Focusing on romance--wedding shoot

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By Zhang Yiqian (Global Times) 08:15, November 18, 2013

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Du Er and her husband Meng Yuan strike a comical pose in one of their wedding photos. The couple wanted their photos to reflect their unique personalities and experiences. Photo: Courtesy of Liu Ziyuan

For some newlyweds, a dolled-up wedding shoot offers little trace of creativity or sentimentality. Striking fake grins and wistful gazes in costumes worn by countless previous brides and grooms, couples sometimes struggle to have a unique memento of their big day. Indeed, it's easy for outsiders to feel that once you see one Chinese wedding shoot you've seen them all.

But flip through Du Er and her husband Meng Yuan's wedding album and you'll find photos breaking away from the formal, schmaltz-heavy mold. Rather than posing in front of a scenic lake or field of flowers, the couple was snapped watching TV casually dressed in their favorite sports jerseys, climbing the Great Wall and, with the help of Photoshop, even floating on a cloud.

"I knew what the process would be like if we had our photos taken at a professional wedding photography studio. This was our wedding and it only happens once, so I wanted something special that belonged to just us," said Du.

Du and Meng, who married in May, had their wedding photos taken in October 2012 at an independent photography studio. Their goal was simple: to have wedding photos that reflected their personalities and unique romance.

Despite requiring more effort and time from both newlyweds and their photographers, a growing number of couples are making the pivot away from professional wedding photographers to stand out from the crowd by having personalized portraits.

Capturing special memories

Like many brides-to-be, Du sought advice from married friends and colleagues before embarking on her wedding shoot. She soon learned that professional wedding photographers tended to have a cookie-cutter approach to their craft, which she wanted to avoid.

"I'd heard that most wedding photographers don't offer personalized service. For example, it's common for them to take you along with another [newlywed] couple in a van to sites for shoots. You're shepherded where to pose and told to smile," she said.

Worrying that this streamlined process would take the gloss off her wedding photos, Du decided to hire her own photographer.

Another bride, Li Jie, found her independent photographer, Liu Ziyuan, in a similar fashion. Liu shot Li's wedding photos in 2008, and again this year for Li and her husband's five-year anniversary. Li echoed Du's dissatisfaction at wedding photography studios relying on the same places, same costumes and same poses.

"My husband and I are both active people. We didn't want traditional, serious wedding photos that involve two people posing at a designated scenic spot," she said. "We wanted to have something unconventional and based on our own will."

Newlyweds Katherine Wang (pseudonym) and Yang Yang also opted for personalized wedding photos during their shoot in October. Returning to their high school in Baoji, Shaanxi Province, the couple posed for photos seated in a classroom, running on a sports field and dining at a cafeteria. A video showing scenes of the shoot was played at their wedding reception in November. It proved a big hit with guests, many of whom were classmates of Wang and Yang.

"We were from the same high school, but didn't know each other back then and therefore didn't have any photos of us together. It seemed like a great idea to take photos at our school before getting married," Yang said. "We posed as if we were still students. I think [the photos] showed who we are and how we met."

Paying attention to detail

Liu opened her independent photo studio in 2011 in Shuangjing, Chaoyang district. A former sports reporter who shot photos for her stories, Liu is sensitive to subtle changes in facial expressions and skilled at capturing emotion on camera.

She said the shift by newlyweds from professional wedding photographers to independent studios is being led by first-tier cities.

"Even though we are not as well-funded as professional wedding photography studios, we can win over young people by offering individualized, creative ideas. People in big cities don't want to be the same as everyone else," Liu said.

Every couple is different and so is their love story, said Liu, who prior to a shoot talks to newlyweds. Her aim is to find out how a couple met, learn about interesting experiences they have gone through and even determine "who wears the pants." After piecing together this puzzle, Liu then proposes ideas for a shoot.

Li suggested a few locations for her shoot after consulting with Liu. They opted for shoots at four locations including Beijing's historic commercial street Nanluoguxiang and 798 Art Zone.

"We are active people, so there's no way I'd stay indoors for all my shoots. We decided on famous locations that suited our personalities," she said.

In one of their wedding photos, Du is dressed in the red kit of the Beijing Women's Volleyball team alongside Meng, who wears a green Beijing Guoan soccer jersey. Seated in front of a TV watching a game together, it was the ideal shot for Du, a sports reporter and volleyball fan, and Meng, a passionate Guoan fan.

Another memorable photo was taken at Du's high school. Liu's team drew pictures using chalk on a blackboard of places the couple had been and important life events they experienced before meeting each other. Du and Meng posed for photos in front of the blackboard.

Du said she feels her wedding photos accurately capture the couple and inspire plenty of storytelling when guests view the album.