Photographing Weddings - The Fun Way
I don’t often photograph weddings. But when I do, I enjoy doing so because weddings can many times be, what I call “high energy places”.
A bride is seen dancing in her white wedding dress, with her friends are dancing and having fun around her.
I don’t often photograph weddings . But when I do, I enjoy doing so because weddings can be what I call “high energy places”.
High energy places, are situations of intense social energy. A protest, a concert, a birthday party, a Sunday barbecue, or a wedding. While the ceremony is usually more formal, demanding people to be a bit more stiff, leading to stiffer images, the party after the ceremony is something else. It is there that people loosen up, drink, dance, sing and occasionally go crazy.
So I just love it when i am hired to photograph in these type of after-ceremony wedding parties. I usually use a handheld flash since the light conditions in most venues are poor. But also do that to freeze action. I combine the flash with slow shutter speeds to also use some of the ambient light of the space but also, have some extra layer of actions in the background. I feel that catching the right moment like this, can really capture energy of the party and leads to fun photographs that the couple and guests can have as a souvenir for a lifetime.
These are some of the images from the latest wedding I got assigned to photograph in Iceland.
Volcanic eruption of Sundhnukagigar in Iceland and the future of Grindavik.
A series of portraits and images I did for the NZZ, documenting the recent volcanic eruption of Sundhnukagigar in Iceland and how it has impacted the residents of Grindavik.
A series of portraits and images I did for the NZZ, documenting the recent volcanic eruption of Sundhnukagigar in Iceland and how it has impacted the residents of Grindavik.
On November 2023, a series of intense earthquakes shook the town of Grindavik, a small town known for its proximity to the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa in Iceland. The earthquakes continued throughout the next days, changing the town once and for all. Fissures opened, splitting roads in half, houses started sinking and cracks appeared on the walls of many houses. Just a few weeks later a volcanic eruption began in Sundhnukagigar , just a few kilometers from Grindavík, creating significant geological and environmental impacts. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) reported that the eruption, located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, followed an intense period of seismic activity characterized by over 8,000 earthquakes, some reaching magnitudes of 4.0 and higher (Icelandic Meteorological office).
The eruption began in the early hours, with tremors felt across the Reykjanes Peninsula, a region already known for its frequent seismic activity. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) had been closely monitoring the area due to increased seismicity and magmatic movements detected in the weeks leading up to the eruption.
As lava began to flow, authorities swiftly moved to evacuate nearby areas to ensure the safety of residents and tourists. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, thanks to the rapid response and effective communication from emergency services.
In the aftermath, the focus remains on monitoring the volcano's activity and assessing the damage. The eruption serves as a reminder of Iceland's volatile environment, shaped by the constant interplay between its tectonic plates. For now, Grindavik's residents and the broader Icelandic community remain vigilant, adapting to the challenges posed by living in one of the world's most geologically active regions.
Merafjall volcano eruption in Reykjanes peninsula. Iceland, August 3rd, 2022.
A new volcanic eruption in the Meradalir valley in the Reykjanes peninsula has given rise to the newly formed Merafjall volcano. Footage from the first night of the eruption.
Intense seismic activity has lead to a new volcanic eruption in the Meradalir valley in Reykjanes peninsula giving rise to the newly formed Merafjall volcano.
Footage from the first night of the eruption. Available for licensing and further field assignments.
The Spectres of Mersin
A sea turtle (Chelonia Mydas) moments after laying its eggs in a beach near Mersin, Turkey.
A year has passed since the day I arrived in Turkey.
A year has passed since I witnessed beaches littered with amounts of plastics and garbage previously thought unimaginable.
A year has passed and so much has changed but also so little. The beaches still polluted, the turtles still struggling to access their rightful land and place to lay their eggs.
Like specters, they come out of the sea, crawling through the wet sand at night, pushing against bottles, rotten foods, cigarette buds, aluminum cans, diapers and all kinds of plastics to give lay their eggs. Pushing against all odds to create life.
I spent almost two months last summer, volunteering for the organization Third Eye Mersin, last summer, which works towards the protection of sea turtles and their nesting grounds close to Mersin, Turkey. Time to start sharing some of the images that we created and share the dramatic story of the sea turtles which come to lay their eggs in the Easter Mediterranean.
Image: A sea turtle (Chelonia Mydas) moments after laying its eggs.
