A quick, practical dispatch from behind the lens—what I’m seeing, what’s working, and how we can make our clients’ wedding the best day possible. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

For the weekend warriors who bring weddings to life.

Weddings are emotional. Sometimes chaotic. Always unforgettable. And that’s the good part—the best part.

Working with the right people makes all the difference. And the team you build is what turns unforgettable into beautifully remembered.

As a photographer based in Bethesda, Maryland, I’ve shot thousands of weddings, mizvahs, and events, I’ve long wanted to engage even more with our community in this post-Covid, pre-Robotic era! You know, before the AI-pocolypse!

A Photographer’s Note was conceived to do just that! A quick, practical dispatch from behind the lens—what I’m seeing, what’s working, and how we can make our clients’ wedding the best day possible.

For me, making those days special and memorable  means doing my best to capture the feelings and emotions. Spotting those emotional moments is my job. I want couples to feel the images. To cherish them. To relive them. That’s what moves me.

If we’ve never met, I hope this newsletter gives you a window into how I shoot and how I approach my work. If we’ve worked together before, consider this a nudge to say: let’s work together again soon.

Hopefully, there will be something of value that helps make it all worth a read! There will always be a featured wedding and a note from behind the lens with practical insights about ways to enhance our client’s experience.

Thanks for being here.
—Michael

“Everyone dreams about their wedding day…and I’m there to tell that story.”

Michael Kress

The Dream

Weddings begin long before a date is set.

They start in the imagination — someone envisioning how it might look, who will be there, and what the day could feel like.

That shared sense of possibility is universal: the flicker of anticipation, the wish to make something meaningful, and the urge to do it their way.

What happens next — how those dreams become real, how people show up, and what lasts — starts with that first vision.

And that’s our cue. To help carry out the vision. To ensure they get to feel and stay present for their big moment.

Lindsey & Matt

This series of photos features Lindsey & Matt who wed at Woodmont Country Club, after a Park City, Utah mountaintop engagement.

Let’s talk about the “Before”

“Getting ready” is the first real scene. Whatever happens in this period sets the stage.

What we’re seeing:

1. Barber chairs and hot-towel shaves for grooms

2. Matching Silk PJs (photogenic and comfy)

3. Veuve Cliquot and shots of bourbon for the wedding party pre-gaming

Tactile. Intimate. Cinematic.

Personalizing is Caring

Couples want the day to feel real—not just to them, but to everyone in the room.

5 Ways to Make it More Personal

1. Monogram slippers: for getting-ready comfort (and a cute flatlay).

2. Audio guestbooks: a recorded personal message is the new keepsake.

3. Heirloom photos: on the escort table, the bar gift table.

4. Handwrittten touches: menus, place cards, vows, letters to parents, a note tucked into the vow book.

5. Guest participation: “My daughter invited guests to add flowers or ribbons to the chuppah and to decorate the ketubah border.”

Glow Up the Room

Soft light brings feelings to faces, and romance to rooms.

2 Ways to Soften the Light:

1. Bounce light using string lighting, spots, and chandeliers

2. Layer ambient lighting to beautify faces and make more cinematic shots, with wall uplighting or exterior tree lights.

Enhanced Lighting Adds Emotion

The Stage is Set. The Dream is Underway.

From the Gallery

Lindsey & Matt

First look → happy tears → the long walk → lift-off on the dance floor.

View the blog & full gallery →

Last Looks:

A picture is worth a thousand words

Exhilaration. Intimacy. Exhaustion. Hugs. Kisses. Last moments of celebrating the best day of their lives.

“The dream is over in the blink of an eye. That is why I am there.”

Have a great day Subscriber First Name

Michael Kress Photography
7801 Norfolk Ave T4
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
USA

Powered by Squarespace

Unsubscribe