Finally pulled the plug!

In 1975 I started photographing weddings.

I was 29 at the time.

My Dad, Glen Thompson, who was my first trainer and Inspiration in photography. The safari suit was my standard wedding photography uniform in the 1970's. This was in the Dandenongs in Victoria.

Now this last weekend I assisted a young friend in a wedding shoot and at the end of the day and into the night I suffered some terrible cramps.
(See Summer's facebook photography site below.)

https://www.facebook.com/AquaSummerPhotography/photos/pcb.1017802151595843/1017797588262966/?type=3&theater

I decided that now almost 70 it is time to declare my innings closed on officially shooting weddings.

I have been averaging about one a year over the last five years.

I have been thoroughly enjoying over the last 10 years the transition from film photography to digital and marvel at the cameras now being produced at a rapid rate.
I will probably in future still take some shots at weddings where I am a guest but apart from that maybe only when I am Uncle Geoff.
It has been a fantastic journey and I have made many wonderful friends in the photography industry and also been able to mentor and train some young photographers along the way.
On this blog and my other blogs I have posted some of my training in wedding photography tips from my course I developed some years ago.
If you are an aspiring Wedding Photographer you may find a lot of help there.
See my other blogs on photography.
 A lot of this training is also posted on this blog.

http://geoffthompsonphotographics.blogspot.com.au/

http://geoffthompsonsphotographytraining.blogspot.com.au/

Thanks to all who have helped me along the way.
Especially my lovely wife.

From last weekend. A beautiful wedding.

Below is a link to an earlier post anticipating this day.

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/too-old-to-be-wedding-photographer.html

Ps. Since posting this have now been asked to photograph guys getting ready only at 2 consecutive weddings. This is something I can handle. Probably the "easiest" part of wedding photography.

PPS. Now in October 2016 I am recovering from heart surgery. It's a good thing I pulled the plug when I did.
I could have died on a wedding shoot!
Seriously as you get older listen to those telling you you need to lose weight and have a healthy diet.
Have regular checkups although in my case usual medical check ups did not reveal seriously blocked arteries.
Don't wait to get older but do the right things early on.