After we have finished the Artist of the Year 2018 series, it is time to continue the Artist of the Month features in 2019 as well. We are proud to start with a bang and to introduce you to the outstanding work of Paulina Duczman. UK-based photographer Paulina has won multiple awards for her work. Just take a look through the images in this blog post here, and you will know why she is one of the best when it comes to portrait photography.

How old are you and where are you from?

I am 35 years old and originally from Poland, but I have been living in UK for the last 14 years.

Tell us a little bit about your life at the moment?

My life at the moment is absolutely crazy. I feel like I am catching up the past 30 years. I am a mother to 3 great kids age 5,9, and 11. That is already a full time job itself.

Also, I am running two businesses. One is a Photography business where I offer Fine Art sessions to my amazing clients around the world and the second one is a training business – I am an International Educator.

How did you end up being a photographer? 

Totally by a coincidence. My family and I were going on holiday (2014) and I decided that I didn’t want to take only mobile pictures. I needed a camera so I could print the photographs taken during that holiday.

I purchased a Nikon bridge camera. At that time,  I knew nothing about the photography so the basic kit was perfect. And… I fell in love with photography. There was no going back. It became my addiction. Photography is my heroine. I am not scared to admit it.

Don’t forget to join our LOOKSLIKEFILM group on Facebook. And now let’s go back to the amazing pictures by Paulina Duczman.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Travelling. But not business travelling like I do now. Real travelling. Seeing the most amazing places in the world. I have got a special list.

What gear are you currently using?

I am a Nikon user: D5, D810, and D850. My favorite lenses: Nikon 105mm and 58mm. I also adore 35mm 1.4 sigma art.

Paulina, what advice would you give out to a new starting photographer?

Don’t be afraid of the critique but always look carefully who is this critique giving. Trust more to yourself and what you believe in. Invest in Marketing. Be clear about your branding.

Try to find the real YOU in your photography. This is the only way to be unique as there are no 2 identical people.

Did the LLF community change the way you see or shoot portraits, Fine Art etc.?

Absolutely. LLF is the most amazing group of people supporting each other and the quality of the work there is beyond amazing.

What plans do you have for 2019?

This year is filled with work and traveling. I have got some planned upgrades to my business that I cannot wait to show. Also, I promised myself I will balance my work-family life a bit more.

Paulina Duczman

So, we hope you like the work of Paulina Duczman. If you want to see our last AOTM, check out the feature about Henry Tieu too!

And, if you would love to have beautiful photos, here’s the deal. Check out our “Photographers Near Me” list to find the perfect photographer with your preferred style!

Are you a photographer? Also, did you hear about our new listing service eventually?

Sign up as a LLF Pro Member now and get listed immediately!

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Only a few days are left until 2018 is over. So let us take a look back at our Artist of the Month from November. Witness the mesmerizing work by Henry Tieu from Seattle, USA. He is truly one of the best when it comes to capturing the emotions between two loving human beings in a beautiful and creative way.  Henry Tieu is the last AOTM in 2018 but you will see him and many other amazing artists in our LOOKSLIKEFILM Artists of the Year-feature back again soon.

How old are you and where are you from?

This question is so interesting to me because I’m from all over the place. I was born in Vietnam but grew up in Oklahoma and Idaho. I currently am based out of Seattle, Washington. And I am 27.

Tell us a little bit about your life at the moment?

This has been one wild year and I am grateful for all the opportunities and all the amazing people I’ve met. I photographed my very first wedding this year, photographed my first destination wedding, taught a couple of workshops, released my presets, went to places that I could only dreamed of and received awesome awards from Junebug Weddings and Rising Tide (and now Artist of the Month of course). My little twerky heart is twerking.

At this time, I am still trying to take everything in.

Wedding season has slowed down a bit but I am still editing like crazy. Besides being a full time photographer, I also work in an intensive care unit as a Registered Nurse. I just can’t give up nursing because it’s part of my identity and passion. It can be a bit overwhelming at time but it’s all so worth it.

How did you end up being a photographer? 

Growing up, my family only took photos on Lunar New Years and I always volunteered to take photos for everyone. One year, my dad trusted me enough and gave me the only film camera we had. I enjoyed running around holding the camera because everyone was smiling, everyone was just so happy. I think deep down, it’s part of why I do what I do: putting smiles on people’s faces.

When I was 12, I saved up all my allowances and bought myself my very first digital point and shoot camera. I walked around the neighborhood and photographed flowers, trees, and animals. I still remember how I was so excited when I see the crisp focus and bokeh on my photos.

When I was in college, I worked at the bookstore and saved enough money to buy my first DSLR camera. I got the Canon t1i because it was the most affordable camera I could buy at that time. After a long day at school and work, I would drive around downtown Seattle at night to do nighttime photography. I uploaded all of my photos on a personal Flickr account that has zero interactions with anyone but I was just so happy seeing my photos in a “gallery”.

