For a photographer to earn their place among the best wedding photographers in Southern California, they must have dedication, study all the time and work harder than they ever thought possible. When I was named one of the Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World by American Photo Magazine, I knew that my hard work and dedication to my clients had not gone unnoticed.
My style of wedding photography encompasses both directed action and documentary capture. In this way, I am able to provide my clients with stunning portraits as well as perfectly captured moments. I have had the pleasure of photographing weddings on five continents and throughout the United States, which has in turn enabled me to work with multiple cultures in diverse environments. I consider it a true honor to have had so many couples trust me with their weddings.
People often ask me what it takes to be a great wedding photographer. And my reply is simple. Becoming a great wedding photographer takes time, dedication, study, an artistic eye, a dedicated focus on technical perfection and a relentless pursuit of creating better images. To be a great photographer, you have to care about your clients and you have to recognize that every event is a one-time, non-repeatable celebration. It’s a huge responsibility, and it can’t be taken lightly. I always tell newer photographers not to take on any wedding that is beyond their skill level, as disappointing a client with sub-par photography may ruin their business before it even gets off the ground.
Someone once told me that it took about five years to be able to handle any situation a wedding might throw at you. And after 19 years in this profession, I tend to believe he was right. When I first started in this profession, I knew I had a lot to learn, but I had no idea how many complex situations weddings could actually throw at a photographer. That same photographer also told me that the use of lighting enables a photographer to control any situation, rather than have a situation control them. This advice was invaluable, and is one reason I began studying lighting so many years ago. If a wedding starts after dark, or it rains and the entire wedding is moved inside to a dark ballroom, my knowledge of lighting ensures that my bride and groom still get beautiful, well-lit images. I always recommend that photographers gain a solid understand of off-camera lighting before taking on the challenge of photographing a wedding.
I sincerely adore shooting weddings. The fact that I’ve been entrusted with documenting hundreds of weddings over the years has been a true honor for me, and I consider it a personal challenge to bring my very best to each and every wedding I photograph. Weddings are as unique as the people who have them, reflecting different cultures, traditions, family preferences and religions. They are a chance for people to see friends and family they might rarely see, and an opportunity for couples to show off their unique vision through style and décor choices.
At the heart of every wedding is love. And being tasked to document that love – and all the moments that surround the start of a couple’s new life together – is a privilege and an honor. I truly enjoy being able to make a couple’s respective families happy as well. I know how important it is to photograph friends and loved ones, so we take care to document the guests as well as the bride and groom’s story. Part of our work is directed and part is documentary. In this way, we are able to provide our clients and their families with a gorgeous set of images covering every beautiful moment of their wedding celebration.
Simply, I want to provide each of my clients with the best collection of wedding images possible. It is my driving passion and my privilege to delight my clients and continue to earn their trust.