When the Light Changed: Photographing My Mentor’s Daughter’s Wedding

Yesterday I had the honor of photographing a wedding that brought me close to tears more times than I can count. The bride was the daughter of my very first wedding mentor, Frank Heny.
Back in 1993–1996, I was Frank’s assistant, learning the ropes when wedding photography looked very different from today. At the time, most photos were stiff, staged, and overly formal. But Frank had this lively spark—he showed me how to catch people off guard and how to capture real moments. His approach was joyful and authentic, and it shaped the photographer I am today.
We worked in black and white film, spending long hours in his darkroom, surrounded by the smell of chemicals, making handmade tools for dodging and burning. It was slow, detailed work—the kind of “old school” artistry many modern photographers have never even heard of.
Frank has since passed on, but his presence was with us yesterday. During the big bridal party portraits, I needed the light to soften. Half-joking, half-hoping, I looked up and asked a cloud to move. And I swear—it did. The light shifted into the perfect glow, and I turned to the bride and said, “It’s like your dad is shining down on us.”
I felt him there all day. And it was the greatest honor to celebrate his daughter’s love story, carrying forward the lessons he gave me decades ago.