Grooms, godparents and children next to the large glass of colored sand in a weeding traditional ritual, captured by the wedding photographer in Portugal in Penha Longa Resort in Sintra.

The Wedding Photographer in Sintra: unexpected moments

SOMETHING NEW by THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IN PENHA LONGA RESORT

Grooms, godparents and children next to the large glass of colored sand in a weeding traditional ritual, captured by the wedding photographer in Portugal in Penha Longa Resort in Sintra.

Some photos from part of a wedding ceremony at the Penha Longa Resort in Sintra


• Pode ler este artigo em Português

Objects of Photographs on a Wedding Day

One of the bride and groom's children pour sand into a large cup, as is customary.

Some things enchant me. One of them is discovering, unexpectedly, a new habit coming from someone in front of me as an object of photographs on a wedding day. That’s why, when photographing a wedding of people from different places, this can happen without anything having been previously mentioned.
Between the surprise of wanting to understand, the surprise that always inhibits movement, and the need for reaction from the wedding photographer, there is a moment of inaction that does not prevent doing the job with commitment

The Action Necessary for Photography

The girl, daughter of the bride and groom, pouring colored sand from a bottle into a large glass.

And there it is, it’s new, it’s fast, and the lighting isn’t always ideal. But, I don’t know why, that’s when I get a rush that makes me, without realizing it, be exactly where I should be, just right. I know wedding photographers have these things that no one knows where they came from. What’s certain is that they help at the right time and when they’re most needed.
It’s true that this is what we’re entrusted with on the wedding day. However, being a wedding photographer doesn’t mean knowing everything for every situation. But I can’t help but feel delighted when I realize I nailed it in detecting, observing, and acting with the necessary photographic instinct. It’s a joy that’s always renewed.

Another of the bride and groom's children pours blue sand into the big glass.

Point by point:

  • Whenever a different habit, from another part of the world, happens on a wedding day:
    • I always feel a great curiosity
    • I make the most of it for the photographs at the wedding
  • The wedding photographer doesn’t always react immediately:
    • Because it’s new and unexpected
    • Needs to figure out how to approach it
    • Establishes a strategy for taking the photographs
  • As soon as I understand what is happening with that new element at the wedding:
    • I look for the ideal point of view without intruding on the moment
    • Depending on the chosen lens, I take as many photographs as the moment allows
    • I integrate those photographs into the story of the wedding day

You Need to Know:

  • On a wedding day, the photographer has their strategies for capturing the events as time passes. Now and then, something new pops up out of nowhere and throws off that sense of anticipation. In that moment, the wedding photographer might be briefly frozen, unsure how to photograph what’s happening.
  • Thankfully, that hesitation doesn’t last long. Immediately, the photographer figures out how to approach the new moment without interfering or stopping others from witnessing it. Once that’s done, the wedding photographs start flowing back into the camera again.
  • I’m always thrilled when I’m surprised by something that happens in the flow of events. When I photograph a wedding day that doesn’t bring any surprises and I can always predict the next step, it can become dull and less appealing for a rich photographic collection. Fortunately, that rarely happens in weddings, which, though almost all the same, are all different.

Sometimes, the couple or one of the guests has something special to show and doesn’t tell me. On the one hand, it’s great because of the surprise. On the other hand, I might not react in time, and the story gets lost. If it’s something planned, let me know, just for safety. I’ll pretend I don’t know.

Contact me so we can schedule a meeting, where we’ll talk about your wedding day and I’ll show you much more of my work.


  • You can see a full wedding story:

The eldest son of the newly married couple pours yellow sand into the large glass.

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