Curved house roofs are part of the Aegean architecture, so commonly found on the island of Santorini.

But it is not only the outer parts of many houses that are curved, but many of them have also curved ceilings.

The inside compliments the outside.

Such rooms make for lovely bedrooms and sitting rooms, and they – in turn – compliment the curvature of the female body.

I love creating images of brides in curved ceiling rooms, as I find them poetic, storytelling and romantic, all at the same time.

I also love black and white images, that provide a form and dimension of beauty by themselves and I am always on the lookout for them.

The way a woman looks at a man, can virtually change his life.

This is not a twenty first century thing, but a universal all-time truth, not an argument but and an axiom, something like an ever-existing law of nature, like gravity.

Attractiveness.

In fact, it has been around since women and men, first walked on the planet (and looked at each other)

Of course, there was no photography, to capture such moments back then, (…there were paintings…but it’s not the same…).

But we do have photography now...!

I photographed this beautiful, loving couple on the beach of Theros wedding venue in Santorini, a few minutes before sunset.

They got married on the sand, a few feet away from the waves, surrounded maybe a couple of dozen friends and relatives, who travelled all the way from the UK and Scotland to share their special day with them.

As the ceremony took place almost at dusk, we had less than half an hour for the after-ceremony shooting before the sun disappeared from the horizon and the couple walked up the stairs of Theros to join everyone else for the cutting of the cake and the wedding party.

As I had visited and studied the location on the previous day, I knew exactly what I wanted to shoot and I work really fast.

For this image, I lowered my body towards the sand, and cropped the frame, in a way that I would only include the waves and not the sand.

I placed a portable battery-powered flash on a small black tripod behind the couple, and just out of line of sight, and controlled it remotely from the camera.

I shot a few variations of the image, with more sky, less sky, more waves, fewer water, lower angle, higher angle etc., and this is the one that appealed to both the couple and me the most.

Sometimes you have the need to describe how you feel when you are’’ there’’, looking at that view, and you simply cannot find the words.

You may try using images, but while more informative than words, they may still not be enough.

There is no substitute for actually, physically, being there.

But my images are all I have to ‘’transport’’ you to that sunset.

I am doing my best.

Always.

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Santorini sunsets can be so breathtaking, that make other sunsets, in other parts of the world pale in comparison.

In my opinion, they look even better when there is some cloud texture in the sky, as it reflects the rich colors that the sun creates, when it is getting ready to say ‘’goodbye’’ for the day and let the island welcome the night.

I, sometimes, find myself looking at a few images for minutes at a time, trying to decide which ones to select and send to my couples.

As was the case with this posting.

I must have spent more than five minutes, trying to make my mind up, which one to post and which one to leave on my hard drive.

I even threw a coin in the air, heads or tails…!

Eventually, and as I could not pick just one, as I love them both, I opted to upload them both.

Both images were created on the left side of Santorini Gem Wedding Venue, in Santorini.

Enjoy...!

White and blue.

That is Santorini’s colour ‘’landmark’’.

This wedding took place at St Irini wedding venue, a wonderful terrace on the left – when one is facing the ocean - side of Thira, Santorini’s capital.

The volcanic view from St Irini, is outstanding, making it a very popular wedding location.

The Bride is usually brought, by the limo driver, at the entrance on the top of the stairs that she descends on foot, passes through a little white arch and reaches the terrace. The whole distance is maybe a hundred feet.

A sunny day, beautiful fluffy white clouds in the sky, a little side wind.

Santorini at its best…!

The plainest of moments.

The simplest of gestures.

A few seconds that feel like a small eternity, as time seems to slow down.

The change of a life time.

Tying the Knot.

Are you?

Movies are made of scenes.

So are Weddings.

There are the main scenes, like the arrival of the Bride, the exchange of the Rings, reading your Vows, the first Wedding Kiss, walking away from the gazebo being showered with flower petals, by friends and relatives.

And then there are many other moments, that are taking place, before, during and after everything.

Unexpected moments, fleeting moments, unscheduled moments, that form themselves suddenly, unique like snowflakes that may last for a few seconds and be gone without a trace.

Gifts, if you are there to see them and – perhaps – capture them.

If you are paying enough attention, that is.

And have a camera in hand.

I am.

I do.

