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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
17 Cameras
18, if you count one sitting, inexplicably unused, on a table

At the end of “Shogo and Namiko's Wedding: Reception, Part 1”, about my brother-in-law's wedding last weekend, guests were swarming the couple to pour them drinks, and this soon turned into a seemingly-unending turn of photo ops.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/4, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Namiko and Friend

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 75 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/4, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Parallel Photo Ops

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 120 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/4, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Let's Just Make It One Big Photo Op

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pro Photogs Get a Clean Shot

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pro Photog Enlisted To Use Guest's Camera

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Let the Scrum Begin

My hope as a photographer at this wedding was not to document the events (there were more than enough cameras there to handle that), but to get shots that somehow uniquely added to the memory, beyond just a straightforward documentation. I could do this, I hoped, by using my better-than-average equipment and skill to turn a bland shot into something special, and by getting myself into different positions from which I could get a new or unique perspective on things (such as the lead photo of the lead post). I was inspired to seek unique perspectives by how much I like this photo I took at a friend's wedding a couple of years ago.

Anyway, that's why after getting the “Scrum of Photographers” picture above, I was satisfied that I'd gotten something unique to remember that part of the day with, and returned to my seat to actually try to get a bite of the great food that had been provided.

But moment's later, Anthony calls out “Daddy! Daddy! Look!” and points to the couple, who have moved and are about to make the first ceremonial cut in the wedding cake. This event is an important part of the reception, so is not to be missed. Note to self: next time I'm at a wedding, get a schedule of events ahead of time.

So, I stand up and take a quick photograph of the now-enlarged scrum of friend-photographers...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 22 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
About To Cut the Cake

There was a set of stairs nearby (seen a bit at the left of the photo above), and not being restrained by any kind of particular photographic duty, nor by as strong a sense of decorum as a native Japanese might have, I availed myself of the stairs to get a new perspective on the event, taking the first photo shown at the top of this post from half way up.

From all the way up, I got a nice shot to document the whole setting...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/6.3, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Reception Room
as the maître d' helps prepare for the ceremonial first cut

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/3.2, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Hold That Pose

I'm not sure why the first ceremonial cut of the wedding cake is such a big part of the day, but it is, and they held that pose for a full two minutes, until all memory cards were full and batteries depleted.

When I attended my first Japanese wedding 15 or so years ago (of a friend from work, Kazushi Inui), there was a long list of words you could never, every say at a wedding... anything along the lines of “cut”, “divide”, “tear”, “end”, “break”, etc., as that would be bad luck for the new union. This advice was as strong and important as “don't pick your nose while at the alter” might be at an American wedding, so I'm not sure how this cake-cutting business reconciles with that.

That being said, Fumie and I did this at our own wedding 11 years ago, and it was fun. But we actually made not just the first ceremonial cut, but cut all the pieces, and passed them out to the guests, personally.

Anyway, there was no advice about taboo words this time, so either I exuded enough culture that a reminder wasn't deemed necessary, or maybe the prohibition on those words has waned.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/3.2, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Still Holding that Pose

“Wait, hold on, let me switch cameras and come down for another shot....”

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/6.3, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Still Holding that Pose

“Okay, one more time, but let me get in close with this wide-angle zoom...”

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/6.3, ISO 5000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Still Holding that Pose
( if I had a smile as nice as Namiko's, I'd hold it, too )

Of course I didn't really ask them to hold the pose, but merely took advantage of their doing so. Eventually the cake was taken away, and two small cakes brought in their place...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 22 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Stagehands Working Between Acts

... and this led to some kind of parents-of-the-couple first-ceremonial-cut event...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/3.2, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Like I said, I don't understand what the cake-cutting is all about, but everyone had a fun time, so it all seems good to me!

Continued here...