Amy Mellow of A Creative Focus Photography knows how to work a crowd—and that’s a great skill for any wedding photographer. After getting to know the groomsmen at this wedding in Priam Vineyards in Connecticut, Mellow knew there’d be potential for some funny shots if she could direct them correctly and bring out their playful sides.

“I knew I had a really fun bunch of groomsmen that would love to mess with the groom a little bit,” she explains, “so after the formal photo, I told the guys that on the count of three, they should all go in and give Alden a hard time, whatever that means to them—and huge thanks to Pye Jirsa and SLR Lounge for that tip!”

The tactic worked, and Mellow snapped the shutter as the groom made eye contact with the camera. “This must have been the split second before he reacted, but he held his gaze.”

(Captured using a Nikon D750 with a Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens.)

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