Best of Wedding Photography 2016
It’s a little late… but last year I posted them in June so I’m definitely getting better! Here’s my best of Wedding Photography 2016.
The year was definitely not my favorite and had lots of downs, I’m glad it’s 2017… but there were also wonderful moments in 2016.
In 2016, I…
- travelled to awesome places like Costa Rica (<3 the waterfalls), Hawaii for an elopement with my feet in the ocean, Denmark for a destination wedding on the Baltic sea, Belgium for a Castle wedding, Provence and Cassis, Tahoe and Yosemite (one of my favorite places on earth) and finally St Lucia for a superfun wedding in the Caribbean.
- Cried during speeches, father-daughter dances and ceremony vows – like usual –
- Won 1st place in Portraits in the Rangefinder’s Wedding Photography competition
- Went to Field Trip again – it’s such a great place to get your batteries back on high inspiration…
- Got nominated to submit to the Rangefinder’s 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography competition
2016 was full of beautiful weddings and some particularly moving ones that will stick with me for years. I’m still so happy and grateful for the people who love my work and especially for those who pick me to capture their future memories. It still means the world to me.
But in 2016, my dad’s health got worse than it already was. I went back and forth to France… and in September, my dad passed away. There are no words so I’m not even going to try. Let’s just say that I got hit by a hurricane of memories and sadness, overwhelmed by the absence but the messages, presence and comments of all of you truly helped.
A few weeks later, I learned that I wasn’t part of the 30 rising stars… and it kinda was the last drop. For the following weeks I was completely demotivated. I didn’t see a point and the only reward I had ever cared about… the only one that would have truly meant something to me… I didn’t get. It was the end of the season… and I don’t think I touched a camera for more than a month. I lost interest in photography. Completely. I started painting. I went away on holidays… but even during those, I didn’t care anymore. Everything was so sad.
You know, in a family, after someone passes, sometimes the family breaks apart? Things change. Relationships dissolve. People disappoint. Misunderstandings make a mess.
That’s what happened.
And that’s how 2016 ended.
But I can’t tell you only about 2016, since I prefer happy endings… so, in 2017, after little photos and a lot of diving in the Philippines, I went to The Foundation Workshop, in Texas. The FW is organized by Fearless Photographers and it’s a photojournalistic workshop that’s…. the most intense I’ve ever been to. It was exactly what I needed.
Like I said, I had lost track of why I loved photography. I just didn’t feel like it anymore. So I went to the workshop, still unmotivated and hesitant. I won’t spoil you the details because every photographer should try it, it’s an incredible experience that someone has to go through to understand. I’ll just say that FW stripped me naked emotionally. I cried so much, I felt RAW and incredibly vulnerable.
They gave me an assignment. I struggled then got frustrated with myself.
However, in the midst of the struggle, I found that tiny spot of light, that tiny spark of inspiration that started my love for photography years ago. I remembered why I loved photography in the first place: the emotions it can capture or convey. The strength of an image. The memory of a precious moment.
After spending so much time being obsessed with the pretty details and shooting so fast to capture everything… I had forgotten that it’s about the people. Well, I guess not really forgotten but more… I had lost the connection.
FW helped me starting to build it back.
They made me realize that I can always get better. That I am already a good photographer, despite not getting chosen in that damn competition, that there is still so much more to learn. FW gave me back inspiration.
So I’m going to stop there for my 2016-January 2017 year in review… and leave you with the images of this intense year.
Thank you everyone again, for supporting me, choosing me, liking my work… it still means everything.
Best of Wedding Photography 2016
Best of Wedding Photography 2016