Episode 1 in a series of videos related to the event industry in Kauai, stories about wedding officiants, hair and make-up artists, coordinators, caterers and other artists. If you are having/ planning a wedding in Kauai, this video might be a valuable tool in your research, as you’ll see in action the best non-religious officiants on Kauai, ideal for elopement weddings, vow renewals, and events that require official services by a licensed officiant.
2020 yikes!
2019 bye-bye. You went by in a blink. And so much happened? Now look, 2020 is almost here.Yikes! I dare not think what will happen.
Cutaway, Reversal, and Don’t Cross the Line.
I’m David Marsh, a wedding cinematographer in Kauai and this piece is basically about me, what I do and why I’m different. So what’s “Cutaway, Reversal, and Don’t Cross the Line?” If you are a professional filmmaker, it’s everyday spoken nomenclature. Perhaps many wedding pros know these terms, although I’ve met plenty that don’t. But…ostensibly, film production protocols aren’t necessarily needed to film a wedding, right? That’s not what I believe! I believe there’s a story to be told in every wedding. On the HOME PAGE of my website I write: “I imagine first then shoot—having a script is how I produce high-end wedding videos that are crafted for originality and paced to be entertaining.” I also say, “a story has to have a story, you can’t call it a story when you show up at a wedding with a video camera and shoot some nice looking footage!”
These film philosophies run through me veins, as taught to me many years ago when I was a supernumerary/ apprentice at Pinewood Film Studios in England. Seventeen at that time, I’d quit school early because I hated school. My training started with brain fodder: knowing the difference between emulsion and celluloid, the difference between key numbers and reel numbering, to know butterflies, HDMIs, scrims, tying in, and a million other things—a training that lasted ten years. I worked my way up the ladder, becoming a film and TV editor, then a director of independent art films, before I decided to DP and write. After three decades in the film and TV business, I decided I wanted to be a writer of fiction. To facilitate my dream, I segued into wedding cinematography and wedding photography so that I could still earn a living. What I learned is shooting is shooting, however big, however small, it has to be done right or not at all.
To this day, I get really excited to go out and shoot. For photography, I like to use two cameras, one strapped over each shoulder, so that I can easily switch focal lengths without changing lenses. For video, I mostly shoot with three cameras, but sometimes four of five. You might be surprised to know that complex video shoots require fewer cameras.
wedding photography by David Marsh.
More about me at Kauai Video Productions
Would you repeat “I do” after 50 years
Fifty percent of marriages end up in divorce with the median length of marriage in the United States at eleven years. A huge barrier seems to be around the seven-year-mark where so many married couples find themselves mired in union misery, where they feel that they’re stuck in a loveless marriage and their vow “…until death do us part…” no longer seems viable. When we hear about married couples celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary, it’s like, “Wow! Unbelievable! Amazing!” The fact is only seven percent of the population have been married for fifty years. So when you hear about a married couple being together for over fifty years, approaching their fiftieth wedding anniversary and deciding to get married again, even though they’re not divorced, well, it’s mind blowing! Boy, was I thrilled to meet such a couple and I was delighted that they decided to come to Kauai and choose 
me to photograph their special occasion and make a special video for them. Congratulations Lorinda and George! Hugs to you! Photography and video by David Marsh, Kauai at Kauai Video Productions.
Tunnels Beach, kauai, back again
On April 14th 2018, the skies above Kauai opened releasing rainfall like I’d never imagined, a barrage of non-stop lightning and thunder like artillery fire shaking the foundations of my home. The storm raged for over a day. When it eventually left us, I saw first hand some of the substantial and devastating damage, the worst on Kauai since Hurricane Iniki in 1992. The rain had been record-breaking, over 50 inches, the most in a 24-hour period ever recorded on American soil. The landslides and flash flooding left homes in ruin, turned streets into rivers, and reduced a massive swath of the north shore into an unlivable shamble. The highway leading from Hanalei north was destroyed, mile after mile, and would remain closed for over a year while construction crews worked tirelessly to rebuild. All of the spectacular beaches on the north shore including Hanalei’s Black Pot and the pier were closed to the public, both residents and tourists alike. Tunnels beach, one of the most spectacular beaches in the world would not see a tourist for fifteen months. I ventured to Tunnels this month, my first venture back since the April storm. The sun had just risen. The beach was pristine. And my photo shoot was a blast. At last, the north shore is back!
Diamond Light Photography 