BREATHING TIME by THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

A photo of the groom at home, waiting to go to the wedding ceremony

• Pode ler este artigo em Português. 

Looking, thinking, and executing a photograph

I often wish I had more time to think through some of the photographs that present to me throughout the day and in the many wedding spaces. But the speed at which everything unfolds usually forces the wedding photographer to be extremely efficient and quick in the look-think-shoot relationship. And that, in itself, is a wonderful challenge

Love for photography

I’ve said it here many times: portraiture holds a very special place in my love for photography. Even those situations that present themselves to the photographer as bursts of action that refuse to stop, I end up treating them as if they were portraits, involving all the movement in space and time on a day of unstoppable change.

So, being able to have even a little piece of time to take a deep breath, clear the mind, observe the surroundings, and choose the right lens for a bit of composition work is a pleasure no wedding photographer will pass up, though we don’t always have the luxury. Nor do I.

Point by point:

• A wedding photograph, just before it’s taken, needs:
  • To be detected
  • To find the best point of view
  • To choose the framing
  • To search for the best composition
  • Finally, to be taken
• For that to happen, the wedding photographer wishes:
  • To have time to think
  • To carefully choose the conditions for the shot
  • To move on to the next photograph
• But on a wedding day:
  • Everything happens very quickly
  • Things change fast
  • There’s no time to think
  • The photographer must react with great speed and effectiveness
• It’s precisely because of these conditions that I find such joy in photographing weddings. While they all share a similar structure, the moments they create for photographs are always different and full of energy.

You must know:

• I remember well when I photographed my first wedding. I was already a professional photographer for many years, and it was overwhelming in terms of photographic fascination. It felt like I had finally found the place where I could be happy while photographing.

• Not knowing what to do, things—today I call them “moments”—would come right to me, and it was obvious they were meant to be photographed. At the time, that wasn’t exactly how weddings were photographed, but I didn’t know any better. I left with a bag full of wedding photographs that I would later find out fell into the concept of documentary wedding photography.

• Then there was the speed at which everything happened. It was a big challenge because I wasn’t used to it, lacked training, and the cameras didn’t perform like they do today. But I knew exactly what I needed to do, even if I wasn’t sure how to do it. That was my first day as a wedding photographer.

• From that day on, I became a photographer with a deep desire to photograph weddings. I began a necessary learning journey—techniques, physical performance (yes, the photographer’s body helps make the photographs), and discovering little tricks to handle the most demanding situations.

• I also discovered that I loved all the urgency that a wedding day brings. In every part of it, there are moments of calm and others of high activity—and I thrived in that. I think that’s what challenges me most in the pursuit of wedding photographs: the speed of certain moments during the day.

• Because of all that, I remain a wedding photographer, never doubting that it’s the best place for me to do photography. Out of all the experiences I’ve had in photography, none makes me feel more welcomed than the one I have when photographing a wedding.

So, as you’ve probably already realized, I truly want to be at your wedding to photograph it. Come meet with me for a chat where we can talk about your expectations and I can show you my work.

• You can see a full wedding story: