We need to talk…
about photoshoots
Way more things can happen in a photoshoot than you we imagine, that’s why they are the perfect occasion for magic and art to occur. The greatest opportunity to create happens, precisely, when we are uncomfortable, between the strangeness and the goosebumps we get from the camera, when you see it closer than your own consciousness and then so far it seems gone. It’s right in that moment when your story, the photographer’s vision, a good setting and the desire to break the script, get together to assemble the coolest superhero army to get you the photos that, for sure, you’ll want to hang on every wall of your home.
Of course the process of standing in front of a camera is not natural (and it shouldn’t have to be). So, for starters, let’s get that idea from our heads so we can start with a fresh mind.
A great result has to do with attitude, just like that. Success won’t come from waiting for the right magazine-ready angle and rehearsing that in front of the mirror, nor the amount of outfits you wear and definitely not from thinking about being perfect. Its okay to be clumsy, fall down, cry, feel uncomfortable, you can bring out your geekiest side and the weirdest too, time to be yourself and…
Explore all those emotions in a grayscale.
Your attitude will be amazing while creating, not only during the photoshoot but you’ll carry that to the special day too.
On the wedding day the photoshoot becomes a pause in reality to immerse ourselves in a bubble to try and create new dreams...
Yeah sure, the wedding planner will be telling you the time like a robot, your bridesmaid will be on task making sure your dress stays sharp because #thehorror and more, but…
Guess what? Nothing like that will be as important as what we are about to create at that moment.
And of course, sometimes we will battle 300 style to stay away from the perfectionist thought of aesthetics to design, from scratch, the meaningful imagery that will be the testimony of your story. THIS IS SPARTA! Everything else must make way.
Thinking about *ideal* formulas is exhausting, just as every other school course you took and knew you would never need. So, why repeat that process when you and your partner can create your own stuff from scratch? Boom!
Let’s just skip class and transcend the classic concept of a wedding, now THAT is cool.
Don’t think too hard about it, to be unconventional a lot or weird is necessary. The good thing about photoshoots is that I can just shoot many clicks, not only so you can relax and let your guard down, but to capture the magic created in those moments where you just go ¨the fuck we are doing here¨, ¨now what do we do¨, ¨this is so weird´ and a million more etceteras.
Ask yourself all the questions you want, If that’s your true self and all your essence will multiply on the photos…Go at it without fear!
The reel may get stuck on those moments of explosive happiness, when and where did that happen? Chasing that Hollywood moment and trying to portrait the romantic corny and nauseous love belongs to soap operas nobody cares about anymore. Being dressed up as groom and bride doesn’t mean you have to imitate a chick-flick , lets just…break all that!
Let´s be disrespectful
But like…cool
One of the hardest moments to explore on that grayscale I told you about earlier is separating the couple to capture the individual force. It’s totally valid to not follow the classic line “you and I till the end of the world” and give each other a bit of time to show that unique identity each one possesses.
It is very easy to make the “I was there” photo, no effort, a simple pose and wrap it up! What is not simple is to put intention on it, translate the emotion an image conveys, find what comes with ease and obtain, as a couple, your trust for the process.
Artistic interpretation is my favorite part, that yearning that becomes an iconic photo, deserving of a good “wow, holy shit!”. The result when intention is there and everything flows.
A lot of couples tell me “Damn, I don’t remember that”. When you are on the position of the photographer and you don’t think about lighting, composition or the perfect pose that’s when magic happens and now a click becomes a story.
For this matter, taking context out is basic. I like for photoshoots that we forget ( You both and me of course) of where we are.
If you chose a very nice fancy hotel, why put more attention on the logo or the spaces everyone else already knows from the brochure? The important thing is to go from the obvious to the creation of
Intimacy bubbles, creativity and fantasy
With just 5% is enough to go crazy at it, the other 95% will be the reflection of that reality that is your wedding. The purpose is to challenge each other, work as teammates and focus on creating something amazing, unique and not a boring cliche of those dominating the world.
So yeah! It is very necessary for you to trust your photographer (me!). I don’t want to dazzle you with a mega rockstar pizazz, what I want from you is to witness how hard I´ll go a it so I can know every element at play to give you something personal and unique. Above all, this is about
Going through a myriad of emotions and not just give you the same picture with different backgrounds
Because, that sucks!
Location does help, but it is important not to idolize it. The house or venue having a gigantic garden does not mean the photos will be better because, guess what? Maybe the bathroom is way cooler and will give us way better lighting.
My best advice is to reconnect with you childish side so we can play and experiment with the scenery without a “must do” list you found on Pinterest.
Let’s stay away from the literal, throw away the homework photos and truly do…
Portraits with you, the happy couple.
So we can let surprises happen, I skip the scouting, it can be deceitful and unbeneficial. Arriving on d-day and exploring what the location has for us is the best to create something truly abstract. Remember, on the wedding day and on the pre-wedding session…
I´m painting with you and that’s how we roll… through brushstrokes
Sometimes it is best to react to how the day is going. Sure, it would be great that the same location could be used 360° so every corner becomes a unique angle. To look beyond the obvious my starting thought is: “what would a child or an alien see right now?”. No, I’m not kidding.
And if right now you are thinking “oh boy, I really can’t strike a pose”. Good News!
Here formulas stay in books. I like to create tension (the good kind), choosing the angle, some indications until you don’t know what’s happening and then I focus on provoking…
Go back to your mischievous self, tell each other a funny story, recall something embarrassing or, plain and simple, lose yourself in a deep embrace…the kind of hug that resets your soul (so emotional it gives you chills).
As if we were in a Broadway audition, improvisation will serve you to create your own language as a couple and all those movements, reactions and responses become a photograph you’ll want to keep and show to everyone from your parents to your great-grandchildren. So…
If you had the chance to make of your photoshoot an art gallery completely to your taste, would you really give yourself any limits? I really don’t think so.
So please,
don’t focus yourself on quantity. The point of all this is for every photo to have it’s own strength, purpose and essence. Delivering too many photos would be just as chaotic as filling a hard drive with spam just because.
Creation is uncomfortable.
To create something unique you gotta go through hell and come out victorious. There’s no other choice.