portfolio • John Dolan
PROUST QUESTIONAIRE: JOHN
My camera is my ... way to slow time and see life.
A wedding is ... the one chance you get in life to gather all the people you love in one place. They will do whatever you tell them to do. It’s your own little fiefdom.
A ritual is anything that ... marks time, gives meaning.
My experience photographing weddings has taught me ... to love deeply. My affection for my clients is real and incredibly gratifying. I would love to have a party with all my couples in one room. I think they would get along great.
The best piece advice anyone has ever given me is, ... “The question is more important than the answer. Define the question first, and then the answer will come.” (My college photography professor.) Years later, I realized this is the core of a good Google search.
The thing that surprises me the most about weddings is ... they follow the same script but they are endlessly different, depending on the actors.
The craziest thing I ever saw happen at a wedding was ... when a grandmother had a small heart attack while dancing. Then 20 minutes later I heard someone yell, “Grandma’s back up, she’s dancing again!”
The biggest compliment I’ve ever gotten at a wedding was, ... “Who are you, a cousin?” I try to blend in.
I wish brides wouldn’t worry so much about ... anything. Pick a time, say, the moment you put on your dress. Promise yourself, from that moment on, you will let go. “Whatever happens, happens.” It will all be gone in 6 hours…
If I could give every bride and groom one piece of advice it would be ... to hire people you trust and to trust them. The moreollective wisdom of Planner, Florist, Caterer, and Photographer, can be more than 1000 weddings. Also, you’d better like your photographer because they will see you at your most vulnerable.