The Gear and Details
Digital: Canon R6ii & R5ii (28–70mm & 16-35mm), DJI mini 4 pro & Godox V1Pro
Film: Canon 1V (50mm), Fujifilm GA645ZI
Coverage:
1 photographer over 3 days (approx. 22 hours)
2 photographers covering the wedding day + 2 videographers covering the wedding day
Photographer: Sarbo Studio
Getting Ready
“Lorna and Declan got ready at Ischia Blu Resort, about 15 minutes from the venue.
When I arrived I saw the cobalt blue umbrellas and deck chairs. I knew that was Lorna & Declan’s colours for the wedding. So I tried to incorporate these as much as possible into the detail shots so we could carry this colour throughout the whole day. I also shot all of Declan’s preparations down here.”
“When it came to Lorna, the space was small, outside the sun was harsh and the hotel was fully booked with guests. We made the sun work for portraits on the deck, and incorporated more film which helped bring a really glowy and vintage vibe.”
As soon as I arrived I saw the cobalt blue umbrellas and deckchairs which matched the couples wedding colour theme perfectly. I loved making the creative decision to carry the blue motif visually throughout the gallery. I also found the getting ready space to be really tight and dull, which I didn’t think reflected on the energy and vibrance of the day.
Ceremony
“The ceremony was, without question, one of the most challenging lighting situations I’ve shot. We were dealing with full sun, then half sun and shade and a very tight space, a narrow deck with the ocean on one side and a stone wall on the other, along with a celebrant, two violinist, an audio person, 5 people on the media team were all going to have to share the space.”
“When we arrived the ceremony was in full sun which was perfect for our drone photos, so I got to work shooting this across digital, film and drone. Whilst my second shooter shot the guests arriving via boat.”
“Once the guests were seated and Declan was at the alter, the ceremony was half shade and half sun, the worst combination. However, there was nothing that could be done as it was go time. We decided to put our second photographer and videographer in a little high vantage point at the end of the ceremony as we didn’t want it to be too much and then the 3 of us, photo, video and content shared the front space the best we could.”
‘A Quick Pivot’
The original plan was for smoke flares to go off behind the first kiss but five minutes before the ceremony we were told they would now go off in the water instead. We had to reframe the entire approach in real time. So I pre-set a second body with the 16–35mm and placed it against the stone wall. We went from shooting in the aisle to changing cameras and shooting wide in less than 10 seconds up against the wall. We still had no idea where the smoke flares would be going off, so the wide lens saved the day. I knew this was going to be one of Lorna's favourite shots so I’m glad we could make it happen in the moment.
Portraits
“For the portraits we started by jumping in a vintage car and heading to the dock to get on the boat to enter back into their venue and along the way we had to shoot portraits.
We were running late, had zero soft light to work with and tourists everywhere so we were just taking photos on the go. Again, the 16mm - 35mm were great to have here, I used it in the car and on the boat.
‘A Favorite Image’
I often rely on natural light on a wedding day, but there’s something about this flash moment on the boat that feels so glam and iconic. It was actually a creative decision made out of necessity. The sun over the island was casting very blue light near the shore while completely blowing out the horizon, and with the boat already pushing away from the dock we only had a brief window to make something work. Using flash became essential.
‘A Favorite Image’
When we were out on the open ocean it was rougher than expected, and we were shooting with limited time in bright conditions. This is where film can really make a difference to a gallery. In my experience, harsh light and deep shadows can feel unforgiving on digital, but film has a way of softening and romanticising those moments. The strong light feels glowy and nostalgic rather than harsh.
“After a wild and windy ride across the water, I knew sunset would bring some softer light for classic portraits. As usual, the speeches were running well over time and we were missing the best light, but the moment they finished I asked the couple to pop back down to the deck. Knowing we had very limited time, I began by directing them into a few classic portrait frames. Once we had those strong images within the first couple of minutes, everyone relaxed and could settle back into the moment before returning to the formalities.”
“When I checked the timestamp later, we had a total of 7 minutes for these photos. I think it’s really important as a photographer to adapt quickly and not overcomplicate poses in moments like this. Creativity might not be prioritised in the traditional sense, but a strong portrait can carry a gallery and become part of a couple’s legacy.”
Reception
“The reception space was in the beach club restaurant, the bride had a vision for unique sculptural tomatoes to contrast on cobalt blue linen. The vision was incredible and they absolutely pulled it off. The reception was already set up by the time we had arrived at the ceremony, so I actually shot this multiple times in multiple lighting scenarios as I would constantly walk through it to get to different parts of the wedding.”
“Being as present and in the moment as possible helps you anticipate moments as they come. In that way you can be a little more available and ready to capture the magic. For example Declan threw Lorna over his shoulder and ran her through the reception, guests standing on chairs and singing songs mid dinner service and full on music performances by Circus Music where the guests would break into a full dance floor mid dinner. I made sure to also have my 16-35mm handy as it was such a small space, so many moments were shot on this. Including Lorna coming down the stairs after putting her second dress on. The lens happened to be on my 1V in this exact moment, so that is how it was shot. Then within a minute Declan grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor so this was shot on digital with my 28-70mm.”
“For the fireworks, similar to the ceremony, we were on a tiny little deck so instead we put our seconds up on a higher vantage point to capture a wide of the scene while we stayed crunched down in front of them. Having a team and making sure you are capturing different perspectives and different parts of the story is really important to the overall gallery.”
Closing Thoughts
“This was a day about adapting quickly, staying flexible, using time wisely and staying observant. The couple stayed completely present with each other, allowing their personalities to shine through in every interaction. My role is always to anticipate those moments and capture the energy of the day as it naturally evolves.
When a wedding is built around celebrating an incredibly vibrant couple and what they genuinely love, the photos always come together.”
Vendors
Photographer @sarbostudio
Videographer @sarbostudio
Content Creator @theweddingcontentco
Venue @edenischia
Wedding Planner @roras_destinationwedding
Florist @ravelloweddingflowers
Celebrant @alessia_tedone
Music @circus__music
Hair @daniellegarner_
Makeup @brefmakeup
Ceremony Dress @moirahughescouture from @theonebysineadcorcoran
Shoes & Accessories @jimmychoo @soh.vintage
Wedding & Engagement Ring @berganzalondon
Bridesmaid Dresses @byherthelabel
