08/12/2026
Bride #01 | Dallas, 1998
Before it all, the processional of hundreds of bridal portraitures and weddings to follow for the next 28 years, there was this photograph.
My very first bridal portrait.
This image was photographed in Dallas in 1998 on a Mamiya 645 medium-format camera, using 3200-speed color film pushed one stop for additional contrast. Two ARRI 300W Fresnel tungsten lights created the dramatic, sculpted illumination.
This photograph represents much more than a bridal portrait to me.
It represents where it all began. Photo journalistic candid style photography aimed at capturing the essence of a moment rather than boring traditional posing that was popular at the time.
Bride #01.
28 years of brides later, I’m still chasing beautiful light and the moments that become memories forever.
Hoffland Studios — Dallas