Brian Grech
Brian Grech photographs a variety of subjects in his work, but people remain his primary focus. When it comes to weddings, he tends to document the special day of people to whom he is close: friends, or friends-of-friends, so the event becomes more personal. His eye for detail is the result of his background in fashion photography, which means that what people are wearing, such as earrings, and other perhaps more trivial aspects that catch his eye, often make their way into his shots and keep him entertained throughout the wedding day.
Brian's chosen shot is from the wedding of Carissa Cilia la Corte and Chris Griffins and depicts a candid scene with tenderness and realism.
"There is always one favourite photo (or sometimes more) from every wedding," he told First. "However, I thought this photo was quite unique. It was taken on the bastions in Mdina, just behind the Cathedral and what I like about it is the movement of the people photographed. As you can see, it was very windy, but hot and humid. The maid-of-honour is trying to reach out to the dress, while the bridesmaids are trying to put themselves together for the photo, giggling as the wind blows away. The bride is the only one who is ready for the shot, holding the bouquet tight and looking directly at the camera. I think the composition, clouds and tone make it quite a unique shot."
Inigo Taylor
Inigo Taylor, a British photographer living in Malta, began taking photographs enthusiastically in 2005. By 2006 he was hooked, in that same year he went on to win the Young Black and White Photographer of the Year Award. His favourite type of photography is documentary photography and he fuses this approach with his wedding photography, allowing the wedding day to tell its own story.
Inigo's chosen wedding shot is a visibly sentimental one from his sister's wedding. "Of course, all wedding days are very special, but photographing my sister's was a little bit more special," he told First. "It is far from a perfect picture, but it is very special to me and it reminds me that we can spend thousands (of euro) on equipment or practice our technique over and over again, but sometimes the best pictures are not defined by pictorial perfection, but instead by emotion."
Giola Cassar
Giola Cassar has been working as a photographer for the past five years. She is drawn to the way in which photography presents her with the possibility of exploring ordinary, everyday subjects and anomalies, and portraying them through a different angle, hopefully providing room for posing a different meaning. She channels this approach both in her studio work and during her daily interactions with nature, odd happenings and people.
"As much as I get satisfaction from this approach, nothing beats meeting new people and photographing faces and emotions," she said. "The raw emotions on display on a wedding day give a photographer a dream of a canvas to work on. The pure love and tenderness between the couple provides a source of inspiration."
Giola's chosen wedding shot is a fun, energetic one. "This year, I was lucky enough to photograph a small and intimate wedding. It was on a Friday afternoon and the bride and groom opted for a ceremony and celebration that reflected their characters - simple, natural and going with the flow. With them both being designers, the planning that went into this wedding was down to the last detail."
"My favourite photograph is the one where the couple is swaying together," she continued. "To me this photo evokes a sense of playfulness, romantic yet fun-loving, just like the couple. The setting gave an enchanted feel that set the mood, along with the natural elements used for the wedding, with a combination of fresh flowers and playful details that provided a good contrast between elegant and eclectic."
"Photographing small intimate weddings allows me to bond not just with the couple, but also to blend in with the guests, embracing the setting and working with it to provide the couple with a set of photos that evoke everything that they tried to portray on their special day. When setting out to photograph such weddings, my mind frame is one where I set out to capture the moment and take photos that speak of the time, place and details."