I consider myself a storyteller who, through photography and art direction, guides newlyweds to create their vision of future memories. However, in the age of social media, photoshop, and staged esthetics, my mission is to capture the truthfulness, genuine emotions, and authenticity of that very special day.
As a freelance photographer specializing in destination weddings, I have worked with over 250 couples to visualize their unique stories for the last five years. While I could endlessly talk about the various aspects of my job, in reality, it is constant collaboration with the newlyweds, which has two main elements; emotional and technical.
The emotional element is helping people be their most authentic and natural selves. While there is nothing more beautiful than genuine intimacy between two people in love, capturing the authenticity of these magical moments in a photograph is immensely difficult, as it requires interference with that
intimacy. The only way I can seize those moments without interference is to gain their trust through collaboration and creating a safe environment. For my part, it demands an open-minded, non-judgmental, and, most importantly, individual approach. Ultimately, if every person is unique, the connection between two individuals is also one of a kind. Thus, my mission with each couple is to create an atmosphere that will allow me into their little world and frame it in a photograph.
The technical element is also based on collaboration. Because each individual's understanding of beauty greatly differs, finding a unique style that expresses the aesthetic of three people can be challenging. Therefore, collaboration and open dialog are the keys to creating images that are the aesthetic reflections of both the couple and me as artists. As my portfolio illustrates, I have a distinctive aesthetic and approach to storytelling; however, I am still telling their story, not mine. Thus, I become a lens through which the couple sees themselves.
I love all aspects of my job, but there is something more important to me than taking photographs of picture-perfect weddings. It's the surprised look on the newlywed's faces after they realize how beautiful their authentic emotions are. That is why I go beyond staged aesthetics and focus on the emotional aspects of the wedding day in order to create real memories for years to come. After all, people trust me with the special day that marks the beginning of a new life as a family.
