We’ve been excited about shooting with Maral and Will for a while now. I had my makeup done by her MUA Lala a month ago, and we were already excited about how cute Maral is, and how she found this bohemian style house to take photos in.
On the day of the photoshoot, Maral and Lala and I were in a group text, sharing inspiration photos and Selena Gomez screen shots. Exciting stuff. They went with a 70’s vibe of Sofia Loren inspired makeup, and sleek blinged out hair. I confirmed with baby Raffi’s babysitter, and grabbed my go-pro (which is not a go-pro, it’s something much fancier than that, but this is an amateur blog I don’t know the technicalities*).
We were pretty disappointed about the house, to say the least. I knew it was bad when I noticed the groom wanting to clean. Will started looking for a broom and a trash can. Maral’s Armenian Mom side came in when she asked no one in particular (in Armenian) “couldn’t you have cleaned up a little”.
The place was smaller than we thought, so it was a challenge to photograph. It was cramped, and there were constantly things to clear in the background. These are things to take note of when selecting a location, I guess. That was my lesson for the day.
What’s nice about these photo shoots is that the couples get used to the process of being photographed. They also get to see what they look like on camera. Most people haven’t taken professional photos on this level, especially with the one they’re marrying. They have a lot of nerves and a huge concern is how they will look on the wedding day. This is a prequel if you may. You get to see which smile, which angles, which looks poses work best, etc.
“Usually I love the shooting process, more than the editing process. This time, I was so focused on looking for a nice spot to place them - and finding the right angles because the house was so small- that I didn’t get a chance to enjoy the shoot as much as I usually do. I loved spending time and editing these photos, because then I got to retroactively go back and be there.” -Roman
All in all (lol, that’s how Roman used to finish his school papers), I learned that open space is preferred for these shoots. And that sometimes shabby chic is just shabby. You couldn’t tell by looking at these photos though. I think the lighting and the edits are beautiful. He was very patient with the lighting, holding off on certain locations until the sun went down. He also switched lenses and settings depending on the picture.
Also, some of Roman’s grooms look like him. Golden beards, and smooth heads. Nothing to do with photography, just something I noticed today. Their wedding is coming up next week. And I think it’s nice that they got to work together before the wedding. Everyone’s going to be a little bit more comfortable on the big day, yielding even more beautiful results. Stay tuned….
*Technicalities: Zhiyun Smooth 4
