THE MELTING WOODS by THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IN PORTUGAL
The photos were taken in the woods near Quinta da Cheinha in Pinhel, on the afternoon of the wedding day
• Pode ler este artigo em Português.
The forest things and the wedding photographs
I really enjoy photographing in forest environments. Besides feeling good surrounded by tall trees with their twisted trunks and leaves in a thousand yellows and twelve hundred greens, hundreds of greys and many more colors. This atmosphere always excites my imagination, and I love turning these beings into garments as if I wanted to complete the couple’s clothing.
And then I can do lots of things any child would love in the woods: I peek between trunks, hide in the foliage, run along the path pretending to surprise, always find some tube to use as a telescope to watch the couple as if they were two moons in the middle of the universe—childishness of an immature wedding photographer.
- The forest acts as a magical setting to create unique atmospheres in wedding photographs.
- The photographer’s imagination turns natural elements into part of the couple’s story.
- The emotional connection of the wedding photographer with the environment results in creative and genuine images.
The session with the groom and the bride for the wedding photos
Photographing a session with the groom and bride in such settings awakens a somewhat dreamy side in me that I try to materialize by creating images where, in some way, I blend the scenery with my main photographic subject: the couple. And this doesn’t seem far-fetched coming from a wedding photographer.
- The forest inspires an artistic approach, blending couple and nature into a unified visual narrative.
- The wedding photographer transforms the scenery into an expressive and immersive element in the photos.
- Such wedding photographs capture genuine emotions with a touch of fantasy.
You need to know:
To photograph, one needs several elements that provide the necessary engagement for the resulting photo to have context, aesthetics, and tell its own story, whether explicit or imagined. The surrounding setting is essential for this to happen.
It can be a large group of people together in one place, like the wedding guests during the ceremony, during the social gathering upon arriving at the party venue, or when everyone dances when the time comes. Here, the wedding photographer might focus on one person for various reasons, and those around provide the context and framing.
This is how I go from photo to photo until I have a story to tell. It’s the same when I photograph the couple on their wedding day. I like to do it at dusk when the sun gives me the light I’ve arranged with it, although it doesn’t always keep its part of the deal—and in a location I’ve already chosen for that context.
If, by chance, within the grounds of the estate where the wedding party takes place—or just outside—I find a woodland, I know I have all the important elements for a successful photo session with the couple at the end of the day.
- The context and surroundings directly impact the aesthetics of wedding photography.
- The wedding guests are part of the visual narrative created by the photographer.
- An ideal place like Quinta da Cheinha in Pinhel provides the perfect backdrop to capture the essence of a wedding day.
Note: The session took place at Quinta da Cheinha, located in Pinhel, Guarda district – a charming venue that offers ideal natural settings for engaging photo sessions.
Want to make sure your wedding day memories are captured with creativity and emotion? Contact me and let’s talk about how I can photograph your big day with authenticity.
- You can see a full wedding story.