I am so pleased to be able to share this FULL second shooter gallery from Erin and Robert Kovarik’s wedding last month! This wedding was a lot of fun for me. It was the first wedding I stayed for nearly the whole day. But it was also a test of my endurance and creativity.

Credit Where It’s Due

I took these images as a second shooter for Chelsea Schaefer. Chelsea reached out to me on Instagram after seeing photos I took for one of her friends. She noticed on one of my posts about wanting to enter the wedding industry, and was so kind to give me an opportunity to second shoot for her!

The Venue

The wedding took place at Mount Ida Farm in Charlottesville, Virginia. Chelsea had photographed a number of weddings at that location, so I was excited to see how she approached the venue with so much experience and expertise! Mount Ida had everything a quintessential Virginian wedding needed: rolling hills, white picket fencing, luscious greenery, a beautiful lodge reception hall, and an elegant, willow-framed gazebo overlooking the pond.

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Kovarik

Even more photogenic than the venue was our couple — Erin and Robert. Erin was a sweet and gentle redhead, and a gorgeous bride! Her dress had beautiful lace detail with an open V-cut back and linen buttons. Her bouquet, which was the subject of one of my favorite images from the whole day, was stuffed with vibrant pink peonies, delicate eucalyptus stems, and pastel roses.

Robert was very kind, and super smiley all day (who wouldn’t be, marrying a gorgeous girl like Erin)! He wore a black tuxedo with a bowtie, and a white boutonniere that beautifully complimented Erin’s bouquet.

Things I Learned

My photography skills expanded in a lot of different areas on their wedding day. First of all, I shot with Chelsea’s back-up Canon EOS 6D camera… a first for me, handling a full-frame on a wedding day. I also was able to borrow her more advanced lenses, shooting with a 50mm f/1.4 for much of the day (an envied upgrade from my little “nifty fifty” 50mm f/1.8).

Lastly, I had a ton of fun practicing with a flash and OCF (off-camera flash) system for the first time! All of the party dancing at the reception were taken using Canon flashes. And you better believe I was dancing the whole time!!

The Full Gallery

Below is just a sample of some of my favorite images from the day, but if you want to see ALL of the images I took, visit my portfolio gallery here!

I’m so grateful to Chelsea for letting me learn from her and assist at this wedding. I gained experience well beyond the quality of photos I was able to add to my portfolio. And I also gained a friend in her. I look forward to connecting again and am so blown away by the support I’ve received from photographers like her to develop my skills and grow my own business in this otherwise competitive industry!

Booking for 2020!

If you are a wedding photographer looking for a second shooter in 2019-2020, please consider me! To date, I have 5 weddings of experience that I will continue to share in the coming weeks, and a passion to make up for all the experience I’ve yet to gain. Contact me here for more info on how to connect with me for your next wedding!