My approach
I strive to create beautiful images of wonderful, joyful, intimate and emotional moments on one of the most important days of your life. When you look back at your photographs, I want you to feel the heightened emotions that you felt on that day. I want you to remember how beautiful you looked and felt. I try to capture perfect moments, rather than the perfect picture. Content is everything and I want to create elegant, classic and beautiful images and portraits.
I love the craft of photography. I love the technical aspects and all the control that you have with a camera. I love studying and understanding the properties of light; the shape and relative size of a light source, its fall-off, its direction and how it spills onto a subject and how it is bouncing around. You need to completely understand all of these elements to be able to use them instinctively. Good light is critical to making beautiful images and I am always studying the available light. It is the first thing that I look for at a new location and I always look where the light is coming from and how it falls.
It all starts with the pre-wedding photo shoot. It is really important for me to get to know the couple that I am photographing. There is always some communication between the subject and photographer, no matter how subtle that might be. I am not completely invisible, despite being as unobtrusive and respectful to the day’s proceedings as I can be. I want you to be completely comfortable and relaxed having a camera (and me) around and therefore I highly recommend doing a pre-wedding photo shoot. I feel that it leads to much stronger images on your wedding day. I would like you to feel that you know me reasonably well on your wedding day and that I am not some stranger. We also produce some stunning images which are a great reminder of these wonderful times in your life leading up to one of the most beautiful days of your life. These shoots are personalized to put you in a comfortable environment and we collaborate on the location and styling of the shoot. I suggest bringing along a make-up artist and we ensure that you look and feel fantastic. You will be pleasantly surprised how much fun it is! The pre-wedding shoot is included in my standard wedding package, at no additional cost, because I feel that it is so important and contributes to better wedding photographs.
Equipment. I use the best and most appropriate tool for the job. Not only do I use top-of-the-range Canon cameras (1D X & 5D IV) for their low light capabilities, speed and off-camera flash, but I also shoot with Leica M digital rangefinders, as well as a traditional medium format film camera. I use the Leica for the wonderful and unique images that its amazing lenses create. Shooting with a rangefinder makes you really think about what you are photographing. It makes you slow down, consider where the most beautiful light is falling and look for the best compositions. It is all about simplicity and the essence of photography. Depending on the lighting conditions, the environment and time permitting, I also shoot traditional film. The look and feel of film is wonderful and still yields some uniquely beautiful images that cannot be replicated using modern digital cameras. The 6x7 cm negatives are gorgeous. I tend to use film when I take portraits of the bride and groom.
Guests. I look for natural, spontaneous and emotional moments of you and your guests and your interactions with close family and friends. These are the moments that I look for. I do of course do formal portraits of you and your family, but try to limit these to say 20 - 30 minutes. I will of course consult with you before your wedding to determine what is and who are particularly important to you on your wedding day, so that I can focus on those elements too.
Beautiful light. On your wedding day, and schedule permitting, I also like to do an additional mini photo session with you when the light is best which is usually about an hour before sunset. Good lighting is critical and I try to put you in a wonderful lighting and photographic situation to capture some beautiful images. This mini session is short and I am very conscientious not to keep you away from your guests and party for long.
Other than that, I tend to use an assistant for the more formal photographs. Good light is critical and I often need to bounce or shape the light. My assistant will often hold a light reflector, or perhaps an off-camera flash modifier. I much prefer natural light and when I do use artificial light it is to compliment the existing light, rather than overpower it. I will normally scout and visit your wedding venue in advance so that I can recommend the best areas in which to photograph, knowing where exactly and how the light will fall.
It’s a collaboration. Photography is always a collaborative process for me. I love helping out with wedding timelines and suggesting great locations to photograph in. I would love to meet you and hear about your wedding plans. I’ll certainly bring along my passion for making great images and I would love to hear from you. It’s a lifelong passion for me and I would love to share the journey with you.
Please feel free to call me. My telephone number is +49 170 7797 201