COMPOSING by THE LISBON WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER 

From a pre-wedding session in a small garden in a village near Lisbon

Pode ler este artigo em Português. 

Harmonizing Within Photographs

Long before I became a wedding photographer, I had already awakened to photography.

Later, I discovered that what fascinated me most about it was the ability to harmonize, within the photos themselves, the elements I wanted to place there—elements I was discovering along the way.

The mysteries of composition. One of the major transformations brought about by the aesthetic revolution of the Renaissance was the care devoted to composition. The painters of the time were so revolutionary that they even invented devices to guide them in placing various elements on a canvas—both in terms of harmony and perspective. One of those inventions eventually led to the creation of the photographic camera, now so widespread and beloved in our time.

Cameras and lenses that capture photographs

They established rules to ensure that composition became the most important factor in how the content would reach the viewer—with greater realism, better interpretation, and more delight in experiencing the work. That’s why, even today, a wedding photographer must respect these rules so that their work holds the same truthfulness.

When I pick up my cameras and choose the lenses I believe are right for the photographs I aim to capture, I know I have to respect these rules—with more or less imagination, with more or less technical skill—but in the end, only the photographs that follow these principles can withstand the scrutiny of the viewer.
I must say that being a wedding photographer helps me greatly in constantly putting these rules into practice.

Point by point:

• Harmony was what I felt when I saw a well-made photograph, long before I ever thought of using it for mere pleasure.
• I later learned that what ensured that harmony was composition:
  ◦ Developed by Renaissance painters
  ◦ The arrangement of elements with harmony and perspective
  ◦ The invention of a device that would become the forerunner of the photographic camera
• In the Renaissance, they discovered that from the execution to the enjoyment of a painting, composition was the essential element:
  ◦ It allowed the distribution of elements in the image with harmony
  ◦ These rules could be applied to any painting, regardless of subject
• This is exactly what I aim to respect as a wedding photographer when I approach my subjects—everything surrounding the couple that day—and choose the right lens for each of them.

You need to know:

• The rules of harmony can be applied to almost anything but are, fundamentally, rules that are felt—even though they may seem somewhat rigid. When I’m photographing a wedding, I’m applying them with every shot I take, though I rarely think about them. I feel them.

• If I point one of my lenses at something I want to photograph, and that subject lacks harmony in its elements, it’s something I sense immediately. I then try to correct it by changing my point of view or waiting until the elements naturally align.

• A wedding day is a harmonious event because everyone knows why they are there, and they do everything they can to ensure the couple’s happiness—and, in turn, their own—drives the day. But at the same time, this happens in constant chaos in front of the photographer.

What I will do on your day as well is find small slices of the event—what photographers like to call “moments”—that contain that harmony. In the end, together, they tell the story of your wedding day.
Schedule a meeting to learn more about me and the photographs I’ve taken.