Santorini is virtually a photo shooting playground, its locations ranging from ocean views, a stone’s throw from the Caldera, to meandering little streets and alleys in traditional little villages, such as Pyrgos and Megalochori.

Pyrgos is an ideal location for shooting, especially when getting married in venues such as Cavo Ventus, Santorini Gem and Santo Wines (in order of proximity to Pyrgos), and when couples have maybe just an hour available, for the Same-Day photoshoot.

Pyrgos village is climbing a little hill.

We create photographic opportunities on our way up, estimating the time that it will take us to walk back down to the parking lot, get in the limo and return to the wedding venue.

The spot in the photo is located pretty much at the top pf Pyrgos.

It’s a traditional all-white little church, worn from the wind and the sun over the years, that still stands firmly in place, overlooking half of the island.

For this image, I choose to go behind the main structure, a spot that not many photographers know about, so that I could capture the couple against the setting sun, not as silhouettes, but retaining the detail on their outfits.

It was the last shot of our uphill walk, a visual crescendo if you will, after which we headed downhill and back to the venue, to cut the cake and get the party started.

This couple eloped in Santorini and got married in one of the most beautiful wedding terraces on the island, namely Dana Villas. There were five people on the terrace, on their wedding day.

She, he, the Celebrant, the wedding planner and myself…!

I loved it…!

The couple had made its own dinner arrangements for the evening and had booked me for the ceremony, plus one more hour of photo shooting, in the nearby area.

This means that we had no time for driving around, or visit more locations, and we had to go anywhere that we choose on foot.

Thankfully, the nearby area is full of little wonderful spots, as is most of the west (volcanic view) part of the island, and we were spoiled for choice.

The time of the ceremony was carefully chosen, so that the photoshoot time would conclude with a wonderful Santorini sunset...!

There is something very special about the Mediterranean light, something like an unidentifiable quality, a secret sauce, a kind of radiance and warmth and vivacity that makes it pulsate, like as if it is alive.

Experiencing it is the only way to know what I mean.

It encompasses and embraces anything and everything that shines on and – when shooting wedding photos – it is my best friend and valuable ally, that helps me create the feeling that I want and deliver it in photographic form.

Golden color wedding crowns, photographed on white wall, outside the bride’s preparation room, Santorini island, Greece.

On old fisherman, in Santorini, once told me: ‘’If Santorini sunsets were red wine, I would be drunk, half the day, every day’’.

Every time I photograph a wedding couple in front of a sunset on  the ‘’rock’’, his words echo in my mind.

A photograph is just a two-dimension rendering of such a scene, trying to convey, to the viewer, as much of what has been felt, as possible.

But no matter how many images one consumes, the sensation of actually being there, can only be roughly approximated, but never matched.

And then again, photography is my weapon of choice, in my life long campaign of capturing these moments, to the best of my ability, and deliver them to my couples.

I love joyful and playful couples...!

They have great chemistry and are willing to explore more photographic possibilities, and new ideas.

This is one of these couples, and they got married in Cavo Ventus Villa.

The shot was created a few feet away from the ceremony spot, after the friends and relatives had headed to the party area.

We had enough time to explore the nearby area on foot, and so we first created this image, and a few more, near the old windmill that stands in the middle of the estate.

After about an hour of shooting we returned to the anticipating guests to get the party started...!

I visited this terrace, where the wedding party would take place, during the day, a couple of days before the wedding. While the view was stunning (one could see a good part of the city including the commercial harbor), the colors – during the day time – were not too impressive.

But, it was all good, as the wedding party would start late in the evening and go on until late at night.

I had checked my angles and I knew exactly want I wanted.

I talked the couple, telling them what I had in mind, and a few minutes before the light was perfect, I ‘’borrowed’’ them from the friends and family.

I had them – just for me – for maybe half an hour, exactly when the colors were rich and wonderful and absolutely right for our photos.

The magic hour last almost that much, thirty minutes or so, after which I ‘’delivered’’ them back to their friends as the party had started to fire up..!

Santorini’s favorite ‘’color’’ is white, hands down.

White is such a strong characteristic feature of the Aegean architecture, that it sometimes feels like it is a ‘’landmark’’ of its own.

