This week’s blog is inspired by a brides mom.  She asked me if I could make a few black and white photos to match some of her early family photos.  So I converted the whole wedding to black and white and shared it with her.  While doing so it reminded me how much I love black and white photography.  

I have always enjoyed the way black and white photography breaks everything down to the simplest things.  You get to see the shadows and that give form to a subject. You also get to see the subject without the distraction of color.  

When I converted the wedding I was struck by how it gave the whole wedding a classic documentary vibe.  You really don’t know what year the photos were taken, especially since this was a Jewish Orthodox wedding.  During their ceremonies they stick to traditions that are hundreds of years old and they do not deviate.  The men still wear the same kippah, or yarmulke, for centuries.  We even had a few men wearing Fedoras, Hoiche Hats and Platchige Biber Hats.

The whole day followed the older Jewish traditions.  The men and women were separated before the wedding.  The men gathered in one area for the Tisch.  This is where the rabbi gets the groom and family member to sign the Ketubah, the wedding contract for a jewish marriage.  At the same time the women are on the other side of the facility for the bedeken.  The women gather around in prayer with the bride and give her pearls of wisdom.  Once the ketubah is signed the men sing and come to the bride where the groom veils the bride.  It is based on the bible story of Jacob when he got married and was tricked into marrying the wrong woman.

Then it is on to the actual ceremony.  During the ceremony the men are on one side of the aisle and the women are on the other side.  The ceremony is held under the chuppah, that is four posts covered with a tallit or prayer shawl belonging to a member of the couple or their families.  During the ceremony the bride will circle around the groom seven times to create a magical wall for protection from evil spirits.  Then you have the Sheva B’rachot or seven blessings, where different friends and family will perform readings that are focused on Joy, celebration and love.  After that there's the exchanging of rings, the reading of the Ketubah, and they are pronounced married. They lay a wine glass under the groom’s foot and he breaks it then everyone yells Mazel Tov! 

Next they go to the reception and they start with some traditional songs and a celebratory dance called the Hora where guests dance in a circle.  You will also see where guests will carry the bride and groom in chairs.  It is a fun time for all!

When you capture these moments in black and white they become timeless. They are not influenced by trendy colors or fancy editing techniques.  They are classic and capture photography in its simplest form, just lights and darks telling a story as old as love itself.  That is why I love black and white wedding photography.

Thanks for checking out this Atlanta wedding photographers blog! I hope you enjoyed the read and found it interesting and helpful! Make sure you keep coming back to our blog to see what the Atlanta wedding photographers at Atlanta Artistic Weddings get up to! If you’d like to contact me go to the contact page and drop me a line at https://www.atlantaartisticweddings.com/contact-atlanta-wedding-photographer. I would love to hear from you!

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