Original subtitles

Hello, Patreons. How are you?

Here we are at the first wedding with coverage from beginning to end.

I am at Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo.

It's going to be a 3 days wedding.

Yesterday there was a welcome, something simple...

We went to a mezcalería and we took few photos

because today is going to be intense.

I think is going to be more than 12 hours of hard work.

I covered some of it: the party at the bus, the welcome, and that's it.

I went to bed at midnight

and today I woke up at dawn.

I came to capture some photos of the beach,

of the islands at the background...

A general coverage of details

to also tell about the place.

The place is another character at the weddings

and we tend to ignore it, and only focus on people or the story.

I always like to dedicate a few hours to the space:

On its magic and the reason why they choose that place.

I look at the details, the textures, at how the light hits in different places.

The ceremony for this wedding will be at 5:00 pm.

As you can see, the sun is very intense.

A part is going to have to sacrifice.

I'm not sure if I will burn the sky or to stay more in shades.

I'm going to have to make a decision.

It's a wedding for two guys; Diego y Manuel.

The ceremony is also going to be very cool because...

...we usually have only one aisle,

but in this ceremony there will be two aisles

and the Grooms will walk in at the same time, separated by people.

So, it is like a little triangle.

I have been talking with the planner to get more detail on how this will flow.

They are going to get married by some good friends.

No religious ceremony.

The ceremony will last around 20-25 minutes.

After the ceremony, the guests will release turtles.

Release turtles to the sea...

I have never had that at a wedding, it's going to be interesting.

I hope it looks as cool as it sounds

because many times, that "idea" and our expectations are very high

when we think in that kind of event.

Like these birds over here...

I love those details.

The celebration will end at 5:00 am.

I normally don't stay that late, to be honest.

On Mexican weddings, I normally end at 2:00 am, at most.

The arranging start at 2:00 pm.

I think the guys will get ready together

That detail will make it special,

in very few weddings the couple get ready together.

When I got married, we did that.

We don't have photos because I was starting on this,

and we didn't have money to hire a photographer

but it was very funny.

I am hoping the preparations are emotional.

Also, yesterday the grooms got a henna tattoo in their backs

that says "I'm his" and "He's mine", something like that.

I had the chance to register that event in photo...

So... because of the tattoo

they could not put their clothes on,

so, they had to wait for the tattoo to dry

and then we took some photos.

We did a mini shoot of 5-6 minutes, very fast.

We waited for the sun to go down.

Between the video guy and I did something interesting.

I liked it, and...

I got maybe 2-3 images I can use.

I think that's enough.

What's up, raza?, How are you all?.

Today is Sunday, the wedding was yesterday...

A special event...

cool.

As you can see it was a same sex wedding.

Diego y Manuel, they were both amazing.

The arrangements were very simple, in a room...

About the light, you know, sometimes you can't control light.

We were there just for a while.

The friends in the pool, it was cool.

Manuel throw a friend into the pool and it was crazy.

He didn't let them to throw him, he ran away.

He did it well.

Everything sounds amazing about this wedding.

The location is a condominium building.

I like it because it is very minimalist.

There are some walls and some arches.

It's the place I'm going to use the most.

Family photo, grooms photo... are going to be done there.

And in the post-wedding, we will see if we can play

after the pool party.

On Sunday there will be a pool party.

In one of the shots Diego was upstairs,

Manuel was downstairs,

I asked them to stretch their hands and cover their eyes.

Ideas that I never have clear why they are made;

they don't have a reason why...

I am not playing with analogies neither with deep ideas...

It is just about having a concept that is simple

and that it looks interesting.

When we don't try things we always keep it safe.

I also do some safe photo, I did some "look at the camera" photos.

Romantic / simple.

And then I went to my world.

In the session part...

we had plenty of time.

The sun was still a little up, it was 3:00 pm, so...

we started playing with this structure we had there, with incoming light...

I always looked to keep my frames clean.

I did some romantic photos.

