Wedding Pickle: Best of Real Weddings {iluvphoto}

We are on to our 2nd photographer in the Best of 2011 Series, well better make that plural as this duo of iluvphoto do weddings together and do an awesome job at it! I'm always in love with the lighting when I see their work, which you can find in their previous 2 features that have been here on the blog: This stunning Chicago church wedding and this awesome Chicago modern handmade wedding that was just featured recently and is one of my faves because of its uniqueness.

Both Luis and Clarissa participated in this interview and shared yet another beautiful example of their work in Jenny and Andrew's wedding.

Wedding Pickle: What made you want to be a photographer?
Luis: It's hard to say why or what made me want to be a photographer. I first became interested in photography a an early age because of my dad. His love of photography definitely wore off on me. My parents were always putting me in painting, music, and eventually photography classes growing up, and the only medium that really stuck to me was photography. By the time Clarissa and I started dating (at 15 +16) we had both already been taking photo classes on our own for a while. When the time came for college we both decided to move in together and go to photo school. It's hard for me to really give a specific answer to the question, because honestly, I just kind of feel like it just happened all on its own.

Clarissa: I found photography when I was in high school and I immediately fell in love with the medium! My photography teacher was amazing and she introduced me to a variety of photographic artists. I knew from that point forward that I wanted to be an artist and the camera was my medium. I went straight into studying photography in undergrad and now I am getting my masters in Photography this year. I love being an artist and I can’t imagine what I would do if it wasn’t photography.

WP: How would you describe your style of photography?
Luis: Our style is photojournalistic, sometimes it can have a vintage look, sometimes modern, it just kind of depends on the wedding and what fits. We're the kind of photographer that would prefer to just shoot around what's going on and be ignored, rather than have our clients feel like they should look at the camera and smile when they see it pointed at them.

Clarissa: I would describe our style as rooted in the photojournalistic tradition. We love to capture the day as it is unfolding! From getting ready to the reception we try to be as discrete as possible while capturing your wedding. The only time we pose people is for the portraits. And even with the portraits we try to incorporate natural poses and action into the images to give them a photojournalistic look as well. We come to your wedding with a game plan in mind ,we put a lot of effort into to scouting all of the locations prior to the wedding day, that way we know what the lighting is going to look like during your ceremony and we know where to take you for the portraits. By scouting locations we are able to make the day move smoothly and have more time to shoot.

WP: What is your favorite part of photographing weddings?
Luis: My favorite thing about photographing weddings is having that freedom, that all access pass, to photograph whatever catches my eye for one whole day. Sometimes I just feel like a kid running around with a camera just making pretty pictures, it almost doesn't feel like work.

Clarissa: My favorite part of the wedding is definitely making the portraits of the bride and groom. This is a time where I get to make some beautiful photographs that really show how much they care for each other. I love to use light as a means to convey emotion. Even in my personal work I really love to play with light within the environment to create mood. I bring this element of my personal work to my wedding photography during these photos.

WP: What one image or moment is a must and/or favorite for you to capture?
Luis: If I had to pick one specific moment as my favorite to shoot, it would have to be the exit shot from the church when people are either throwing flowers, lighting sparkers, or blowing bubbles. It's a really fun moment for everyone involved, it's a little chaotic (which I love for some reason), and we always end up with some really great shots.

Clarissa: Capturing a couples "first look", or when they see each other before the ceremony. It is such a special moment, when they see each other for the first time. It is usually really emotional and I love to be able to give them a private moment away from everyone and be able to capture that for them. Luis and I always shot this with a long lens so we are at some distance for the couple so they really feel like it is their time together with no one else around.

WP: What is your favorite moment of your career thus far? The one that had you saying, "I love my job!" or "I'm proud of how far I have come!"
Luis: I find myself saying "I love my job" quite often. Usually it happens when I think about what I do for a living. It still blows me away that we make a living taking pictures. I'm very proud of the fact that we've managed to move to new city and pretty much immediately started working as photographers. Chicago's been very receptive to us and our style, moving here was the best decision we ever made.

Clarissa: I love making photographs and I love what I do. I would definitely say that the best moment of my career thus far has been moving to Chicago and working with so many amazing clients. We moved to Chicago three years ago and iluvphoto took off. We are able to make a living doing what we love. After many shoots I find my self saying “I love my job”.