Of course, color still exists in Santorini, as is the case with this beautiful building in Oia, the small village on the north side of the island.

I have used it more than a few times for some graphically shots, usually after we arrive in Oia, and at the beginning of photo sessions, and before we move to the ‘’caldera side’’ of the village.

I love the building’s warm color and the blue door, contrasting the while of the wedding dress and the – usually – darker colors of the groom’s outfits. and I usually propose that we spend a few minutes in this spot, before we delve into the ‘’sea of white’’, meandering in Oia’s gorgeous tiny roads and alleys, for the bulk of our shooting.

Theros is a beach + bar + restaurant + wedding venue, in Santorini, overlooking the Aegean sea.

This wonderful couple got married in Theros and they also had their weeding party at the same place, only a few feet away from the ceremony spot.

For the same-day wedding photoshoot we drove to Pyrgos, a picturesque all-white little village on the top of the highest Santorii hill, spending around an hour and a half, before we drove back to Theros for the Wedding party..!

There is something inherently and discreetly funny about the photo of these five men, a groom and his four groomsmen (…‘’the four horsemen of the apocalypse’’ as he called them, although of course they were riding no horses…), that I can not put my finger on.

Like as if they are gazing at the future, at a wildly different angle, a surprising one, maybe knowing something that the rest of us do not, or maybe just having fun.

The groom loved the photo, and told me that he sent it over to all his – male – friends that attended regardless of whether they attended the wedding or not.

There is something very elegant, in an image of a lady wearing a Wedding dress.

Is it the exquisite curvature of the female form?

The delicate fabrics and patterns of the dress?

Is it the way it encompasses her body?

The promise of a new future, a new tomorrow, a new life ‘’together’’?

It is probably all of the above and more, but no matter what it is, the image of a bride is always an eye stopper.

This image was shot in the corridor of a 5-star resort in Bali, Indonesia, for a bridal dress catalogue and website.

We used existing light, plus a gentle touch of flash, from the upper right part of the frame, to ‘’fill-in’’ some light on the model’s blond hair and right arm.

So, here we are on a beach in Greece, shooting Next Day images with a couple sitting on the blond sand, holding, hugging, kissing, resting, enjoying themselves.

And, now its time to go…and as they got up the images became ‘’obvious’’. I asked them to hold and carry each other’s shoe for a minute, while I started shooting.

I tried a few framings and compositions and this one worked best.

Many brides book Greek musicians to escort them to their wedding terrace of choice, playing and singing traditional Greek songs.

More often than not, they also stay and sing after the ceremony is over, and while the guests are mingling, having drinks and getting ready for the group shots.

This particular bride got prepared and dressed in Dana Villas.

The photo with her father and two musicians was taken next to the Dana Villas reception, before we all went down the few steps that lead to Dana’s terrace.

It’s no wonder why getting married in Santorini, is an experience of a lifetime.

But the same also holds true for having one’s wedding dinner in front of the amazing volcanic view, enjoying the delicious food, as well as the sunset, the colors, the smells and the feelings that will be with her for a lifetime. This photography was shot at Cavo Ventus Luxury Villa, one of the most beautiful venues on the island.

There is no place in the world, to second Santorini.

Are you planning to get married, any time soon?

Why don’t you experience it yourself?

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Almost all of the most popular Santorini wedding venues are located on the west side of the island, providing an unparalleled view of the ocean and Thirasia the smaller volcanic island in the ''center'' of Santorini formation.

Santorini Gem, is one of them, a location that combines one of the most beautiful terraces on the island with a villa with a pool next o it.

Its is at that pool that we created a series of images, for this beautiful English couple, taking advantage of the warm light of the setting sun, before we went back to the reception.

They say, that ‘’Life is a Circle’’.

Not sure whether this applies to all things and circumstances, but it certainly does apply to this couple.

Two lovely people, now in their second youth, that were sweethearts when younger, before life took them to different directions.

That is…until they met again, and this time knew that they were in love and wanted to be together…and here they are in Heliotopos hotel, Santorini...!

A lovely ceremony under the hot sun and a photoshoot in the nearby area, before the couple and their selected guests returned to Heliotopos, for dinner in a lovely curved roof restaurant, around a candle-lit table.

The sun is almost always shinning on an azure blue sky in Santorini, during summer time.