I graduated from college and immediately got busy with life and work. I picked up the camera again years later after a stressful week at work. Being an ICU nurse, I see unfortunate tragedies on a daily basis. I see how short life truly is. One day, I took care of a patient who was around my age, who was a healthy person until he couldn’t breath. He came to the hospital and that was when we found out he had lung cancer and it had spread everywhere. He passed within one week. And I was his nurse the whole time.

I went home, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t get my mind off of my patient. I started thinking about my life, where I was and where I wanted to go next. So my husband and I decided to stop working overtime all the time. We started hiking around Washington and that was when I picked up my camera again. I want to see the world, I want to capture memories and moments in life that are important. I want to live a life that if and when I get stuck in a hospital bed, I don’t have to look back in life and ask myself all the what-if.

From landscape photography, I started dipping my toes into couple portraits and eventually became a wedding photographer. Till this day, I still carry the same philosophy into everything I do. My philosophy in life has become my approach to wedding photography: big or small, destination or local, I provide a 100% of myself so I can photograph moments that are priceless and darling.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Oh man, that is a loaded question. A year ago, I thought I was going to go back to Doctorate school. Now, I got the acceptance letter and declined the admission offer because my heart is with photography. Who knows what will happen. 20 years from now I don’t know if my passion will change but I hope I still have that fire within me that drives me to go for what my heart desires.

I see my husband and I’m raising a family. I see us hosting gatherings at our place so we can still connect with friends and family. I see us booking a photographer each year for our annual Christmas photos. I hope I can still be a photographer. I hope people still love what I do.

What gear are you currently using?

I am a Sony guy. My main camera is the Sony a7riii with 2 back up bodies and they are the Sony a7iii

Zeiss 35mm 1.4 is my most used lens since it’s so versatile
Zeiss 55mm 1.8 is my 2nd most use one.
Sony 85mm 1.8 is my least use but I should use it more. I love the crispness that it produces.
Godox V860ii: I use this guy for the dance floor. I go between bounce flash and shutter drag.

What advice would you give out to a new starting photographer?

It’s all in your head. Truly, everything. The mind is a crazy thing. It can give you the confidence you need or it can drag you down and makes you feel like you are not worth anything. With that being said, we all have been victimized by our crazy minds at one point or another. I know I was and still am.

But here’s a quote I’ve read that has changed my life: “By the time you realize your worth, you’ll be worth more”. Trust yourself so your clients can trust you. If you can’t trust yourself just yet, go out there and practice. Don’t be afraid to fall. Don’t be afraid to fail.

It’s better to fall and fail on practice shoots so you don’t fall or fail on someone’s special day. Invest in yourself, invest in education.

Did the LLF community change the way you see or shoot weddings, couples etc.?

100% yes. When I first learned about LLF, I spent hours and hours on your website. Before I go to bed, I would scroll the LLF Facebook Group to read all the questions and answers other photographers have. I look at other’s work to learn about framing, composition, light, poses, and so so so many different aspects for a stunning photograph as well as a cohesive gallery. Thanks, LLF for creating this community where we all can learn from one another.

What plans do you have for 2019?

I am officially a part-time nurse so I can focus more on wedding photography and family. In 2019, I will host my very first workshop called Hey Darling Workshop and it was sold out within 6 hours (I am still on cloud 9). I plan on releasing HD Presets pack 2 where 25% of my proceed goes towards charities.

I also plan on blogging more and creating more education materials for photographers. Stay tuned. I have more exciting projects that are under construction at the moment and I can’t wait to share soon.

Henry Tieu

HIS WEBSITE

HIS INSTAGRAM

HIS FACEBOOK

Henry Tieu – Seattle Wedding & Adventure Elopement Photographer

Did you fall in love with the work of Henry Tieu? If you don’t want to miss such beautiful and creative images in the future like the ones from Henry Tieu, check out the links above and our blog and the Facebook group regularly. Besides that, you can follow us on Instagram as well. LOOKSLIKEFILM is your daily inspiration when it comes to photography created by amazing artists from all over the world!

Are you an elopement photographer? Did you hear about our new listing service? Our listing for “Yosemite Elopement Photographer” for example. Its ranked #6 on google and guarantees that you will be seen for a highly used search term.

Sign up as a LLF Pro Member now and get listed!

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It is already November, so we definitely have to take a look and celebrate our AOTM back in October. We proudly introduce you to the amazing work of Ewelina Zieba from Warsaw, Poland. Her outstanding wedding images are always full of emotions and creativity. When you scroll through our LOOKSLIKEFILM group feed you will always recognize her beautiful photography style and you will immediately fall in love with her images.

