Find a photographer that will work hard for you
We interview Emanuel Hahn, documentarian, portrait taker, and wedding photographer.
What’s something people don’t know about wedding photography?
Going through an entire day shooting made me realize how difficult wedding photography is. You have to be alert throughout the entire day. You have to learn to anticipate moments before they arrive. You’re on your feet the entire day, and you don’t know when some special moment is going to happen. You’re shooting in different lighting conditions and changing your settings to match it. Once you follow the couple indoors, it becomes a completely different environment indoors and you have to compensate for that.
Couple is always moving, dancing. You have to match everything they do. It becomes a sport — you have to be super invovled, both mentally and physically. That was my first experience as a photographer.
What advice would you give couples who are just starting to look for a photographer?
One, you should really like their style. Having said that, sometimes it’s hard to get a photographer that you love, because the great ones are booked out or are really expensive. The best thing to do is to create different options for yourself. Create a short list — start with a broad search, then narrow it down to 3–4 photographers all of which you’d be happy with if they said yes to your wedding.
How do you make couples feel confident on camera?
My main goal is to make them feel like I’m not there and that I’m not taking photos. A lot of the direction or the questions that I ask are centered around the couple themselves. I ask them to talk to each other — when they’re in that zone, it’s really about them. They get really into it — while they’re in that moment, I’m taking photos like an outsider, documenting that moment. It’s less about making them strike a pose like a model. The key is to put them into situations where it’s normal for them. Most people who are getting married feel the most comfortable around their significant other. I try to get them to that place where they’re in the presence of a person they feel completely accepted and comfortable with.
What do you do to have your client feel more comfortable with you?
You learn a lot about them individually as people and as a couple when you ask them how they met and ask them about their hopes and dreams.
Separately, the engagement is a great way to test drive what the photography process is like. For them it feels more relaxed because there’s no other people around.
What’s a piece of advice you’d give Emanuel Hahn of 3 years ago?
If you really feel pulled to something, then you should just give it a shot. Three years ago I was not a professional photographer. I was still working at a bitcoin startup, doing product management. I was thinking about going into photography, but it didn’t feel feasible. In some ways, it felt like a waste. My entire education was in business, and all my network was in finance. I felt like if I left, all my accumulated skills would go to waste. That was a huge hindrance to me feeling like photography was a viable path in addition to the volatility of freelancing and not knowing about your next paycheck.
The one thing that people underestimate is their own ability — how hard they’re willing to work, if they’re put into a situation where they have to fight for it.
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To see more of Emanuel’s work, check out his website, his Instagram, and his feature in the New York Times
