Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s I was a stringer for a well known Swiss wedding photographer based in Fremantle. For newcomers a stringer is a bit like an assistant except that a stringer shoots independently.
Every Saturday at about midday I would drop into the bosses office about midday and he would hand me a piece of paper with the name and address of the bride and groom and five rolls of film. I'd head off, shoot the five rolls and drop them back to the boss. All very impersonal but highly efficient.
My boss, Walter had about five or six stringers and, being a 'ladies' man, he flirted with all the Italian and Greek women in Fremantle and dominated the market. The brides would swoon as Walter kissed their hands and danced with them. 'Oh, Walter did my wedding', they said through starry eyes. In truth I took 180 shots and Walter took two but they only remembered Walter.
One Saturday I was given a piece of paper with the name and address of a Greek girl living in Spearwood. 'Maria' spoke no English, was of solid build and couple of olives short of a Greek salad. But it was Maria's special day and i was determined to do my best.
After taking a few shots of Maria and her bridesmaids in her parents fibro home in the market garden I noticed that not only hadn't Maria spoken a word but neither had she opened her mouth. Ia asked one of her bridesmaids 'Can you please ask Maria to open her mouth and smile?'
My shutter finger suddenly developed paralysis when I noticed Maria had a gaping black hole right in the front. One of her front teeth had gone AWOL. I tried not to overreact to the black cavern which seemed to have a suctioning effect on me. I rattled off two or three shots pretending not top notice.
I turned again to the bridesmaid 'Can you ask Maria to close her mouth again'. I was puzzled by her appearance and, at the first opportunity whispered secretly to the bridesmaid, 'What happened to Maria's tooth'
'Oh, Nikos, he came here last night and knock it out' she said casually.
Holey shamoley, so the groom decided to visit his fiancee the night before and knock out her front tooth. Asa I dove to the church I pondered on Nikos' display of affection for his new bride. Was this some sort of Greek tradition like breaking plates at the wedding breakfast? Was it to be a lucky charm to be worn around his neck? Or was it simply a rush of emotion the night before?
Anyway Maria married Nikos. I did the photography. There were just three shots of Maria with her mouth open.
Want to discover my Ten Tips for Survivng a Wedding? Join me for my next 'So You Want To Turn Pro' course at UWA on 14 July 2013