How old are you and where are you from?

I’m 30 yeras old. I’m based in Warsaw, Poland.

Tell us a little bit about your life at the moment?

This year was full of travels. I learned the light, I learned to take care of my development and it resulted in photos that I did not even expect from myself. It was a good year and there’s still a lot ahead of me. Now I have finished my wedding season and I will do postproduction most of my time. You know the #weddingphotographerlife…

How did you end up being a photographer? 

It’s a long story. However, I will try to tell it in a few words. When I was a student I met an amazing photography teacher. I started to learn the basics of photography in the teacher’s scientific club. It was the time to discover the technical secrets of a camera. After that, I spent a lot of time practicing.

For 6 years, photography was just my great passion. The camera was my second skin. I took it everywhere with me. My camera did not only accompanied me on travels but also at home in my everyday life.

I became a professional photographer thanks to my husband. When we were fiancees, he told me that it might be time to evolve my passion for photography into a business. He said, “I want to make you happy and I do believe that your dream can become true”. He was the one who bought me my first full frame camera. I bought a 180 mm magic lens and that’s how I started building a portfolio as a wedding photographer.
And as you see – he was right. I love this job because I feel, it makes people happy the way I do it.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I don’t know what I will do in 20 years but I know who I would like to be in 20 years. I’d like to be happy with my super husband and do what I really love. Right now, I still love to take photos. Not only weddings. I love to create travel reports while the camera allows me to meet new people. Photography has been always a part of my life till today, so I’m pretty sure, it will definitely remain with me forever. But I am also curious and open about other creative activities.

The most important thing for me is to remain a good human being. Yes, in 20 years I just want to be a good person. Better than I’m today. OK, besides that, I would also like to live in a big wooden house with a huge garden filled with flowers.

What gear are you currently using?

Nikon d810, Nikon d750 and 50 mm 1.8 Nikkor & 35 mm 1.4 Sigma Art.

What advice would you give out to a new starting photographer?

Inspire yourself with everything that surrounds you, but never forget about your personal potential. Make mistakes. Do not expect from yourself that after 10 sessions you will be a “Master of The Light”.
Practice makes perfect. Always. Listen to those people’s advice, who want to support your development as a photographer. Ignore those who just want to see you fail.
Exercise, take pictures and if something does not work out find out why, and go back to the same place and make it better than the last time. As a photographer, you keep learning your whole life, so be ready for it.

Did the LLF community change the way you see or shoot weddings, couples etc.?

Since the day I joined the LLF community back in 2015, I like the purpose of the group so much that I immediately felt comfortable. Every day, I observe the work of photographers and the daily update is my daily reading.The images, which I like the most are kept in a special folder on my computer, to come back to them from time to time. The group gives me great motivation for a strong development. When I see the level of some pictures within the group, it’s simply impossible not to continue to develop. I’m very happy that there is such a place for photographers and I’m glad that I can be part of it.

What plans do you have for the rest of 2018?

When the wedding season ends, I would like to start my own photography project. Also, I want to spend more time with my family because after a very busy wedding season I miss them so much!

Ewelina Zieba

HER WEBSITE

HER INSTAGRAM

HER FACEBOOK

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We are back to reveal our new Artist of the Month in September. It is the wonderful Melissa Rey from Montana, USA. She is a very active member in our LOOKSLIKEFILM Facebook group and you can be sure that every single time she posts in our group – her image will get that “Choo Choo”! You kind of feel stuck in a wedding photography routine and have got the feeling that you are running out of ideas?  Well, you should take your time then and read the following interview with Melissa. Shooting weddings in a creative and unique way are her specialty.

How old are you and where are you from?

I am 27 year old and am from Grass Range, Montana but currently living in Los Angeles.

Tell us a little bit about your life at the moment?

I am a wife, mama to two under two and a full-time wedding photographer. On rare days I feel like super mom if I have gotten both kids to nap and 20 pictures edited from last weekends wedding. Finding that “balance” between life and work has been one of my hardest struggles this year but, I am always determined to make it work.

I don’t think there is such a thing as a perfectly balanced life when you are a business owner and a mama. You simply just do what you have to do and try to spend your time wisely. One other thing I love doing is meeting new photographers in this industry, mentoring on different editing techniques and not giving a damn about what others think in the process.

How did you end up being a photographer? 

I remember when I was ten years old, the teacher asked us to draw a picture of who we wanted to be when we grew up and I drew a stick figure with a camera around my neck. I wanted to be a photographer. I would save my weekly allowances for the $5 disposable cameras and would get so excited to get the film developed.  Along the way from there to college though, I was told I could never make a living off of being a photographer so, I went to school to become a Surgical Technologist.

