JULIA & PASHA
Although I didn't fully realize exactly what was going on until just after the music started playing, I had the honor of being the photographer for Julia and Pasha's secret wedding in July, 2010. Julia had hired me a couple of weeks earlier to take some photos of her and her boyfriend on a specific date, saying that they wanted to do a photo shoot on their anniversary.
While I suspected that there was more to the story than that (like engagement shots), I was still taken off-guard when a staff member at the Kremlin in Izmailovo led me into a room and told me to wait in a specific spot, and just moments later Julia and Pasha walked in, hand-in-hand, to the sound of Wagner's "Bridal Chorus."
To be honest, I wasn't totally prepared for this, as I'd sort of figured that if there was something as important as a wedding going on, they would have told their photographer:) Then again, I found out they were eloping before any of their parents did: in fact, we had only a limited time after the ceremony to take shots because they had to meet with the folks in order to deliver the news. Naturally, one of my flashes decided conveniently not to work at the last-minute (even though I had tested it before the shoot), and the available light at this time of day wasn't perfect, but it could've been worse.
Still, aside from me, the only guest was Julia's lovely daughter Paulina, so it wasn't exactly a big affair, and I got to take the kind of shots that I really love, with a beautiful setting and subjects who are excited to work with you to create something memorable and allow you the freedom to experiment, using external lights to compliment the mood when appropriate. Julia was absolutely radiant in her shimmering green dress, which contrasted beautifully with her fiery red hair, and I did my best to accentuate it with some warm backlighting in some of the shots. Pasha couldn't keep his eyes off her.
Sometimes, when photographing couples, it can be difficult to get them to relax and be themselves in front of the camera. Fortunately, that wasn't an issue at all in this case, as my biggest problem was reminding them that they didn't need to be kissing in every single shot:) It's wonderful to witness two people so desperately in love, and I felt privileged to be given the opportunity to capture this special day for them.
Read MoreWhile I suspected that there was more to the story than that (like engagement shots), I was still taken off-guard when a staff member at the Kremlin in Izmailovo led me into a room and told me to wait in a specific spot, and just moments later Julia and Pasha walked in, hand-in-hand, to the sound of Wagner's "Bridal Chorus."
To be honest, I wasn't totally prepared for this, as I'd sort of figured that if there was something as important as a wedding going on, they would have told their photographer:) Then again, I found out they were eloping before any of their parents did: in fact, we had only a limited time after the ceremony to take shots because they had to meet with the folks in order to deliver the news. Naturally, one of my flashes decided conveniently not to work at the last-minute (even though I had tested it before the shoot), and the available light at this time of day wasn't perfect, but it could've been worse.
Still, aside from me, the only guest was Julia's lovely daughter Paulina, so it wasn't exactly a big affair, and I got to take the kind of shots that I really love, with a beautiful setting and subjects who are excited to work with you to create something memorable and allow you the freedom to experiment, using external lights to compliment the mood when appropriate. Julia was absolutely radiant in her shimmering green dress, which contrasted beautifully with her fiery red hair, and I did my best to accentuate it with some warm backlighting in some of the shots. Pasha couldn't keep his eyes off her.
Sometimes, when photographing couples, it can be difficult to get them to relax and be themselves in front of the camera. Fortunately, that wasn't an issue at all in this case, as my biggest problem was reminding them that they didn't need to be kissing in every single shot:) It's wonderful to witness two people so desperately in love, and I felt privileged to be given the opportunity to capture this special day for them.