And then, there are some very rare exceptions when a summer storm may ''hit'' for a few hours, a very rare occurrence indeed.

This wonderful Irish couple got married on a sunny day, an elopement ceremony, just the two of them, the celebrant and myself...!

As we had ample time for a photoshoot, we decided to drive to Ia (Oia), the amazingly beautiful village on the north side of the island.

As time passed and around the time we had almost completed the shoot, clouds started to gather changing the landscape mood and giving it a unique cinematic ''feel'', with scenes and images that looked like as if they were coming from a black and white European movie...!

I proposed that we remained in the village for a little more time and take advantage of the uniqueness of the weather and the resulting atmosphere.

After having finished and virtually seconds after we got into the car, a storm hit...!...with rain and wind, in waves that lasted almost 3 hours...!

And then, again, by the end of the evening and into the night, everything quieted down again, and felt almost as if nothing unusual had happened...!

And when Daylight gives way to the Night, then its Party Time..!

Its the time for dinner and speeches, for gifts and Polaroid prints, and champagne and drinks, and slow dancing, and it is also a time for partying and dancing till you drop and then some..!

Now that the excitement of the day subsides and changes and transitions into the warm (..or chilly at times...) Santorini night, the name of the game is pure fun, and it is the perfect finish of a unique day.

How much better can it get?

We used a golden reflector to bounce some light back to the couple, as it bathed by strong sunlight and the light reflected by the sand on to their faces and bodies did the rest.

There is no light like the Mediterranean light...!

As much as people, myself included, love happy brides, they also love grooms with a great sense of humour.

The groom in the pictures was not just a delight to work with, photographically speaking, but had a spirit and enthusiasm, that was contagious and went viral, among the guests and the personnel that was catering for the wedding alike...!

After the ceremony, that was held in Dana Villas, we spent some time in Imerovigli and Firostefani, exploring several micro locations, shooting images until the last minute, as our driver arrived to pick us up.

That includes the second image, that was shot virtually minutes before we entered the limo and drove back to the venue.

Dancing is irrevocably connected to weddings, receptions, parties and simply having fun.

Dancing is not restricted by age, but is an expression of joy and the appreciation and essence of being alive.

It is also one of the best ways, I know, to honor life and love, the same two main life ingredients that drive two people to get married.

This gentlemen started dancing by himself, without any music being played at that particular moment, at Pyrgos restaurant, at Pyrgos village, in Santorini, as the couple and friends and relatives were gathering, for the cutting of the cake..!

''Dance me to the end of love…!''

(Leonard Cohen)

It is said that ‘’a successful photography can convey to the viewer the sensation that the photographer was willing to explore’’.

But how about the sensation that the model, herself, experiences?

Imagine being that particular bride, all dressed in white, standing on the edge of the curved white roof, embracing Infinity with open arms, against the wind, soon to be married, bathed by Mediterranean sunlight...!
How about THAT feeling?

All I can do, as a visual artist, is become a humble observer and a capturer of beauty, as much as I can, and leave the rest to your imagination...!

While getting married in one of Santorini's terraces is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, having your wedding dinner in one of them enjoying the volcanic ''caldera'' view, is also an unmatched experience.

Here is an image that represents, in my mind's eye, a ''door to a new tomorrow''.

Shot in ''Sphinx'', a wonderful restaurant, in Fira, near the main church.

Having photographed thousands of weddings and tens of thousands of kisses, I sometimes feel like an intruder, and maybe, just maybe, I also feel a little bit reluctant to lift the camera, as if I am about to break the ‘’perfect silence’’ of a kiss.

But I do (lift the camera), as I have been invited to participate in the moment, in my own unique way, and I need to be worth the privilege.

Most of the times, the couple has even forgotten that I am there, and these are indeed the best moments of them all.

These two images were shot after a gorgeous wedding at Le Ciel Venue in Santorini Island, Greece.

The bride, a Greek woman, is also, of course, stunning...!

As the couple would fly out of Greece a couple of days after the wedding, we did not have enough time for a next Day photoshoot, and so, we had to use the little time available between the church ceremony and the reception.

We drove to the White Tower, Thessaloniki’s most famous landmark, where we spend approximately an hour or so, creating images for their wedding album.