I also did some modeling while in college and was always way more intrigued by what the photographer was doing and the process of composing an image over being in front of the camera. I remember one of the photographers showing me the back end of his Canon mark iii camera and it all looked like a foreign language but, was so magical. I had so many questions running through my mind. What the heck was f stop? What is shutter speed? I even remember not knowing what the mm numbers meant and thought I needed every single lens in the world to capture different images. More vividly, I also remember reaching out to anyone and everyone I knew that was a photographer asking for tips on how to get started and very rarely would anyone respond.

This is probably why I enjoy helping other photographers so much because I remember that feeling of confusion and not having help. I bought a journal and Youtube’d every single question and ran around taking pictures of cups on tables and random leaves on the ground just to gain knowledge and begin to understand the fundamentals of the camera. I just so badly wanted to become a successful photographer and that is why I put in so much work and time to get to where I am today as a photographer.

I owe my career to my babies though, if it wasn’t for me getting pregnant and having the ability to quit my job as a Labor and Delivery Tech to stay at home with them, I wouldn’t have ventured into seeing how this whole thing could actually be a thriving business.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Hopefully sipping margaritas on a beach somewhere with all of my debt paid off and me still enjoying the art of composing images.

What gear are you currently using?

I have two Canon Mark IV camera bodies and for camera lenses I have the 85 mm, 24-70 mm, 45 mm tilt shift.

What advice would you give out to a new starting photographer?

To find a community of other supportive like-minded photographers. Since joining LLF and other pods I have found my support group and we all refer jobs to each other and are there for each other when we feel like we just want to give up.

Did the LLF community change the way you see or shoot weddings, couples etc.?

Heck yeah, I’m consistently inspired by what is posted in there. It also opened up doors to me meeting some of my closest friends in the industry as well.

What plans do you have for the rest of 2018?

My plan after this month is to enjoy my offseason and dive further into fine art photography and start selling prints!

Melissa Rey

HER WEBSITE

HER INSTAGRAM – Portfolio

HER INSTAGRAM – Learn

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Another round of our monthly series called “Artist of the Month” is here. If you ever have had the chance to meet our new Artist of the Month in person, we are sure you will never ever forget this amazing photographer. A passionate and incredibly creative man, who has always a camera by his hand to create some spontaneous magic. Besides that, he is one of the funniest guys we ever met and you can be sure to have a lot of fun spending time with him. Folks, let’s celebrate Paul Woo from New York City.

How old are you and where are you from?

You know, this is such a funny question, because if you were to ask me this in person I would need a while to think. I think after hitting 25, I just forget that I’m gaining a year older each year. I’m a 32-year-old wedding photographer. Born in Dayton, Ohio. I’ve spent 32 years in Ohio and things are about to change.

Tell us a little bit about your life at the moment?

This year has been already quite the journey. It was the first time where I realized that I didn’t have a sense of home. Not a sad feeling, but more of a liberating and a bit scary one. I decided on a whim to finally bid adieu to Ohio and move to New York City. Though I left, I still find myself flying back every weekend to capture the amazing days of couples who are deeply in love.

How did you end up being a photographer?

I started off as an engineer by trade. You see, I wanted to be an engineer to be creative, and I realized that the further I dug deep into the field, the less creative I became. I needed a way to express myself and I did so by purchasing my first DSLR. It must have been fate, an online store had a price error for a kit lens and body for 250.00 at the time, and I was the first person to grab it.

My journey as a photographer was never a smooth one, I always found the love of shooting and lost it, and this continued on for 4 or 5 years. It wasn’t until I quit my cubicle life and decided to backpack for 7 months to 26 different countries. I photographed every single day and learned a lot about shooting and editing, this is really the birth of how Wandering Woo started.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I currently love photographing couples and capturing their story. Lately, I’ve been realizing more about myself and what drives me. I have a hard time focusing on things I don’t care about or have a passion for. I hope that in 20 years I am doing something I am truly passionate about and can look back and see I’m not the same person I was 20 years ago, but a better one.

What gear are you currently using?

For my body, I am using two Canon 5d Mark IV. It’s a love and hate relationship, but for the most part, I love the image it produces. I do wish it had a flip screen and wasn’t so heavy, but in a couple of weeks, that might change…

As for lenses I use:

Canon 35mm 1.4 VII – I really love this lens. It’s on my camera 70% of the time and produces probably around 75% of my images. I really prefer to use my legs and get closer.

Canon 85mm 1.8 – I found earlier in my career that carrying around the 70-200 lenses were not a feasible option. I only use this lens maybe 5% of my images. It is small reliable, and compact when I travel.

Canon 45mm TSE  – This is probably my fun lens. I maybe use it for 4-5 images on the wedding day to be different. My 50mm 1.2 is out of commission so I will use this lens currently for portraits.