I always do that kind of photos to ensure everyone is happy.

The building is divided by a large arch.

In some of the shots

I tried to use this grand geometric figure.

I put them over a table

to cut the air and the visual garbage I normally find on the floor.

I always go for leaving air up. I don't know why...

I am more into the sky than into the floor.

When I first started, a photographer that was important to me

that used to do weddings and now he does more editorial photography

His name is Max Wagner.

Check out his work, he's very cool, very simple.

He was one of the first that I saw who worked the "little grooms".

The little people over the cake.

His uses pastel colours.

I like him and I still follow him on social media,

but he is now in editorial photography.

He doesn't do weddings anymore, only for close friends or so.

We had the chance to play with some art.

We found some shells they covered their faces with...

I hope this to be an amazing wedding,

and that we can create images that reflect the process and the effort it takes.

To create images that are iconic for you,

that have your name and your heart it isn't easy...

That the frustration can paralyze and freeze you,

and even can tell you: "Enough!, I can't do this anymore...

I should drop the camera and... bye!."

Or... Force it to make better images

and you know that this is a marathon.

You have to fight and struggle to get to those worthwhile images.

I struggle with myself...

I struggle with believing that what I am doing will be fine.

During the day, on weddings, I am constantly fighting

against that little demon I have inside.

I struggle with handling and mediate my energy during the day.

This wedding ends at 5:00 am,

and since yesterday, that they told me this I am like:

"Well, no... I am gonna stay at 1:00 or 2:00 am, that's it"

But you never know. Maybe, in that moment

and the party is amazing you are having fun and you stay...

and you feel the people's energy, so you stay and keep doing your thing.

I tend to do creative harakiri on myself.

In the video you will see my face of frustration,

of desperation because of those things that are not working for me.

Weddings are about that, about constant work,

frustration,

52 of every 60 seconds is about that...

it's not magic.

We go ahead. We think that what we see on media, or in blogs

didn't take much work to do.

The process, the development, the constant work

for achieving this final image

that's what we want us to learn. From this and each video I share with you.

To have your images is a process and a struggle.

It doesn't happen naturally. It doesn't flow.

It's not about being touched by the inspirational muse and then: there it is!.

It takes a lot of work, and we have to work with purpose.

To know you have to have these images.

For me, if we divide the wedding on:

Arrangements, portraits, ceremony,

the dance, speeches, party...

I try to make one iconic or representative photo, for me,

of each one of those sections of a wedding

If I have one, with which I am very proud of...

I nailed it!

But, this is important: When I am taking the pictures

I do not realize if I have it or if I don't.

So I have to keep working and forcing myself...

That selection work is done after the wedding.

The selection, or the edition while the wedding is happening....

that doesn't work for me. It is a huge distraction.

I have to be doing my thing.

And I am worried: "How can I make this photo better?"

I move a lot. I try to look for the angles that I need.

And I don't know when I have it.

So, it's a constant struggle to keep working the same image.

So, let's do this, guys.

I start in two hours.

We'll see how this goes.

This little camera goes to the camera.

Let's do this. ¡Venga!.

Tip 01: Never devalue the group photos. Always a good attitude.

For this weeding, I chose to bring only one camera,

to walk lighter.

I brought the lens 24mm, which I normally don't work with,

but last year, some second camera friends came with me

and they used it a lot and I liked it.

I have it now. My wife Sisy steals it from me to make her videos.

But I will use it for this wedding, for the party, most of all.

Maybe for the ceremony.... because it will be opened, as in this space,

I think we can show off more if we use the lens 24mm.

35mm, which is the one I always bring with me...

and I will also use the 58mm.

I have those 3 lens with me.

So, I changed the 28mm, (which I normally use)

for a 24mm.

I want to see if there is this big difference.

The 24mm I have is Sigma, from the Art series, 1.4.

I will normally be using it at 5.6, 8, flash on camera and... to brust!

That the spotlights are swept with slow speeds.

