Nikon D200 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Kevin and Yoko Parrington
June 1, 2008
Yokohama, Japan

I attended the wedding of an old friend yesterday; Kevin and Yoko tied the knot on the 68th floor of Yokohama's Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Japan. They appeared on my Impromptu Portraits in the Park post last year not long after they got engaged, as well as in followups here, here, and here.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 44 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — full exif

Kevin is one of those guys who looks better and better with age, but really, you almost didn't notice him or anything else when Yoko was present. “Spectacular” just doesn't do her or that dress justice.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/60 sec, f/2.2, ISO 640 — full exif

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/90 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — full exif
The Bride
Yoko Parrington

Kevin's selection for the engagement ring – seen out of focus in the photo above – has a wonderful little story. It's a diamond, flanked on either side by sapphires: to Kevin, the diamond represents Yoko, and the two jewels represent Kana and Nao, Yoko's remarkably photogenic children (seen in the posts linked above). And supporting and protecting them all is the band, which represents Kevin.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/180 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — full exif
The Groom
Kevin Parrington

I have immense respect for a good wedding photographer, because the photographic challenges of a wedding are usually formidable. Wedding venues seem to always have horrible lighting: way too little light, with what is there usually being of mixed colors (e.g. fluorescent mixed with incandescent, which makes for a color balance nightmare).

This time was no exception, especially the lack of light during the photo op in the lobby. I had the ISO cranked up, and was usually shooting wide open or close. The results were better than the last time I was at a wedding, but I only had a point-n-shoot then. I did do better than the last time I had a real camera at a wedding (my brother Alan's marriage to Natalie two years ago), due to having a little more skill now, and a much faster lens.

Still, even with the faster lenses, many of my shots were blurry. Here's one where I think the blur really helps to capture the moment, as the young relatives gathered for a photo...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — ¹/30 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — full exif
a wedding is often
Orchestrated Chaos

One of Yoko's friends did the bouquet, boutonnière, and all the flowers, so I figured that she'd be able to handle my big camera and heavy lens, so I imposed on her to take a shot with me in it. She was hesitant at first, but the weight and the solid sound of a real shutter felt satisfying, so she enjoyed it (and did a great job)...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 35 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — full exif
Old Friends, Plus One
Tim Meggs, Kevin Parrington, Yoko Parrington, Jeffrey Friedl, Mike Chachich
Photo by Yoko's friend Ami

I met Tim, Kevin, and Mike via a “Life in Japan” mailing list 18 or so years ago (long prior to the world wide web). All three attended my wedding 10 years ago, and now that I think about it, I don't think I'd actually met Tim or Mike since. It was wonderful to catch up.

Two things I must make clear, though, about that picture:

1. No, I'm not really that tall. I had to stand one step higher than the rest, to avoid standing on Yoko's dress.
2. No, I'm not really that fat. Seriously, next to Yoko and that amazing dress, how can anyone else look good?
   (Well, okay, anyone else except for Kevin, Tim, and Mike?)

At least I'm not totally ruining the shot with my horrible “smile for the camera” fake smile. I just can't smile on demand in a way that doesn't look anything but hugely dorky, so this time I was trying to not smile. This was the only shot of the several that Ami-chan took that came out with me not looking sour, so I've still got work to do. (Or better yet, I'll stay on the other side of the camera.)

I've heard that Japanese weddings can be excruciatingly long and drawn out productions, but the one's I've been to have all been really nice. (Counting my own, this was the fourth wedding I've been to in Japan.) Kevin and Yoko had a combined wedding/reception 68 floors up that was just excellent, at least from the perspectives of the couple and guests. The photographer they hired, however, may have a different opinion due to the – you guessed it – challenging lighting, but I'll leave that for another post.

Congratulations Yoko and Kevin!

Continued here...