Studio Name: Admire Studios
Website: www.admirestudios.com

Q. What influenced your decision to become a wedding photographer?
A. I love to photograph all kinds of things for fun – landscapes, animals, junkyards even – but people are by far the most interesting. Watching their expressions through my lens and knowing that I have the ability to capture their emotions is captivating. That’s why I chose to become a professional photographer – families and weddings are intimate and allow me to get caught up in the moment with people who I might otherwise have never met.

Q. Describe your wedding photography style:
A. If you wanted to hear a technical term, I’d call myself a “documentary” photographer, but what does that really say? I like to be there for the moment, though I can create a moment out of nothing but two people and a wall if that’s all I have to work with. I am just as comfortable posing people naturally, or following them around at a discreet distance and catching the moments they create themselves. Personally I like clean, colorful, bright pictures best – the kind that don’t just look like someone played with them on a computer because they weren’t good enough. On the other hand, I also really love image editing, depending on the photograph – I just like natural or dramatic better than a lot of the textured and dark work that’s popular these days. I like drama, extremes, angles, I love a photograph that really shows the personality of the people in it – and I always aim for personality photos, whether in an urban space in the city or in a park or a field on the prairies.

Q. Describe your perfect client:
A. My perfect client has a personality that makes people sit up and take notice, thinks beauty is about more than an image and thinks life would be boring without color… They would enjoy me as a person and have enough fun in my company to forget the camera’s glaring lens and just share the beauty of the day with me. Ideal clients for me are the kind of people who value memories and emotions and are looking to entrust their special day to someone, not just a random person with a camera to snap a few pictures.

Q. What is your favourite part of the wedding day(s)?
A. I love the moments when the bride and groom get away from the crowd for a few minutes and just snuggle up to each other, enjoying their special day. In the end, you might not even remember the ceremony, but you’ll probably remember holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes – so even though there’s lots of contenders for this spot, that’s my favourite part of the day.

Q. Where are your favourite places to shoot in Edmonton?
A. So far I haven’t had a lot of chances to shoot in Edmonton, though I really love the personality of Whyte Ave. and parts of downtown for Urban style photographs. I’d also love to go exploring and find great places to take photos. I also adore shooting in playgrounds, with all the fun and color!

Q. Do you photograph weddings outside of the Edmonton area, and if so, where are you able to travel?
A. My family is in Saskatoon, and I’m originally based there. I’ll be in Edmonton from September 2010 to May 2012, but I’d love to travel anywhere in Canada or for destination weddings. I’d be happy to stay in someone’s house or drive instead of fly (I have done both of these before!) to cut your costs. And you can feed me sandwiches or something – so if you’re looking for a cost effective traveller, I’d be happy to come out, I love to travel and meet new people and see new places.

Q. What makes you different from other wedding photographers?
A. I don’t just try to take the perfect or most artistic photograph. Some people have heard an old story, which is actually true, that certain tribespeople used to refuse to have their picture taken because they thought it captured their soul. I got into photography not to capture an image through a lens, anyone can do that, but because I have the gift of soul-connection – I can capture a little bit of soul in photos I take, and I revel in it. It’s the photos with a little soul in them, a little laughter, emotion, an enigmatic smile – those are the ones that last.

Q. If you were getting married (or if you were to do it all over again), who would you choose to photograph your wedding, and why?
A. I am getting married, this summer! I chose a Saskatoon photographer, Mike Boyce, based on where my fiance’s taste and mine overlapped in images, first of all. I chose him because his photos just vibrate with the personality of his subjects. Honestly, I chose him because he’s exactly the kind of photographer I strive to be – talented, precise, technically savvy, and the kind of person who makes others comfortable.

Q. Do you photograph anything else other than weddings?
A. Actually I specialize in family photography year round, and I absolutely love all kinds of event photography – grads, sports events… I’ve been shooting basketball for seven years, since I was in high school! I haven’t had the chance to shoot someone’s anniversary celebration yet, but it’s one of the things I’d love to do. I did a “going away” shoot for a group of girlfriends that was tons of fun.