December’s Moment of the Month post is a little more personal than some of the other moments in past months have been. Don’t get me wrong – this is a beautiful moment for Laura + Bill. It was right after their first dance as husband and wife and you can just tell they’re so happy together. And I love that. BUT, the reason I chose this particular photo as the Moment of the Month is because it was my first time using off-camera flash at a wedding reception (up until this point I’ve used an external flash mounted on my camera for reception lighting). I recently purchased Calumet’s wireless triggers and umbrella stand (although I didn’t receive the stand yet… my second shooter was kind enough to let me use hers for the evening). I’ve been toying around with the idea of adding some dimension to the my wedding galleries with off-camera lighting – and I figured what better time to do so than with this gorgeous couple. And let me tell you, I’m obsessed with this image. The rim lighting around Laura + Bill, the way it lights up Laura’s hair and just around the edges of Bill’s, even the little starburst below Laura’s chin… it’s just beautiful 🙂 And it was a huge moment for me… trying something new… stepping out of my comfort zone… even after hours of practicing this technique there was still a risk I would mess it up. But the risk paid off and I created an image that I’m in love with. I’m not saying it’s absolutely perfect – but it’s a great start and I’m pretty darn happy with the results 🙂