Canon 135 – Collecting dust.

Canon 16-35 f4 – I use this primarily for dance photos at 16mm. I love getting close and dancing with the people at the wedding. I also see this lens as a backup if something happens to my 35mm

Godox v860ii – I primarily use this for speeches, completely dark halls, family photos, and dance floors. I find using the flash can be distracting, but aim to use it if it tells the story.

Leica Q – This is my backup camera, or if the ceremony is a quiet one and I can get close I’ll use it.

What advice would you give out to a new starting photographer?

Don’t be afraid to fail.

I think we are conditioned to be afraid of failing. Failing is completely healthy and necessary for growth. What’s more important is learning from your mistakes and understanding why you failed.

Care, give a damn.

I started with the desire to create, not for my couple, but for myself. However, every interaction I make, every story that I hear, every tear that I see… made me realize that getting that epic shot is a very small part of the day. It ages, it isn’t really timeless, but moments are truly timeless. That uncle bob that’s pissing you off, he truly loves and cares for the couple. Those boring family photos that we so dearly dread, they are the first ones that the couples will find when the time comes. The strangers that we don’t know at cocktail hour, are people who care and love the couple. Each and every one of them made an impact on the couple’s lives. When you start seeing a wedding this way, you start to understand that no two weddings will ever be alike.

It’s more than just luck. 

There’s a friend that I haven’t seen in years. A little about him, he graduated in chemistry and decided to enter culinary school. I remember him telling me how afraid he was to tell his family about his decision. Fast forward, he’s doing what he loves every single day and enjoying it. I’m driving to see him after years, and I was so eager to tell him how lucky he was. Then I realized, luck had nothing to do with it, he worked hard to be where he is today. Everyone needs to hear that they got to where they are today because they worked hard. I think telling someone that they are lucky to do X Y Z is doing a disservice to all the work put into it.

Did the LLF community change the way you see or shoot weddings, couples etc.?

LLF community is such an inspiration. When I first stumbled upon the group, I spent hours looking at other peoples images. Weddings, children, families, landscapes, really just about everything. It was so beautiful and inspiring to see so many people expressing themselves, capturing emotions of things they cared about.

We live in a world where we can see so many stories at once, and the LLF community does that. I’ve also met so many people across the world through LLF. It’s amazing how a community can make the world smaller, and also make it possible to learn from each other.

What plans do you have for the rest of 2018?

I have a few projects I plan to work on. First I am trying to acclimate myself to my new home in NYC. Working on launching a new site soon to reflect more of myself. Improve the faults in my business, and become more efficient. Overall, pretty excited and optimistic to capture all of my future weddings around the world!

Paul Woo

HIS WEBSITE

HIS INSTAGRAM

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The year is running so fast that we are already in the second half of 2018. So, it is time again to reveal our latest Artist of the Month. He is a member of our Facebook LOOKSLIKEFILM group since 2016 and we are pretty sure that nearly every member knows his images. Especially his drone wedding images are mindblowing and show us a brand new point of view on brides and grooms. Enjoy the beautiful work of Krzysztof Krawczyk from Poland – The Master of Drones.

How old are you and where are you from?

I’m 30 years old and I live in Bełchatów in central Poland. The most significant and also beautiful change of my life took place just a few months ago when my lovely daughter Oliwia came to this world! She’s my new inspiration now to keep searching for something new in photography.

How did you end up being a photographer and how have you started using your drone?

I started my adventure with photography at the end of 2012, after my engagement. It was that moment when I wanted to photograph happy people, that emotions, the happiest days of their lives, to be close to them and create something they will always come back to.

I started making photos with the drone during last wedding season. I was perfectly aware that the bird’s-eye view in wedding photography is something new and rarely seen but with huge potential.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I see myself hanging out with my wife and few kids by the seaside, being a happy and fulfilled man and artist.

What gear are you currently using? Which drone do you have?

I’m using the Canon 5d Mark III and 6d. When it comes to the lenses I love the look of the Sigma 20mm A, also the 35mm A, 50mm A and the freestyler 85 mm.

Many of my favourite shots, especially those during the first look and post wedding sessions, were taken with the Canon 100 mm Macro L and 135 mm L. My drone is the Phantom 4 pro.

What advice could you give out to a new starting photographer and someone who wants to start using a drone?

Take such pictures that you would like to receive from your photographer – this is my golden rule which motivates me to work even harder. Search for simplicity in nature that can look completely different from above.

Did the LLF community changed the way you see or shoot weddings, couples etc.?

LLF creates current standards in wedding photography and that’s awesome! I love the community and their inspiring work. Thanks to that I’ve met many great photographers.

What plans do you have for the rest of 2018 ?

