The year 2012 is already some weeks behind us but I just now find time to reflect everything that happened and all the beautiful weddings. We have moved the last weeks and a lot of things just distracted me from finally writing this post. We meet a lot of different people and enjoy so different beautiful days that are all special.When I look at the weddings now and think about the whole time I spent with each couple I become a bit melancholic that time flies so fast and that all their anticipations of the day became emotions and moments they will never forget. Scrolling through all those images I feel like a historian that tells the story of their love and of their day. Their children and grandchildren will look at those images and tell them the stories that I tell with my pictures. Stories about love because their story started with love.

I would love to show you all my favorite images of 2012 but I am afraid my blog will explode with it. 2012 has been a year of a lot of international and intimate weddings, it has been a year of change for me personally and in business, it has been a year of saying good bye and a year of making new friends and deepen into genuine relationships.

So here is my top 10 experience list of 2012

Most challenging thing I did in 2012

The deepest and at the same time hardest thing I did was attending and photographing the funeral of the mother of one of my best friends – her family was so grateful that I offerd to photograph that day I felt like being part of their family. I felt it was the only thing I could offer  – but it took me weeks to recover from the emotions that overhelmed me on that day while photographing and being so close.

Most exciting thing I did in 2012

My first exhibition was definitely an exciting thing this year – opening my first little studio would be equal exciting !

Best discovery in 2012

I discovered hiking is a way to switch of my head and just feel the nature around me.

Biggest inspiration in 2012

The book „Vanity Fair Iconic Portraits“

Best book I read in 2012

The girl with the dragon tattoo – Stieg Larsson

Most romantic thing in 2012

We celebrated our 10 year anniverssary (can you believe it T-E-N years?)

New technology in 2012

As small as it seems but moving from an iPhone 3 to an iPhone 5 really changed my world

Biggest laugh in 2012

When my brother tells me stories how he is playing tricks on his boss and his reaction on it – seriously I was crying from laughing until my face cramped

I am grateful for

I could make an endless list here for what I have been grateful for in 2012 but specially I want to thank old and new friends that came along my way this year. People who pushed me to do my best and getting me forward and opened my eyes for new ideas and people who just were friends without ever talking about business.

Best food I had in 2012

Without a doubt that was at Puerto Mogan on the island Gran Canaria at a little Italian restaurant called N‘Enoteca

And of course I should also share with you some images – so here it goes , the images that defined me, this year and my style most in 2012.

Top 10 images that define the year 2012

Intimacy is an important factor when it comes to portraits on a wedding day. I want to give them the moment to feel each other and enjoy a moment together on their wedding day. I want to stop the time for just a second for them to enjoy each other – often this is the only still and intimate moment they have on their day.

For me 2012 was a year were elegance came back. My pictures are not goofy or extremely funny – they show a natural elegance and so are the brides that I photographe, they are graceful and elegant.

This year I worked hard on the words that define my style. I started 2012 with the words intimate, emotional, elegant and natural but after some people told me what they see in my images and more and more often melancholy came up as a word.  Incorporating melancholy to my images was crucial to capture what I like to see in old images that inspire me.

My wedding images have always been emotional. It is the word that always has been part of my style. Finding stolen moments and capture them from a distance was a goal for this season. Seeing the result of those moments captured makes me happy.

In all the vintage trends online at the moment (that I truly like – no offence – they are beautiful) I want to create timeless pictures. I want the children and grandchildren to look at the pictures I took and remember the stories they heard about the day without being distracted by editing trends or crazy poses. As timeless is a very personal idea and what I think is timeless might not be timeless for you. So what I mean is focussing on genuine and authentic pictures that show feelings – and feelings for me are timeless.

 

2012 I saw more and more wedding couples really thought about their details and their wedding timeline to create a day that totally fits them without doing anything just because they have to do it. Those special details that the couple thought so long about to incorporate them into their day to make it THEIR day tell a big story and help me telling the story of them. This is a development I really like and that I support whenever I can – in the consultation before the wedding, the recommendation of other vendors that fit the day and in the storytelling of my images.

The second angle. In 2012 Conrad was more and more on weddings with me. As a personal who is naturally very logical and based on numbers and not a creative nature by heart he showed me the second angle on the wedding day. While I am busy running around to get the „save“ pictures and the day as it was he stands somewhere in the back and captures hidden moments that I could not have seen. His pictures are the perfect supplement to my photography.

Give more attention to the groom. The last years as a single photographer I often didn’t get the chance to photograph the groom. Just because the time didn’t allow it as I was with the bride during the preparations. This year I tried to get at least one strong portrait from every groom. Because we already have so many pictures that show him in love, crying and laughing he definitely deserves a cool portrait of himself on his wedding day without flowers, veils and romantic music.

Creating portraits for the grandchildren. When I see the wedding pictures of my grand parents I would love to see a single portrait of my grandma. A picture that shows her beauty on her wedding day. With this in mind I photograph portraits of my brides – because I just have a picture of my grandparents together.

Moving back to Germany and closer to my family this year really got me thinking about what family means to me. When I see a bride getting ready with her mom or walking down the aisle with her dad I can’t stop myself from getting tears in my eyes because it touches me. Family moments are precious specially when you live far away from the people you love. So the last but not least picture in my top 10 2012 is a family moment between bride and groom and her parents.