The shutter fires, the flash pops, but did they capture the moment?
There’s no time to think about that now, the bride and groom just said “I do” and are walking down the aisle heading for the doors.
What about the light? Is the weather going to hold up? Don’t forget the batteries!
These are some of the things Peggy Plato and David Turcot regularly think about as seasoned wedding photographers in Jasper.
Owners of A Different Angle Photography, the duo have worked together for the past 22 years and know Jasper—not by its intricate trail system— but instead by the best places to take photos.
“The weather is a challenge just because there really is nowhere to shoot inside,” said Turcot.
“Couples come to Jasper for the mountains, so you hate to bring them outside and it’s covered in clouds.”
As Mother Nature would have it, on this particular day in August, it wasn’t just going to rain, it was going to pour.
Arriving at their office around 7 a.m., large puddles had already formed on the road throwing into question whether the duo would be able to do any outdoor photography at all.
Undeterred, Turcot reached into his pocket and opened up an app on his smartphone that indicated the weather was expected to clear up by the afternoon—just in time for the pictures. He would later explain the app provides the most accurate weather forecast for Jasper because it provides a Doppler radar map with real time information.
With the sun just starting to rise, the duo quickly packed up their van with everything they would need for the day, including four cameras, eight lenses, nine flashes and 16 sets of four batteries each. In all, their equipment costs about $25,000.
The first stop was the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre, where the bridal party was staying for the weekend. After exchanging pleasantries, Plato and Turcot got down to business setting up a remote flash and getting their cameras ready. Plato uses a Canon Mark II while Turcot opts for the Canon Mark III.
Spreading out across the room, the duo snapped dozens of pictures of the women as they got their hair and make up done.
This was the third time the duo had met the bride and groom, who booked the photographers five months earlier—relatively short notice within the industry.
“The getting ready shots aren’t so much about getting ready, it’s about getting to know you,” said Plato, who stressed the importance of building a relationship with the wedding party.
“The thing is when you’re a wedding photographer you have to love people and you have to want to make that connection.”
Around noon, Turcot left the bridal party behind and made his way over to the Best Western Inn and Suites to get a few pictures of the groomsmen as they got suited up.
With the film Back to the Future playing in the background, the men put on a fresh pair of snazzy socks, located their dress shoes and threw on their tux jackets before heading out the door for a waiting bus.
Turcot made sure to get a picture of the groom’s new watch, which was pointing at 2 p.m. sharp, the time of his wedding.
Prior to the wedding party arriving at the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, located on the corner of Pyramid Lake Road and Bonhomme Street, Turcot set up several flashes to make sure the lighting was just right.
Just before the ceremony got underway, the pair quickly went over who would do what, with Turcot taking the front of the stage and Plato hanging out in the back.
The 30-minute ceremony went off without a hitch and the pair seemed to work effortlessly covering every angle while avoiding getting in each other’s shots.
“We’ve always worked together very well and we’ve always had a lot of respect for each other,” said Plato. “I think that’s the key to making people relax.”
Both admitted they are competitive when it comes to taking pictures, but said they’re also supportive of one another.
“It was a very long process for me to reach the point where I was actually a photographer and not an assistant,” said Plato, explaining Turcot helped train her when she first started at Jasper Film Lab, which was once located at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.
“I think when you learn from someone almost as a mentor that it’s a whole different relationship.”
For Turcot, the key to working well together is not letting your ego get in the way.
After the ceremony, Plato took over, ensuring everyone on the photo list had his or her picture taken. To help get the job done, she put the bridesmaids to work to help put names to faces.
By 3:30 p.m., the family photos were done and the wedding party boarded a small bus headed for Pyramid Island.
With a loose plan in mind, Plato didn’t waste any time directing the group. The first shot was at the bridge, followed by a group picture at the gazebo. Several photos of the bride and groom were also taken in front of Pyramid Mountain, which received a light dusting of snow the night before. To make sure they got what they wanted, Plato and Turcot also took several photographs of the newly married couple along the shore of the lake.
“You want it to be a fun experience, with good light and good direction,” said Plato, who seems to have a natural knack for directing people.
Following the photo op at Pyramid Lake, the group took a short trip to a cluster of poplar trees on Pyramid Lake Road. Amongst the trees, Plato directed the wedding party, posing them in different configurations, before snapping more photos.
“When we start our day I will have 30 locations in the back of my head,” said Plato. “I like to know that I have more locations than what we have time for.”
With only a three-hour window before the wedding reception, Plato decided to squeeze in one more photo shoot at Moberly Bridge, off of Highway 16. Ditching the group, Turcot headed to the wedding reception at the Sawridge to set up several remote flashes and make sure each one had a new set of batteries.
With more than 180 guests at the reception, Turcot and Plato seemed to blend in effortlessly with the crowd, getting pictures of the first dance, speeches and, of course, the cutting of the cake.
Together the duo took more than 1,600 photos over a 14-hour period and called it a day shortly before 9:30 p.m.
Despite the long day, they finish each day the same way, with a glass of wine in their cozy office located under the Jasper Veterinary Clinic.
Over the next few days they will begin the gruelling process of editing the pictures.
“For a full day package we probably start with 1,600 images and then we’ll edit it down to 1,300 images and then we’ll narrow that down to 500 prints,” said Plato, explaining they give all 1,300 images to the couple on a flash drive.
Prior to cameras becoming digital, the most they ever shot on a single occasion was 720 pictures.
“That was huge for us,” recalled Plato.
On average, the duo shoots 40 to 50 weddings a year, putting a dent in Jasper’s busy wedding season.
Paul Clarke
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