Photographic diary - Ukraine, Lviv March 2022.
Pavel woke up trembling from what seemed like it would be a regular night's sleep, trying to find his documents, some cash and pack his bag with shaking hands, at the first hours of Russia's invasion at Ukraine from the bombs falling around Kharkiv.
Pavel woke up trembling from what seemed like it would be a regular night's sleep, trying to find his documents, some cash and pack his bag with shaking hands, at the first hours of Russia's invasion at Ukraine from the bombs falling around Kharkiv.
He spent the next ten days on an underground shelter, waiting for an evacuation caravan that could take him and other Ukrainians out of the city. He could hear the blasts and feel the tremors of the bombs falling above but had no idea what was happening as it was too dangerous to get out.
The lack of fresh air, sunlight, and the humid conditions of staying underground for so long, damaged his respiratory system.
His bag-pack is now carrying his only possessions. He knows that he might never be able to return home. Kharkiv is leveled to dust and heavy fighting in the city, continues to this day.
I met him in Lviv, as we stayed at the same host through Couchsurfing. He was a lucid dreaming instructor before the war erupted. With dreams, friends, plans, a home.
Now he is stuck in limbo. Like the world of dreams he is so greatly inspired from, he is stuck in an in-between phase. He can't leave Ukraine but neither can stay, as he no longer has a home. On his horizon the only thing that dawns and sets are shades of uncertainty. With nowhere to go, no place to call home, only wait until this ends, only wait until he wakes up from this nightmare.
Lviv, March 2022.
Aurora Borealis In East Finland
Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) in the night sky of Nurmes, Finland - October 13, 2021.
A Glimpse Of The Sublime - Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) In East Finland
Last night a dream came true as we witnessed one of the most beautiful natural phenomenon our planet has to offer. Just after 11.00 p.m. the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) appeared in the night sky of Nurmes, Finland.
Nurmes is in central-east Finland and we were close to a camp with artificial lights when we first witnessed it so we couldn’t enjoy the phenomenon in its maximum display of colors and luminance at first but that changed when I moved closer to the forest. Running around with a camera and tripod on my hand to find a good spot where I could witness and capture the Nothern Lights I went just outside our camp and faced the forest. There, with nothing but wilderness in front of me, my eyes could marvel on that miracle that is called Aurora Borealis.
The light streaks of the Aurora look like curtains of greenish hues, changing in shape and form as if a soft breeze is blowing through them.
The solar wind particles light up in the night sky offering a glimpse of the sublime. It’s where two worlds collide. The sun’s electrons and protons with our Earth’s atmosphere.
The retina of the eyes feast on the indescribable beauty that lies before them and the mind races to understand what you see. A feeling of deep gratitude embraces you for having the chance to see something like this.
A dense cloud formation approaching from the west started covering the Aurora. I took a big breath in, enjoying the last green light streaks playing hide and seek with the clouds. As with everything good in life, this too had to end to fully appreciate its value.
I am now eager to see what the next two weeks in Finland will offer and how the next Northern Lights display will be.
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Wildfires in Thesaloniki
Images from the wildfires in the forest of Seich Sou (Kedrinos Lofos) in Thessaloniki - July 13, 2021.
Wildfires in the forest of Seich Sou, Thessaloniki - July 13, 2021.
The forest of Seich Sou (Kedrinos Lofos) is home to more than 277 plant species an a variety of mammals such as hares, foxes, squirrels, weasels, hedgehogs and around 80 types of birds including owls, nightingales, cuckoos and the magnificent short-toed snake eagle chief. Amphibians and reptiles like salamanders, frogs, turtles, grass snakes, and lizards are also common in the forest.
It’s a lush ecosystem that’s not only vital for the city’s atmosphere acting as a green lung, but also well-being, as it offers a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle of the city for many of its residents.
Covering around 2.800 hectares the forest of Seich Sou is just outside Thessaloniki, making yesterday’s wildfire incredibly dangerous. The incident brought bitter memories to those that experienced the wildfires of Seich Sou in the year 1997 which burned almost half of the forest.
Fortunately this year the fire was quickly contained leading to the loss of only 9 hectares of forest. But with global temperatures on the rise, summers are getting hotter and hotter with every passing year. It remains to be seen when the next wildfire will strike and what might be its consequences.
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