The wedding day goes so incredibly fast that moments are captured but as readers you may not know the stories surrounding the image. Behind the Image is a bi-monthly post featuring one of our favorite images and the story behind it- Why was it captured and what does it mean to us as photographers.
When entering images into competitions, I never like to name my print. I feel like adding a name to an image puts the creativity into a box and directs viewers into one line of thought, versus allowing imagination. I know- pretty deep for a wedding blog. One of my favorite recent captures was of a butterfly, or moth, as some may refer. In all actuality, this was not the butterfly I was trying to capture on Amy and Bobby’s wedding day.
During their ceremony, a beautiful monarch butterfly was fluttering around the apple tree overhead as they exchanged vows. I tried to grab the shot but from where I was standing it looked like a speck in the sea of green leaves. Spiritually, I feel that a butterfly on the wedding day may be a loved one who has passed, shining down on the couple as they celebrate their union. Just a week before Amy and Bobby said I do, Bobby’s grandfather sadly passed. By capturing this second butterfly (found in a patch of weeds as Jason photographed the couple), it reminded me of the monarch floating above them earlier, perhaps his grandfather’s way of saying hello.
Melissa McClain Photography 
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