Simple things that can be very useful for us

and can make a place or a party to look on fire.

The day after the wedding there were no clouds, like right now.

The day of the wedding we had clouds, which was very helpful.

I think the color and tone of the day was special, it was magical...

We didn't have anything shocking like lights inputs,

it was just a even light.

It gave you the possibilities to shoot from many angles.

The entrance of the ceremony was something unique, I've never seen that before.

We usually have a hallway and everyone goes through there...

But this time, the ceremony had a "pizza" shape.

There were 2 hallways.

The grooms entered divided. One in each.

It was a little complicated because I thought:

Should I do the close up with one of with the other one...

And I chose, and committed myself to stay at the center,

and try to frame them between the masters of ceremony

(who are good friends of them)

and capture that: to have the masters of ceremony in the middle

and reach to see the two hallways.

Let's see if this shoot worked...

The ceremony had a metal structure, there were 4 bars.

That imposes a lot sometimes because...

I try that the heads of the couple (or my protagonists) are free.

And when you have 4 structures and you move here...

You normally have one to rid and here there were 4 of them.

So, in one of them I had to compromise my composition

to have the emotion.

Sometimes we have to do that...

aesthetics, art and composition go to second place to have direct emotions.

Right in the ceremony, the grooms were very far away from each other...

I think that... That was an error.

Usually, the couple can't be away from each other,

you want to be as close as possible to that person.

And... there were like, two meters between them.

So, I used it as a composition element

but, I did struggled with it

because I couldn't have a shoot with the guests and the grooms,

I had to go to a face or another...

... or, at that time it did not occur to me how to solve this issue.

At the moment of the kiss and the delivery of rings

I had a chance.

Before the ceremony I agreed with the couple who married them

for, once they said: "You now can kiss"

they move and I could be at their places

so I was centered...

... and I could capture the kiss and the guests in the background.

The ceremony was emotional.

I thought there was going to be a little more tears and expressions,

but there were very good speeches from the brothers, the parents.

I spent most of the time crouched down, very close to them.

Trying with the 35mm, trying with the 58 mm

to capture action and reaction.

I use first frames out of focus so that the eye goes where the best is happening.

So yes, to fill your frame with faces, even if they are out of focus,

it sets you the direction of where to see.

At the end of the ceremony, there was something I've never lived in a wedding before...

Little turtles releasing.

All the guests were in a row,

they had the little turtles, then they released the turtles.

I think there was something different and exciting there...

I liked it.

We had to be very careful.

Where you moved you could step on a little turtle.

A lady shouted at me...

And I told her: "Relax, everything is fine."

At the end of the night this lady came to me and told me:

"I did not want to yell at you, I was a little excited."

"I'm sorry."

I like that about weddings. That you commit with and meet the guests.

Because you can go a little deeper, they tell you stories, like...

... what happened with the mom, the best friends...

...if there is something that is not going so well in the family...

You can always go a little deeper.

I try to be opened. I say hello to all, I give a hug to those who let me...

And little by little they give you that... that opening.

At weddings we all have emotions on the surface...

... specially them, the protagonists.

This is why it is worth asking these direct questions.

Normally people open.

The first day that I arrived, I had the fortune to be with their parents.

One of them is called like me.

We started talking about travel, about adventures...

... about where their children have lived in.

It was a simple way to break the ice.

And every time I saw them I hugged them and they felt my energy.

I chose not to ask to the couple or the parents

(I've seen video or camera people do)

"And how do you feel?" I don't like to cause that.

I don't like to put them in the eye of the hurricane.

I think it is obvious, right?

It is more about they feeling your energy.

And remind them: "It's an honor for me to be here."

"Thank you for choosing me."

And I think that takes you further and you leave a better impression

than being like Judge Judy Tv show or so...

It is a weeding! Emotions are obviously there.

So, why take them to that path?...

Within my rules is like... to cheat a little bit.

The party was very cool.

