A film photographer’s dream wedding

Rachel and Zach desperately wanted three things for their wedding. A film photographer, Griffith Observatory, and for it to happen on 2.22.22. What we ended up with was beyond any of our wildest dreams.

.

Griffith Observatory on analog film

Sunrise, 5am at Griffith Observatory. A location I am no stranger to, and each time I’m there something magical happens. In this case, a wedding of two people who totally and utterly belong together. They had a first look as the sun rays peeked over the horizon, and the light graced us with a beautiful gold shimmer on my already glowing couple. As a film photographer, I tried (and failed) to contain my excitement.

They self-solemnized their marriage ceremony, witnessed by close friends, then we headed to my favourite spot in Griffith Park for their first dance. To Sublime, naturally.

.

Mosaic Tile House on 35mm and 120 film

Rachel had fallen in love with a mosaic tile house in their Venice Beach neighbourhood. Every day she walked past it, and watched the sun play over the mirrors. On the off-chance, Rachel emailed the owners to see if we could take some post-ceremony photos there. Not only was the response a resounding ‘YES’, but the owners graciously gave us a tour round the whole studio.

Cheri and Gonzalo have dedicated decades to their project. What started as a bathroom renovation project swiftly took over the whole house. The entire home is now decorated with mosaic tiles, apart from the studio which is bare. If you look closely, there is also some solid relationship advice painted between the mosaics.

As I looked at the floor, a painting came to mind. The Kiss, By Gustav Klimt. My couple happily lay on the floor for me, kissing amongst the gold tiles to help recreate the painting. That was the cherry on the cake of a fabulous day. Cheri signed a book for the newlyweds, and we left her house with stars in our eyes.

.

Film wedding photographer

I can’t thank my couples enough for choosing a film photographer to document one of the most important days of their lives. All images from this day are analog film. I’m sure you can see, film adds a certain je ne sais quoi. Rachel and Zach were immortalised in the following film stocks:

Kodak Portra 160 | Kodak Portra 400 | Kodak Gold 200 | Kodak TMax 400 | Fuji Provia 100F

.