Keep pushing myself to get even more creative and emotional shots. Beside that I organize my very first workshops, which hopefully will take place in November. Fingers crossed!

Krzysztof Krawczyk

HIS WEBSITE

HIS INSTAGRAM

HIS FACEBOOK

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A few weeks ago someone set a new milestone in the history of our LOOKSLIKEFILM community. A single image received in our Facebook group the biggest amount of likes ever. It is the most popular image and it completely blew off our minds. We all need to know more about this photographer who wrote history within our LOOKSLIKEFILM community. Folks, please stand up for the amazing Vicki Moyer from Pennsylvania!

How old are you and where are you from?

I am 32 years old and I am based in central Pennsylvania, but love traveling.

Tell us a little bit about your life in the moment?

I split my time between a fulltime interior design job, a fulltime photography business and a family life. I hope to be solely photography by the end of 2019!

How did you end up being a photographer?

I have always loved photography and having memories from my childhood. Almost 6 years ago, I had a daughter and wanted to provide beautiful memories for her. My passion for storytelling grew from there. I found myself loving to capture the emotion between couples and the documentation of weddings.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I hope to still be storytelling, capturing love while traveling the world collecting experiences.

What gear are you currently using?

I am a Canon girl. I still adore my 6D, though also shoot on a MarkIII. I have a variety of lens, but always favor my Sigma Art 35mm.

What advice could you give out to a new starting photographer?

You will grow so much. Be open to the process and don’t worry about how amazing other people are. Don’t compare yourself to the seasoned photographers, chances are they have been where you are.

Take their work and be inspired, try new things and take risks! Even when you become that photographer you aspire to be, still push past your comfort zone.

What were your thoughts after you have realized your image is the one with the most likes in the history of the LOOKSLIKEFILM Facebook group?

HOLY ****! But more so than all the likes, were all the amazing comments about really accepting the subject matter. It’s amazing to be part of a community that is not only tolerant of interracial couples, but really celebrates the beauty in it. All the love is so amazing and I am very grateful to everyone.

Did the LLF community changed the way you see or shoot weddings, couples, families etc..?

I am always blown away by the immense amount of talent in the community. Everyone is so inspiring and it really pushes be to think outside the box of my creativity.

What plans do you have for 2018?

Photographing couples and weddings. I have been second shooting, exploring my creativity. As well as traveling as much as possible! I have made a tight knit group of photography friends and we try to explore new places as much as possible. Earlier this year we visited the PNW, last week we were in Mexico, later this year I will be visiting Banff and Colorado! I want to travel at least twice as much next year!

Vicki Moyer

HER WEBSITE

HER INSTAGRAM

HER FACEBOOK

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The month is nearly over, so it is time again to reveal our new Artist of the Month in April.
Alê Bigliazzi from Brazil is the photographer we’ll take a closer look at. You are an admirer of beautiful couple images? You are looking for inspiration how to shoot a bride & groom in a creative way? Perfect, Alê is the “go-to guy” for those questions. Let’s go – enjoy his work!

How old are you and where are you from?

I am 34 years old, and I live in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Tell us a little bit about your life in the moment?

I’ve recently just came back from a trip to Europe and Morocco, where I photographed some couples and really enjoyed my stay. It’s wedding season so my life is kind of chaotic, right now, but I’m trying to balance my life somehow.

How did you end up being a photographer?

I love to travel. My first job was an administrator position and I started to earn my first money.
But my passion to travel was still there and kept growing. I decided to study photography back in 2008 with the aim to take better photos on my trips.

But my biggest inner wish was to have another way of living. I was bored all day long and simply just didn’t want to go to the same places every day.

The photography course I attended to, made me find that what I really love. So I bought my first camera: Canon 40d, a good camera for a beginner.

I studied fashion photography and shot commercials, but working with couples and capturing their weddings brought me my real happiness. You work with individual life stories. For me – this is real and makes me feel grateful to be a part of.

I love landscape photography as well, but it’s just for fun.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Married, living in Spain with my wife & kids. I want to travel with them around Europe by car and documenting our lives.

And my photography business –  I don’t have a plan. Maybe I will still photograph couples and make portraits.

What gear are you currently using?

I am currently using a Canon 5D Mark IV with two lenses:
Sigma art 35mm F1.4 & Sigma art 24mm F1.4.

What advice could you give out to a new starting photographer?

Do it like it’s your last chance.

Be passionate, be yourself but curious. Meet people who are passionate like you and inspire you. Find your time to study a lot about photography. My advice: go study art in general, it’s not only about photography, go further and open up your mind for all the creativity out there.

Did the LLF community changed the way you see or shoot ?

I got to know about the LLF community last year and it definitely changed me a lot how  I see and shoot photography. I learnt new techniques and I found a lot of inspiration in there.

