Photography with Luke Fotoliv
I started working as a photographer 10 years ago in the Dominican Republic, and then after a year in college studying photography in an art academy in Firenze, I moved for 6 months to Durban, South Africa to work as a photojournalist. After my second year of college I randomly arrived in Mexico and fell in love with this beautiful country. I offer professional wedding photography services covering weddings throughout the Mexican Riviera Maya. For Indian destination weddings we offer packages that spread over different days, allowing us to cover all the events that our clients are having.
What inspired you to start shooting weddings?
I started shooting weddings 8 years ago, to help out a friend and immediately fell in love with the whole process and experience. I love the energy present on wedding day, there is so much going on in one single day and I really enjoy capturing special moments for my clients.
Tell us something about your personal life that clients wouldn't find out from your Instagram page or wedding albums?
I’m a geeky Italian guy living in Cancun with my girlfriend and our 2 dogs. I go crazy for tacos, geography, traveling, good music, binge watching series on Netflix, pizza, sunsets, editing photos, maps, Tarantino movies , taking portraits of strangers, cooking, the ocean, skype calls at random hours with old friends, camping, good wine, humor, hiking, good stinky French cheese, and adventures.
Describe your style of photography in 3 words or describe your style of photography in 1 sentence
“STORY IS KING” meaning that it’s the most important part of my job. A series of photos with no connection doesn’t really make sense, but if you try to tell a story of the special day of a couple, it’s important that all images somehow connect, and the first step to achieve this is through good communication and creating a real trust with the people we work with. Also I Love to work with natural light, meaning available light from the sun, as much as possible.
What makes an Indian wedding so unique to shoot for you?
For me it’s 100% the colors, the music and the overall vibes. As a photographer shooting an Indian wedding you find yourself in the middle of an explosion of colors and traditions, and it just never stops inspiring me.
What is the best shooting experience you've had at a wedding? What made it special?
The best experience I had at a wedding was making a real connection with a couple and actually becoming friends with them. We had SO much fun during the romantic photo session that they decided to book another shoot on a separate day and told me to keep it a surprise. I organized a sunrise photo shoot at a small fishing town in the Riviera Maya and then at Cenote, and they loved it. After delivering the photos they invited me to stay at their place in Central Mexico, so I went. We ended up organizing a photo shoot in a beautiful little town called San Miguel De Allende, and since it was the groom's birthday I decided to gift him a surprise hot air balloon at sunrise over the wine land and get some awesome shots of the 2. It rocked! Since then we talk regularly and I couldn’t be happier to have couples that trust me to go on crazy photo adventures.
What should couples think about when hiring their wedding photographer?
First and most important is that they like the style of the photographer, after that I suggest a good video call or interview in person and see if they match, meaning that it’s important that there is a really good vibe. It’s their most important day in their life and they have to have their photographer around all day, so he must be an awesome person besides an awesome photographer.
What piece of advice would you give brides and grooms to ensure that they get wedding photos they love forever?
Spend some time researching various photographers and styles they like, get in touch and ask questions. Make a mood board on Pinterest, maybe share with the photographer some ideas and then specify the type of event they will have. Have a nice tidy area for getting ready shots and do a first look.
What is the most unique photo you have ever taken?
The most unique photo is a shot from an Indian Wedding we did in Vancouver Canada, in July 2019. The groom was in the Canadian Army and had a friend that for some crazy reason owns a military tank. He managed to borrow it for the Baraat so he arrived at the temple on a military tank. I never in my life imagined shooting a wedding like this, and the crazy part was the face of the minister of the temple when he saw the groom arrive on a crazy loud tank. Here is a link to the wedding!
What is your favorite moment you like to capture?
I really enjoy shooting the ceremony, and in particular any type of traditional ceremony which allows me to learn new things.
Where is the best place for brides and grooms to see your work?
100% my website! Instagram is also a great place to see frequent photos and stories with a little behind the scenes.
What differentiates your Shaadi Destinations brides and grooms compared to other couples you work with?
Shaadi Destinations brides are always really relaxed and chilled, and really seem to be stress free, which for a bride near her wedding is a really good thing. This allows them to also enjoy the process of the organization of the wedding and makes the photographer’s life stress free as well!
Shaadi Destinations is the premier, award winning, modern-day destination wedding travel agency for South Asian couples seeking a streamlined process, incredible experiences, and a party friends and family will never forget! We save our couples thousands of dollars while throwing them the wedding festivities dreams are made of.
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