When the grooms entered the people went so excited.

Everyone shouted.

The DJ went crazy, we had the deal with him

to throw white light to us.

Otherwise it would look like children's party.

Lights everywhere.

When that happens I normally commit with the strongest light.

Many of the pictures are overexposed because of that.

But when you get that shot good things come up.

I won't be adjusting my exposure and chasing the light...

I try to identify the most intense light,

and the most soft light

and I normally go with the intense light, to have hard contrasts on the pictures.

For the lighting of this wedding...

I send a link to all my couples about the importance of light,

and I also talked to the planner to see which kind of light they

will use during the dance...

I also asked him to put some lights over the groom's table.

That their table is a little more illuminated that the rest of the things.

A time ago, in a friend's event (Rafa Ibañez)

a theater illuminator gave us an speech and I loved it.

And I think we have to educate

the wedding planners to help us with the lighting.

I don't like to be "flashing" all of the time...

I just do it in extreme cases when I definitely need to.

But I do ask them to give me these spotlights or an ambient light

so that I do not blind the guests.

During the dinner I walk... I look to find details,

hands, reactions...

To tell how the place looks but with people in it.

It is this invisible eye that is worth to capture it...

Many times (as a photographer) this is the time for a break

but I like to dedicate 15 / 30 minutes,

identify the people, take pictures from far away... (paparazzi mode)

and to have those photos that can tell you how it felt to be there...

and not just how we looked.

When the dance... we already knew about those sparks.

That always drives me crazy.

It became a light cage.

So, you take the risk to be out and not having anything

or you go inside and solve it. Always be aware of your exposure.

I stayed inside.

The DJ didn't go crazy and throw the white light to us.

When people passed by, it became a beautiful silhouette.

I had to try to block the light beam using the grooms.

I committed myself to that exposure.

When the sparks ended, there were these two shadows of them

with the smoke of the sparklers. It was magical.

I am always worried about: "Will the photo be focused or not?"

So, I shoot a lot in those sequences.

During the party I chose to use the 24mm...

...the whole night.

Very close to people. Little by little, earn they trust.

The first half hour of the party people do not understand me

because I say to them: "Do not look at me!...

... you just keep dancing."

Many people get offended.

But they have to feel your energy. I say it smiling.

And some people are like: WTF with this guy?...

And when I do the second round, I see they see me but they ignore me.

So, we start playing and achieving beautiful photos.

The party was amazing.

I divided it. Almost half of the party was with flash on camera...

...and the other half was ambient light.

ISO 3200 ISO 1600

I ended this wedding at... 1:00 am / 1:30 am.

We went with the planners, we had a couple of beers,

we talked about what went well and what went wrong..

Constant feedback.

I hope we have had fucking great pictures.

I'm always with the question of whether I did well or not...

This time I felt the pressure more because it is for you, Patreons.

So, let's see... Let's see how it ends.

In Mexican weddings what worries me is... people's mood.

Because these are three days of a lot of drinking,

and many times the post-wedding is cancelled

because they are very drunk and the photos are not that good...

So, we hope these guys can be measured.

I hope they still are semi-whole.

Just a little drunk so that they have a good time...

and that they feel good with themselves.

But, well... I hope them to give me that moment.

On more than one occasion it has happened to me...

...that the post-weddings are cancelled

because the couple wether are drunk, or with a hangover,

or they just simply don't want to because they are very tired...

And I get it, I totally get it.

There were many group photos, many family photos.

I tried -between the photos- to capture expressions,

to capture hugs, smiles...

Because I only had one camera, I felt free...

sometimes it is kind of tired to have two cameras

and also, you can drive yourself crazy.

I'm liking it... to work with just one body, to be honest.

You limit yourself because...

You choose a lens and you commit to work at that distance.

Your subconscious is always telling you: "Change it!...

...you need the large lens!" Or, "you need the wide-angle" ...

But to say: "This is the one I have... here I go!."

I really liked that.