I love to see how people are connecting within the group, no matter in which kind of photography genre they’re taking place.

What plans do you have for 2018?

Oh, so difficult.

I want to study more to improve my photography. I want to read more books, travel more and photograph couples while I’m on road. I’d love to show my work outside of Brazil and meet more passionate people like me.

SEE MORE OF HIS WORK

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2018 is running so fast, so today you’ll already get the third feature of our LOOKSLIKEFILM Artist of the Month. Please stand up for Yaky Di Roma O’Reilly! It was definitely time to feature her work here on our blog. Her beautiful images are not only blowing our minds constantly away but also the ones of our LLF community. Yaky’s images are full of love & tension and we simply love her creativity. You can be sure to see more of her work throughout the year in our Daily Updates and the #LLF1000CLUB…

How old are you and where are you from?

My name is Yaky Di Roma O’Reilly, I’m 30 years old and originally from a small island called Margarita in Venezuela.
I’ve been based out of Orlando/Miami for the past 3 years after leaving my home country, for University, where I would gain my masters in arts. Currently in the process of settling in the UK.

Tell us a little bit about your life in the moment?

Recently got married to a fellow LLF photographer, currently in Madrid, Spain. When I’m not being a full time mom to my son, I’m either doing self portraits or trying to photograph my clients.

How did you end up being a photographer?

My passion for photography began to blossom when I was 19 by “mistake”, I was in second/third semester in college and had 3 extra credits and decided to take photography just to get it out of the way, little did I know that my future would depend on that class I just wanted to pass.

I’d had past experience in Fashion Photography, and actually made a pretty good name in Venezuela. It didn’t take me long to realise fashion wouldn’t become my niche… It was the Wedding and Portrait game that consumed me. I couldn’t get enough. Especially Self portraits… Breastfeeding Self Portraits, where my heart is.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

In 20 years I see myself shooting weddings and portraits all over the world, with my husband and our three children being part of the team.

What gear are you currently using?

Currently me and my husband are in a battle about switching brands. I shoot both Canon and Nikon, but mainly I use a Canon 6d with 35mm 1.8 and a 90mm Tamron 2.8 along with a Nikon D810 with the 35mm 1.4 art and the 135mm 1.8 art… I also have a Mavic Air which recently switched from the Phantom 4 pro mainly for portability. Very rarely will I use flash. Only if absolutely necessary or I’m shooting in home studio portraits.

What advice could you give out to a new starting photographer?

Try to find your style early, photograph what you love and don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t let cc offend you, take it and get better. Some people will tell you that your ideas suck, don’t listen to them, just prove them wrong.

Did the LLF community changed the way you see or shoot ?

Definitely, 100%. Before LLF my work was a lot lighter and clean and I’ve found myself loving darker images and tons of grain. This is such an inspirational group, I joined in September 2017 and the talent I’ve seen in this short period of time has pushed me to create more art and less commercial work. I’m still in shocked I was asked to be Artist of the month, because the photographers in this group are in another league, really mind blowing and I feel extremely honoured.

What plans do you have for 2018?

Survive… I plan to Survive 2018! My husband and I have many destination weddings along with even more local weddings… This is without caring for our 3 children, and building a home in South Wales, UK. Whatever else I achieve is a bonus.

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February has nearly come to an end as you know it is time to reveal our Artist of the Month. Those of you, who are regularly following our feed in the LLF group or on our Instagram channels have definitely seen his incredible work before. Today we want to take a closer look at Ryan Learoyd‘s beautiful images and get to know him a little better!

If you want to meet Ryan in person and to learn more about his way of photographing, join the LOOKSLIKEFILM UK MEETUP in Leeds on March 15th! There are only a few spots left!

How old are you and where are you from?

I’m 3 & a fifth decades young & from Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Home of the Hobbits, land of the free.

Tell us a little bit about your life in the moment?

I live a rock star lifestyle of drugs, sexiness, crispy creme doughnuts & shooting unicorns just for fun. I’m pretty sure when most people go on Instagram & look at all the uber rockstar photographers curated feeds thats what they think. In reality I’m sat at my desk doing what I adore. When I’m not here I’m outside been given the insane opportunity to tell incredible humans stories the way I want.

Outside of wedding photography I get to spend all my time with my incredible wife Hannah & my little black cat called Gatsby. I’d make up a load of stuff about all my friends & wild nights out but in reality I’m binge watching every season of friends while eating too many crisps in my pants. I can’t emphasise enough that how much I don’t take it for granted to be living the life I live & to have found a job & lifestyle that is pefectly in tune with every fibre of my being. Make no mistake it has taken a huge amount of work to get here. But every second has been worth it.

How did you end up being a photographer?