 We also shot a few photos of them both in front of the monument, to be sent to friends and relatives that could not make it to the wedding.

This image is my favorite of them all, as it depicts the ‘’perfect kiss moment’’.

It looked great in color too, but the black and white version is, in my opinion, even better.

When a couple gets married in Greece, we usually visit both the bride and the groom, in order to capture some precious moments while they are getting prepared and before we all go to the Church.

One of the funniest Greek wedding traditions, is what is called ‘’shaving the groom’’.

During that little ‘’ceremony’’ the groom’s closest male friends, gather around him and give him a shave, that may be ‘’virtual’’ or – at times – real…!

Sometimes though, they do much more than that, as they spread shaving foam on his hair and on his chest, pretending that they will shave them too…!

I have even witnessed a traditional wedding, in a small village in the countryside, when the groom’s cousin, used a real sharp axe to shave a – small – part of his beard.

His advice to the groom was: ‘’don’t cough, don’t sneeze, don’t breathe, for a minute’’…!

The whole thing was scary in a funny way, and funny in a scary way…!

Thankfully the groom survived to tell the tale and did get married to his loved one and they did live happily ever after.

In the instance of the above portrait, the groom, that was Italian and got married to a Greek girl, had lots of fun, and the ‘’shaving’’ was painless, as it was ‘’performed’’ with plastic cap on the razor…!

I used a medium telephoto lens, to shot from a distance keeping myself out of the ‘’line of fire’’…!

After having photographed the wedding bouquets (previous blogpost), it was now time to ask the ladies for a group-hug-portrait, on the same location…!

They put down their makeup accessories, grabbed their bridal-team robes and rushed out of the prep room and in front of the caldera view for a few minutes, giving me ample time for some memorable shots..!

And, here they are an hour later, at Dana Villas, a few minutes before the wedding..!

The lady holding this particular bridal bouquet, got married at Dana Villas Venue, escorted by her five bridesmaids.

While all the girls were getting ready, in a room close to the Ceremony terrace, I researched the nearby area for a suitable spot, to photograph all six of them against the glowing white and deep blue the of the volcanic view.

I made sure that I shot them quickly, as to not expose them for too long under the scorching sun, and I promptly put them back into their wrappings.

A few years ago, I had the chance to photograph a number of weddings in Bali, Indonesia.

The most memorable one, was that of a wonderful Australian couple, surrounded by friends and relatives who flew all the way from Australia to share this special day with them.

The bride was an incredible lady with a great sense of humour and an epic appetite for life and for seizing the moment...!

While everybody was having drinks mingling and chatting, she left the hotel venue and went to the nearby beach, still wearing her wedding dress, and started playing soccer with some local indonesian boys..!

Thankfully the dress was not ruined (...!...) and we could still shot a few frames with her running on the muddy sand with her bridesmaids (...although I must admit that I did have to perform a little Photoshop magic on the dress and ''clean it up''..)

A little bit later, and as the sun sets at 18:00 in the evening, pretty much throughout the year, I managed to isolate the couple for a while and create a few images of them walking on the beach, in front of one of the most colorful sunsets I have ever experienced.

This time I did not have to work on the colors of the sky, as they were perfect just the way they were..!

This wonderful couple got married at Theros venue, on the west side of the island.

After the ceremony and as we had approximately 90 minutes at our disposal for the photoshoot, we drove to Pyrgos village that stands at the top of a hill, in the lower one third of the island.

Pyrgos is small all-white picturesque village, that is very worth visiting and exploring full of small gift and coffee shops and restaurants.

Walking uphill to explore it, rewards the visitors with incredible view of the whole island and some unique photos that can only obtained on this part of the island, since it is also the tallest.

The sun was quite low on the horizon, but we managed to get the shots that we wanted and return to Theros in time for the reception.

Firostefani and Imerovigli are two small villages, interconnected with Fira, which is the capital of Santorini, creating a long stretch of white houses and resorts, all hanging at the edge of the black stone cliff of the Caldera.

They are all located on the west side of the island, the inner one, providing an endless variety of micro locations, perfectly suitable for same-day and next-day wedding photoshoots.

