Julia & Björn, Wedding in Konstanz, Germany
Who did I shoot?
Julia and I used to sing in our high school’s chamber choir, riffing on Jazz Songs and acting out musical theatre ballads every Monday night. We acted on stage together as lovers in front of other high school kids, worked together in my parent’s asian restaurant, and shared our laughs and our sorrows. When she asked me if I would shoot her wedding to Björn, 10 years after we parted ways, I could only answer with a resounding “JA!”.
Where did we shoot?
Julia’s wedding took me back to the place where I was born and grew up - the Bodensee in the south of Germany. Balmy evenings, lots of green, pastures, small towns. A lot of things were smaller than I remembered. Walking through certain streets and along the lake brought me back to when I was 14, walking with my parents on their Sunday break. Lots of nostalgia.
Useful to know
A photographer can tell if they’re being trusted or not.
Julia trusted me. And she let me know, by what she said, and how she acted. It was in the little things. No attempted negotiations about the price. No micromanaging. She was just enjoying her day, with her friends, and counted me among them. My gratefulness carried over to the photos I took that day. It’s something I can’t quite describe, but I can see it when I look at the photos. It’s like there’s an extra sheen to them. I really like them.
I think it comes down to the golden rule: “Treat others as you would like others to treat you.” If you negotiate every penny with the photographer, don’t give them food and drink during a full-day shoot, or do other un-human things, then all the negative feelings you generate will come back to you in the photos. We’ll treat you like just another contract. Do the usual. Make it as quick as possible.
However, be a human being, and you’ll get our all. The enthusiasm. The late hours. The extra sheen.
Fun fact
Julia has a beautiful soprano voice. She sang “I’ll Always Remember Us this Way” from the A Star is Born movie with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. I melted. And Björn was liquid.
Some Behind-the-Scenes shenanigans:
I love my job.
Tam