At a recent wedding, just before shooting the formal photos, the bride bursts out, “Can we do a ‘jump’ photo?” I said “SURE!” but in my head I’m thinking, “Is this going to be a cheesy posy-pose to go down in the books of wedding history for me?”
But this request came from a bride who is an accomplished, level-headed musician for a major national orchestra. So I relaxed and went with her request.
She informed me that for many years her father has taken hundreds of “jump photos” of her sisters and her at every holiday and major family event. Well, seeing it was her wedding, this was another special occasion that couldn’t be passed by; and I was honored to document the family's heirloom "jump photo" of the year.
The moment I shot it, I started laughing and so did everyone else. We had a blast! I decided that all the guests should try it. Couples and groups...whoever wanted to participate did. The photos turned out great! They are simply fun. What a great way to remember your day: the first dance, cake cutting and the JUMP photos! It takes no time or propping and if you're the photographer it's fast and you can do a lot of them in a short period of time.
My recommendation is to put these photos on the photographers list of "must have's" on your day.
Here's why:
- It releases some of that pent-up nervous wedding energy.
- Everyone has fun doing it.
- It allows you to remember your guests and yourself in a less formal and silly way on your day.
After the wedding, I wanted to investigate when the first jump photo was documented and who came up with the technique. Portrait photographer Philippe Halsman is a credited, known for coming up the concept "jumpology" in the 1950's. Halsman explained, "When you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed towards the act of jumping and the mask falls so that the real person appears."
I think this is good logic and I believe it can be another type of a candid moment that unfolds on a wedding day!
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