Shutter Go Click was created probably in a similar way to how a ton of you guys got started. I got out of Uni bleary eyed with a heart full of dreams ready to take on the world. & so I did what all ambitious post grads do. I found a dead end job in a call centre as a ‘temporary’ thing & got stuck there for 7 frickin years.

In a gadget lust haze of semi adulthood I was perving on a Canon 450D for an age. My wife Hannah convinced me to buy it (She’s good like that) 2 years of monthly payments for that bad boy. & a bit later I got the urge to upgrade. I craved more resolution in which to capture that illusive rare Sparrow in my garden. I switched to Nikon & my friend asked me to shoot their wedding. She used the words “If you can make baboons look that good then I can’t even imagine our wedding pics” & I thought you know what Love my baboons are fucking epic.

I shot the Wedding & charged £250. I felt like Kanye West making it rain. I shot that Wedding & realised holy shit that was awesome. People are what I want to photograph & nothing else. No matter how fine the sparrow. Of course looking back now they look like they were taken by a fingerless blind tosser. No I’m not showing you any.

I followed photographers that inspired me & made me realise that Wedding Photography in its traditional form which truly wasn’t for me was not the only way to do it. With a couple of Love struck strangers you could make art, you could be the story teller in any way you wanted.

So I was working full time in a call centre alongside shooting 20+ Weddings a year for 4 years. I kept that up until May 2015 when I got in one day and finally broke. I told my boss to fuck himself put on my sunglasses, lit up a cigarette and strolled out like a badass into the sunset… Ok ok I was on my lunch break & called Hannah and told her I was broken, I couldn’t be there any more & she said. “ So quit” & I did…

I needed the fear. & here I am 3 years later shooting 40 Weddings a year & loving every frickin moment.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Probably in a hole in the ground the way I smoke & eat. haha. Seriously though I don’t know or want to know. If we all knew what was at the end of the road then we wouldn’t enjoy the journey. I don’t want my rotations on this blue marble through space to feel like a commute to the inevitable. I want to feel the wind in my hair, the wheels turning & turn that metaphorical sat nav off. All I hope is that in 20 years I can still feed the cat, the wife & have a quality of life that not many are fortunate enough to have. Above all else I want to still think I’m a good man.

What gear are you currently using?

I use two Nikon D750’S & unusually for a lot of pro photographers only Tamron lenses. The 35mm F1.8 VC & the 85 F1.8 VC. I’m not a massive gear nerd to be honest. I used to be way more tech orientated & always want to have the latest & greatest but now it’s the opposite. They’re just tools that are there to materialise a vision. I think after a while of doing this they become a bizzare extension of sense & sight. Especially when using just two focal lengths. You begin to see a scene before even lifting a camera.

The Tamron lenses also get a bit of a bad rep with a lot of peeps who haven’t even used them. I’m not a pixel peeper by any stretch. But they have taken a beating, reliably focus, have Vibration compensation for those darker bits of the day & are fuly weather sealed. I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again. The only bad thing about Tamron lenses is they’re one letter away from Tampon.

What advice could you give out to a new starting photographer?

Don’t get bogged down with finding your own style early on & worrying that you aren’t good enough. Emulate & create & you will find your own voice naturally. There is no point in doing something you love for a living if you are not happy shooting what you shoot. I would also tell them never ever underestimate the amount of work that you have to do to achieve what you want.

There’s a mentality within the industry at the moment where I think people just starting out are looking for fast ways to success. But from the beginning to now 6 years later, have always wanted to be known for working hard, for putting my all into every element of my business, brand & client experience.

You can be the best photographer in the world but if you don’t learn the other strings of the bow you will never succeed. I know photographers who will openly admit they are the worst photographers in the world & don’t even care about the creative side. But because they know how to run a business they are successful. There are no short cuts. Yes you can learn from others, get advice & emulate to create. But it’s your individual journey, learning, passion & hard work that will build you all that you desire.

Did the LLF community changed the way you see or shoot weddings, couples etc.?

I have absolutely found inspiration that has transcended into my own work. Sometimes even without knowing. There are some incredible artists within this community & in my opinion it has probably been one of the most fulfilling & motivating groups/online experiences I’ve been a part of. It has given me confidence, faith in my own vision & the drive to not only keep learning but strive to push the boundaries of storytelling.

What plans do you have for 2018?

I plan on building death star 3, hunting the sasquatch & proving without a shadow of a doubt that the Earth is actually a triangle in shape. Other than that it’s all weddings, hard work & continuing to learn & grow as a camera toteing finger wizard. I’ve also been given the awesome chance to speak at the LOOKSLIKEFILM UK Meet Up in my home town of Leeds in March. I can’t believe someone has actually let me out of my cave to speak to real life human beings. Oh they are in for a treat haha

SEE MORE OF RYAN’S WORK

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