Impossibly Soft Film Tones in Portugal: A Wedding by Krista K Photos

‘A Standout Image’
I felt that the drone shot was the perfect way to capture the property while guests were completely immersed. It set the scene also while actively telling the story of what was happening in that moment. The aerial perspective added dimension and helped to paint the picture of what this moment looked and felt like.

The Gear and Details

Cameras & Lenses
Digital: Sony a7iv, lenses: 35mm, 50mm, 24mm
Film: Pentax 645nii (75mm lens), Canon eos1v (50mm lens), Holga

Flash
Godox V1

Coverage
20 hours over 3 days with 3 shooters

Photographer: kristakphotos

Setting the Scene

“The overall vision and vibe for the day was to elevate and embrace the natural beauty of the venue with pops of pastels to reflect the summer season. The combination of the natural greenery and the architecture and the pastels worked so well together. The florist did such an incredible job making the florals look so natural, as if they belonged on the property and have been there forever. The flow of the wedding was a seamless yet unique experience as the guests flowed from ceremony (garden elegance), to cocktail hour (artistic food and drinks), to dinner and dancing (in a glass house with a live band).

Welcome Days

I worked alongside the planners to be prepared for all design elements and venue layout as well as anything I needed to know about traveling in Portugal to make the experience seamless. I didn’t prepare any moodboard as I prefer to leave space in my mind for what comes naturally as the day unfolds: letting the scenery, personalities and emotions guide my eye and creativity. I always go into the day deciding what camera or lens I want to use for each part of the day, but ultimately use my intuition as the day unfolds.

Day one featured the views of Lisbon from the water as they kicked off their celebration with an all white boat party.

Day two was held at “Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira.” As I walked in the gates of the property, I was immediately overwhelmed by beauty. Everything from the blue tile, sculptures and gardens reflected Portugal so perfectly.

Getting Ready

The wedding venue was Quinta da Bella Vista Sintra. When the couple originally inquired and I looked up the venue, I immediately knew I needed to shoot there (especially to capture the location on drone, it set the entire scene). The historic private estate, tucked in the rolling hills of Sintra, was the perfect combination of intimate, yet breathtakingly grand. I truly feel like the couple + their guests were able to experience all the beauty Portugal has to offer in the three days of celebration, and I wanted the gallery to reflect that.

I chose a wider perspective for getting ready as I wanted the images to feel immersive, as if you were in the room with them. I feel that it really embodies the emotion and anticipation that couples feel as they get ready - whether they are doing a first look, or seeing their partner down the aisle, there’s always a sense of anticipation of the day ahead!

Ceremony

“The ceremony was located on the properties ‘Garden Theatre’ which was gorgeously lit by the time the ceremony came around. The garden was surrounded by trees which forced the light through a funnel from overhead. It made for the most dramatic glow which was so gorgeous with all the greenery and bright florals.

I really wanted to focus on the emotions during the ceremony as well as keeping artistic composition in mind. Before the ceremony, my second shooter and I run through the ceremony flow and I tell them specific angles and shots I would like them to capture as well as focus primarily on guests and artistic angles/perspectives, while I focus on the couple, guests and details. All moments were captured on both digital and film - I leaned into whatever medium best reflected the moment.”

‘Ceremony Details’
Aiming for simple composition, yet a tangible feel. I always want my photos to feel like they are more than just a photo. To feel elevated and artful, yet approachable. I love this photo because of the textures and the curvature of the aisle. I wanted to highlight the imperfect, yet curated florals that gave this ceremony space its organic garden feel. The way the light was sprinkling in was the cherry on top of it all.

Portraits

“I always aim for the most natural and genuine portraits. I want my couples to feel and look like THEM. I embody their energy, connection and beauty while moving through poses. I never want them to feel forced or unnatural. I gravitate towards interesting lighting, whether it is direct light, or backlit for a glowy, ethereal look/feel.”

‘Poolside Golden Hour’
This property was so cool and we hadn't really utilized the pool for much. As the sun was setting, that corner of the venue really glowed. I love when portraits can also act as a moment for the couple to breathe and take a moment for themselves knowing how the day flies by. I shot this moment on film knowing the colors and tones would translate perfectly on film and I am so happy with the results.

‘Behind the Portrait’
After shooting the ceremony space, I knew I wanted an editorial forward portrait of the couple there after the ceremony. I intentionally framed them with the aisle and chairs in the foreground, and them towards the back. Having the groom sit in the chair, while the bride stood with her long veil and train next to her new husband felt like a must. This is easily one of my favorite portraits of the entire weekend.

Reception

“I knew I needed to get drone coverage of the long family style tables through the glass ceiling. Each table was gorgeously designed with greens, blues and pink tones. I love both naturally lit images & flash (on both film and digital) of the reception to capture the fun energy of the dance floor (think high fashion, punchy black and white) but equally love to embrace the ambiance of low lit scenes. The moody, romantic ambiance is always a favorite of mine to capture.”

‘The Glasshouse’
One of the most unique parts of this venue was the restored Victorian glasshouse. The location where dinner was served, live music played all night long, and cocktails were enjoyed as the night set in! I had to tuck between bushes to capture this exact angle but I knew I wanted a far away shot of the glass house framed by the plants around the venue. While I got plenty of drone footage of the glass house, this specific composition felt more intimate and honest.