GARY ALLEN, NORTH CAROLINA
 The
WPJA proudly honors Gary Allen as 2004 Photographer of the Year.
Along with this title, Gary received a $1,000 grand prize and
his name is engraved permanently on the WPJA traveling trophy.
Gary’s principal pride, however, is the recognition this
award represents within distinguished WPJA company and the message
it sends from a notable panel of photojournalism judges. The award
represents excellence within his photojournalism profession. “Winning
the award is that much sweeter,” he said.
Gary shoots from the vantage of one and a half decades of professional,
full-time newspaper photojournalism experience. His photos have
appeared in Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and Southern Living
magazines, as well as The New York Times, The Washington Post
and The Chicago Tribune newspapers. For 12 years, Gary shot for
The Raleigh, NC News & Observer. He’s six time recipient
of the North Carolina Photographer of the Year in addition to
hundreds of awards on the local, state, regional, national and
international levels. Photography credits include the 1996 Olympics,
NCAA Final Fours, ACC basketball tournaments, presidential visits,
and the Kentucky Derby, shooting celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Michael Jordan as well as devastating hurricanes off the coast.
News photojournalism experience helps Gary capture the emotion
and feeling tied to weddings with striking talent. When news occurred,
he had to react. “In all of those situations,” he explains,
“you learn to think on the run. You have to be able to react
to situations and put yourself where you need to be without preparation.”
He strives to capture the real moment in all situations, and regardless
of the planning or anticipation you may expend, that peak action
and emotion is always a surprise. This, he feels, is what makes
it special.
Gary is also surprisingly relaxed at weddings, one of the most
stressful events in most couple’s lives. His low-key behavior
transcends into the bride and guests. Whether it rains or the
cake falls, “my mantra to couples is to relax and have fun
and enjoy your wedding day,” he says. “I love to shoot
pictures. I think being a photographer is the greatest thing in
the world. It’s
something I’ve always loved to do. I’m a photographer
first and a businessman second.”
When asked whom he shoots for, himself or his client, Gary believes:
“clients always come first.” In the course of the day,
he’s always able to satisfy both their needs and his personal
creative expression needs. Arriving a few hours ahead of schedule,
Gary work directly with the couple and family while they prepare
for the ceremony. This one-on-one time helps the party adjust
to his style and get comfortable enough to forget the camera.
As the day unwraps, he typically shoots with the 24, 50 and 105
mm lenses providing the range he favors. “Those three lenses
just seem to work for me,” he explains. “I’ll know
just where to go to position a 105, a 50 or a 24.” During
the reception, he falls back or stands across the room with a
longer and often changes his perspective with a wider angled lens.
When asked who his ideal clients are, Gary says: “Ones that
seek me out because of my photojournalism background.” While
he’s more than happy to take posed family photos, he is a
die-hard photojournalist that lives for the moment. In this manner,
he continued: “sometimes the sun sets or there’s a nice
street light outside and I grab the bride and groom and take an
impromptu picture that turns out great.”
He approaches the wedding and reception by capitalizing on everything
that’s visual. He’s always looking out for things that
can be used to make a good shot. “A lot of times, I seek
those out to incorporate in the pictures.” But unlike his
news work, he does gain a bit of creative freedom. If there’s
a beer can in a shot, he can kick it out beforehand – something
he would never do in a news story.
 Gary
has a signature style among photojournalists. While most of his
work is a one-time shot, he explores creative avenues within desktop
image software. This work results in a colorized photographic
look balancing color and black-and-white aspects. His images exemplify
a reality that supersedes the non-creative eye, expressing textures,
angles and sentiment the busy guest
and couple miss and often forget.
What would he like to convey to brides and wedding planners considering
his photojournalism services? “That I not only love what
I do, but am passionate about my work, too. I love to be able
to create something special for a couple and family. I put 100
percent into every wedding.” For Gary, his work embodies
his personal pride.
By Lisa Evenson
For the Wedding Photojournalist Association
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