Starting from one of the highest locations in Imerovigli next to the La Maltese restaurant, we step down a few steps and go all the way leftwards, towards Firostefani, creating memorable images, up to the Christian church od St. Anastasia, and even further, concluding our photoshoot in the middle of Firostefani, where the driver is usually expecting us, to take us back to the wedding venue.

This couple was photographed at an open location close to the end of this itinerary, where the narrow streets widen up a little, while the view remains exquisite, as the sun is on a trajectory to set in the horizon and the light is still ample and warm.

Weddings are about Love.

Weddings are about Life.

But Weddings are also about fun and laughter, and creating precious moments, and I am always there to capture them for you.

Santorini wedding are always full of energy, and full of passion for the essence of Life, for ‘’Carpe Diem’ in Latin, or ‘’seizing the moment’’ in plain everyday English.

So few words, such an expanded meaning, encompassing anything and everything that Life has to offer.

Creating fun and funny moments, capturing these expressions of joy is what makes photography so valuable on the day, and for many many years to come.

Brides are always so unbelievably gorgeous

The excitement of the day enhances their natural beauty and almost each passing moment feels unique and worthy of preserving through time.

Some of the most amazing moments occur during their preparation when the vulnerability of the moment is combined with the way they feel, resulting in golden droplets of time,that I am always on the lookout for.

I thank you all for that..!

Most rooms and studios on the west side of the island, especially those with the volcanic ‘’caldera’’ view, are a bit on the small size side, as space on the cliff is limited.

The view is always magnificent though, being the main reason, why so many people are attracted to the ‘’rock’’ as we, wedding photographers, affectionately call Santorini.

I photographed this wedding dress in one of the tiniest rooms, that I have ever visited, using a wide-angle lens and positioning myself accordingly.

Thankfully the bride got prepared in another, bigger, room, eventually and I had plenty of space to move around and create the images that I wanted.

In 2013, I accepted an invitation to fly and work in Bali, Indonesia, for a few months.

I jumped at the opportunity, as I really wanted to explore wedding photography in South East Asia, and I also wanted to spend some time staying at a dear friend’s, Glen Allison’s, villa near Ubud.

Glen had spent twenty years roaming the world at will, working as a travel stock photographer, distributing his images mainly through Getty Images (you can see his current work here).

After the decline of photo stock as an industry, he reinvented himself and has now evolved into an amazing fine art visual artist.

While staying at Glen’s place, for the duration of the wedding season, I shot a number of weddings mainly on the island of Bali, using exotic locations, beaches and venues, that are, quite different, visually, from those of the Mediterranean area.

This bride in this photo looks like she is running and dancing on water.

The images was staged and shot in a luxurious five-star resort in south Bali. It was a slightly windy day, with fluffy clouds in the sky, and for a moment it looked like as if it might start turning into a storm.

Thankfully, the weather remained bright and sunny through most of the day, giving us plenty of time to shoot all the images that we needed.

I shot this image during the bride's make up and hair preparation, in a private villa in Athens.

The room was a little of the dark side, so I used a small flash bounced on a portable reflector. I turned the image into black and white in Photoshop and did some selective vignetting around the edges of the frame.

I also did some selective dodging and burning on her face, in order to achieve a more cinematic effect.

Her face was stunning and she knew it..!

When the preparation phase was finished we proceeded with shooting full body portraits and poses both alone and with friends and relatives in the house's garden.

Magda and Ilias, are a couple with great chemistry between them..!

Tow days after their wedding day, we went for a long, slow and mostly enjoyable Next Day photoshoot, to Chalikdiki, an area full of lucious forests and azure blue sea, near Thessaloniki, the city were they got married.

At one point I asked them to lay on a beach chair, hold one another, close their eyes and pretend that they are asleep.

I think that they really fell asleep for a few minutes..!

Later I turned the image into black and white and it has, since, been one of my favorites.

There is no light like the Mediterranean light..!

Its pure, its white, its golden, its all encompassing.

Brides arrives at church.

Orthodox Christian wedding, Corfu island, Greece.

Ioanna, a Greek girl from the island of Crete and Sandeep, an Indian man, got to know each other while studying in England and fell in love..!
The got married in London, in Sandeep parents home, having an classic Indian wedding on a beautiful Saturday morning..!

The dinner and party after the ceremony was magnificent and it was held under a huge tent, in order to protect the guests from the whims of English weather...!