Today, WTW welcomes documentary and cinematic style wedding photographer Nuno da Silva to the blog in this interesting and informative interview.
I absolutely love getting to know more about the person behind the lens and the gorgeous images… and I whole-heartedly encourage you too to get to know your potential wedding photographer before booking!
Let the interview commence.
WTW readers would love to know about you and your photographic journey…
My name is Nuno da Silva and I am a professional photographer specialising in luxury wedding and bespoke portrait photography.
In a decade-long career, I have established a reputation for producing simple, elegant works that reflect my passion for the art in photography and for classic, striking imagery.
I regularly work and am commissioned by private and corporate clients for a diverse variety of requirements, and my work also appears in print – most notably in the pages of the leading photography magazine, N-Photo.
Recent wedding commissions have seen me shooting at prestigious UK venues like Claridges, The Landmark Hotel, One Whitehall Place, and Kenwood House. In addition, esteemed wedding destinations including the Richmond Hill Hotel, Richmond Gate Hotel, Montague Hotel, Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel and The Jockey Club Rooms recommend me as a ‘preferred photographer’ to their wedding clients.
I also work internationally and my most recent destination wedding took me to Sorrento in Italy and I was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and have lived in London for nearly 20 years.
Who or what inspired you to become a wedding photographer?
My passion and journey to become a wedding photographer started when I was invited to my friends wedding 12 years ago, at the time he asked me if I would want to take some images of it as despite the fact that they had a photographer already, they wanted something slightly different.
They knew of my interest in photography in general and I of course took the chance to do so, as soon as I did it and saw the images I captured, I was hooked and there was no other option for me but to start a career in photography.
How would you describe your particular style of photography?
My approach to photography is documentary-style, combined with a classic cinematic edge. Couples and clients often remark to me that my images have a fine art feel to them, and I achieve all, while remaining as subtle and inconspicuous as possible.
My goal is to capture an individual’s essential character in a beautiful yet honest way – creating unique wedding and portrait images with emotion and impact that will last a lifetime.’
It’s no secret that happy and relaxed people make for better photos. As such, your wedding day and portrait session will be captured as it happens – from the preparations to the first dance or with minimal intrusion. Avoiding set poses or routines, I capture an accurate and candid record of your wedding, packed with detail and reflecting the occasion’s unique atmosphere. Of course, there will be family and group shots to take, but these are done quickly, quietly and without fuss.
‘Probably the greatest skill a photographer should have is the ability to put people at ease.’
I would love to photograph Prince Harry (Prince Henry of Wales) marriage (if he will ever get married) as it will be an historical event and one that I would love to be part of in some way.
I would hope it would be in Westminster Abbey with the Reception being held in Buckingham Palace.
What’s your most memorable wedding moment so far?
As much as I would like to say just one moment, I belief that every single ‘I do’ moment in the wedding ceremony is one of those moments that one always treasures and as a photographer one of the most important to record.
Give us 5 facts about you…
I am getting married this year in June.
I have a beautiful son who still keeps me awake at night.
I have a very sweet tooth.
I love the arts.
I love Black & White Photography.
When it comes to selecting a wedding photographer, what advice would you give to brides and grooms?
Go with your instinct and hire the photographer you like. Your photographer will be with you during the day and apart from the skills and eye for the detail that he must have, he also needs to make you feel comfortable and at ease as it when that happens that the best images come to the fore.
Let’s not forget, weddings are by nature beautiful but also stressful and having someone who knows about them and has the experience in dealing with the unpredictable as wedding photographers do, we can be invaluable to both the bride and the groom.
Ultimately the image must speak to you both, you must look at them and see, yes he really gets this and we can see ourselves in his images, that is when you have in effect decided on who to hire.
Anything else you want WTW readers to know…
Yes as I stated above, I am getting married this year in June, so I decided to start writing a 3 part blog post on how to hire a wedding photographer, so if you are interested in reading more about it, go to www.nunodasilva.com and then check my blog.
Finally and last but not least if you would like to hire me or just ask me any question, email me on [email protected]
Finish this sentence. Keep wanting…
Keep experimenting and living life to the fullest, as life is too short to do anything but that.
Surround yourself with beauty and happy people, laugh and keep that flame of love alive.
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Great article, it is important to capture not only the “must have” shots but also photographs that capture the feel for the venue itself. The exterior shot for example of the church shows it be a very picturesque setting so captures the feel of the venue perfectly. Also it can be worth asking the photographer to get shots of your guests, particularly those who have traveled far or do you don’t see very often, you’ll treasure these shots as much as your own as time passes by.