Photo Friday #3

Time for #photofriday number 3.

Today's a little meloncholy, I'm afraid.

This is one of the first portraits I ever took, November 10th 2011. I'd been invited to one of my best mate's weddings as a guest, and conveniently also just acquired my new camera - a Nikon d5100.

The shot, like all my photos, was taken on the fly during the pre-wedding and post wedding receptions. I never thought to ask if my mates minded me bringing the camera, but I kept it away during the ceremony and kept out of the way of the paid photographer, since I didn't want to be the guy ruining photos.

Meet Nicole, the gorgeous bride. If she looks a little smug, it's because she was - she'd just got married to the love of her life before all her family and best mates, and was about to get drunk on expensive wine and champagne.

It's not a great portrait, by any means. I've never really got into portrait photography, and am still far from being any good at it. But it's special to me because it's one of the last photos of Nicole that I ever took.

Nicole, very sadly, passed away from breast cancer on the 6th of June, 2015. She'd only been married for three and a half years, and was only 34 - the age I am now.

It's still difficult to look at her photos, but every time I do I smile, because Nicole was truely the best and bravest of us.

So why this shot? And why now? Because I'm in need of a reality check. A reminder that you can't sweat the small stuff. That the mere fact that life goes on is the greatest blessing that any of us can have.

Every time I start to get a little shitty with life; every time I lose a job, or get angry at some small thing, I try to take a moment to remember her and keep things in perspective.

Call your parents. Hug your siblings. Tell your mates that they mean the world to you. Life's too short.