I watched on nervously as she scrolled through the pictures I had just taken. Every once and awhile she’d pause and say, “I like this one” and it was during one of the silences (save for the sound of the camera’s scroll wheel) that I told her that I had just got a camera about a year earlier and was still learning. Her response was a very open and sincere, “Ask me anything, I’ll share anything with you.”

Working as a substitute teacher for my day job, I appreciate the importance of teaching and I firmly believe that it is an innate human quality that we all posses. Now, some people are master teachers and teaching is their calling; they live and breath pedagogy and they will more than likely go on to work within the teaching profession. But, I appreciate when people who are not teachers are willing to take the time to teach someone, to help them acquire skills for self-improvement. Leya Russell (of Edward Ross Photography) is just that kind of person, who is willing to help someone who is just starting out.

It was my first experience being a second shooter on a wedding and needless to say, I was nervous, but Leya had such a calm, relaxed, easy going air about her, that all of my anxieties melted away and I was put at ease by her infectious, fun-loving attitude.

Whenever I get the chance to sit at the back of the classroom and just watch another teacher teach, I always take that opportunity – as I often learn just as much by watching someone as I do by talking to them. there are little things, things you may not anticipate or things the teacher herself may not consciously communicate to you, but just does effortlessly, those are the things I watch for. And one of the biggest lessons that I learned from Leya (of Edward Ross Photography) was: if you create a relaxed, laid-back (even fun) atmosphere, it will put your clients at ease, which leads to better photos. For example, she got out on the dance floor (when everyone else was too shy to be the first to dance) and started dancing with herself as an encouragement to get others up (pictured above). On their wedding day the couple should look back on it as one of the happiest days of their lives and a master photographer can make a huge difference in that, which is a lesson I will always remember.
I was lucky to have my photographs of Vijay & Sharmilla adopted as a second for Leya Russell –   Edward Ross Photography www.edwardrossphotography.com. To check out Leya’s fine art/exhibiting work please check out: http://www.leyarussellphotography.com/index.html