wedding –Yes.   The bride was stunning and her joy is so tangible any viewer can feel it although there is only 1 shot of her and the groom driving away that is at all pleasing.   The first shot of the couple in the street looks like they are lost in a poorly thoughout street scene.   I am reminded of the first photography book I read where the reader was taught to consider the background you were contemplating shooting and if it wasn’t your main subject to look at the whole effect not just the main subject of the shot.    Some of the photos look like any child at the wedding could have taken it which takes away from the magnificent events she is going for and so much subject matter for photos that were missed.   If it wasn’t for the descriptions of Mary Duffy this book would have been a complete bust for me.   But at least I could imagine scenes that should have been there but weren’t.     The writing is good, the photos not so much.   And I find it odd that the lesbian couple’s truly elaborate and fantastic wedding did not include a photo of them but a photo of one of the brides with a horse which was a lovely shot but they had so many terrific things and surprises going on at that wedding, there should have been more close ups or even long shots of the fun going on instead of faraway shots of fenced in backs of people’s heads.   Yay for Mary Duffy, sorry, Mallory Samson, I was disappointed with what could have been and was not.

 - Shirley J.