I’ve captured quite a few moments in my career as a photojournalist, mostly for the paper, the Associated Press and as a wedding photographer turning my documentary eye on holy matrimony.

The stress of shooting news coverage is dwarfed by the stress of wedding photography. Shooting film 25 years ago was even harder. You didn’t know what you had until the film was developed. I’ve written before about the stress and drama surrounding weddings. It is unnecessary and counter productive. At the end of the day, the newlyweds walk down the aisle obviously relieved.

As I write my weekly column, I am 24 hours away from a wedding that takes only second to my own 32 years ago. Zach, Tracy’s and my only child, is getting married at St. Mary’s Christ the King Parrish in Pittsburgh on Saturday to a beautiful and wonderful young lady, Gabriella. Dear friends, family and even our priest from St. Joseph Catholic Church is in attendance as the officiant.

I’ve had countless friends ask if I was going to shoot the wedding. I responded it is pretty tough when you are a part of it. Upon further reflection, I decided not to pack a single camera or lens. This wedding is special and I want to soak it all in without the distraction of the camera between the moments and my eye.

I struggled when packing the SUV with clothes, tuxes, gifts and lord knows what my wife squirreled away in all the bins and boxes. I came close several times to throwing a camera bag in the back just in case. Instead, I will rely on my iPhone to grab a few frames to share on social media and for the obligatory selfies. I will have to watch myself as I size up the two wedding photographers Gabriella has hired for their special day. It will be tough to keep my attention on the wedding mass and not look out of the corner of my eye to see if they are in the right position for all of the important moments.

I’m not going to lie, deep down I will be judging them and will be a tougher critic than the new Mr. and Mrs. Imel will be. With that said, I offered Zach a few bits of fatherly advice that has worked in my marriage and my life, much of it gleaned from being a photojournalist.

Men and women are wired differently, remember that: Every day when I wake up, I apologize to my wife for the stupid male things I am going to do that day, and when we go to bed, I apologize for all the stupid male things I did that day.

Don’t sweat the small stuff: Keep your eye on the bigger picture in life. Yes, the devil is in the details, but don’t miss the beauty of the forest for the trees.

Be a student of the human: If you don’t know how to deal with people, work with people and understand people, you will have an uphill climb. Photojournalism taught me to be a student of human behavior, to look for non-verbal cues and to watch what people say versus what they do.

The worst decision is no decision: I learned in newspapers that the quicker you could make a decision, the better. The more decisions you make, the better chance you have that some of them will be good ones. Overthinking things usually leads to paralysis and worse decisions.

Make moments, don’t take moments: In the beginning of my career, I “took” photos. I photographed simply what was there. Over time, I began to “make” images. I anticipated. I focused on what was important and left the rest. I discerned. I made choices. I made storytelling images. Life is the same way, don’t eat up the oxygen in the room. Revel in that moment and time.

Accept criticism: The words that will make you grow as an individual are, for the most part, not the ones of praise. They are the words which challenge your decisions, and ask “why?” They are the words which may feel uncomfortable to hear but offer a fresh viewpoint. They are the words which give you the opportunity to grow and learn.

Slow down, have patience: A mistake I commonly make is thinking about what is next, rather than what is happening right now. The camera has allowed me to have a physical reminder to slow down and take in the moment. What I have learned is the moment you are sick of waiting for something to happen, it happens the moment you lose your patience.

Have empathy: We are all the center of our own universe dealing with our own situations and demons. In situations where it can be so easy to make assumptions, or let our own emotions dictate our responses, remember, it is so much easier to be kind than anything else.

– Daily News General Manager Joe Imel can be reached at (270) 783-3273 or via email at joe.imel@bgdailynews.com.