Dimitri Crusz on the intricacies of wedding photography and what it takes to make it in the industry
The humble photograph is something we in the modern world simply cannot live without, especially in the digital age. Photos do so many things – they capture places, things, and creatures we cannot physically see ourselves, and above all, they capture moments. Moments in time and moments in our lives.
19 August marks World Photography Day – an annual worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science, and history of photography that is commemorated with an aim to encourage people who want to pursue photography as a hobby or career.
This year, to mark the occasion of World Photography Day, The Sunday Morning Brunch reached out to Dimitri Crusz, one of Sri Lanka’s leading wedding and commercial photographers for a chat on how he became the multidisciplinary skilled photographer he is today and just how intricate the art of wedding photography actually is.
Wedding photography is something of an unsung hero in the photography field, oftentimes dismissed as less serious and skill-intensive than other forms of photography like photojournalism and nature and wildlife photography.
The reality, however, is very different, for as anyone who has been part of a wedding will know, they can be unpredictable affairs with an incredibly diverse range of things and moments to capture in a short span of time.
To be a great wedding photographer, you not only need to be skilled but also versatile enough to shoot in a variety of settings, as well as flexible and creative enough to adapt to different situations and people and still be able to capture the moments that are important to your client as well as the day itself.
Getting into the field
Dimitri has been formally photographing weddings on his own since 1998. For several years before that, he gained invaluable experience working with his father, Jerome Crusz, who, before his retirement in 2016, was also one of Sri Lanka’s most eminent wedding photographers.
“I used to work part-time for him when I was in college, holding lights and that kind of thing – not a photographer but more of an assistant,” Dimitri recalled of his first experiences in the field. “I saw that it was a very interesting field where you’re always meeting new people and making friends, and it just has a very vibrant, lovey-dovey kind of feel to it. It’s not at all a depressing working-in-an-office kind of situation.”
Dimitri decided to get more involved in photography after completing his studies. The decision was made when he was “trying to decide what to do with himself” while waiting for his results. He actually thought seriously about pursuing a career in graphic design, but at that time there were very limited options to study the discipline locally and no forms of online learning or the independent learning resources that are available today.
Graphic design was also very rarely a lucrative career path at that time, and so, for many reasons, Dimitri found himself deciding to pursue photography professionally, learning on the job with his father and developing his own style through trial and error.
“The funny story is that my dad and I both got into photography as a hobby because it was something cool that we liked to do purely for the enjoyment of it and not because of the money,” Dimitri shared. “But it was a good income and has been a good profession for each of us.”
The evolution of Sri Lankan wedding photography
Weddings are a huge part of the Sri Lankan psyche, and so, of course, capturing them in all their glory. With Dimitri’s 30-plus years of experience capturing weddings, Brunch picked his brain on how weddings and memorialising them have evolved over the years.
“Wedding photography in Sri Lanka has changed a lot. We’re actually one of those countries that are really up on our game with wedding photography and trends. We have lots of young talent who are very creatively pushing themselves to be better,” Dimitri observed, noting that copying was an issue to look out for within the industry. He added that it was important to focus on the issue of one-to-one copying and not on photographers who took inspiration from other photographers and then did their own take on things.
“Wedding photography in Sri Lanka has changed a lot. We’re actually one of those countries that are really up on our game with wedding photography and trends. We have lots of young talent who are very creatively pushing themselves to be better,” Dimitri observed, noting that copying was an issue to look out for within the industry. He added that it was important to focus on the issue of one-to-one copying and not on photographers who took inspiration from other photographers and then did their own take on things. In terms of technology, the photography industry, across all its forms, has been transformed by digital photography and the flexibility it allows.
Dimitri noted: “We’ve taken a major leap technology-wise. When I started, we shot on medium-format film (this was a bigger film than the small 35 mm film) where you could only capture 10-12 images on one roll of film. As a photographer, you really had to figure out how to shoot and how to be efficient with the shots you take so that you don’t waste film. Now, it’s a totally different ball game. It’s very easy to shoot, the camera is like a machine gun.”
Despite the ease in shooting, it’s important as a wedding photographer to capture not just the pictures the clients want, but also the pictures they don’t realise they need. For example, taking portraits and the more formal pictures that you can hang on your mantelpiece or show off in your home is something the less skilled photographers can struggle with – balancing the need for relaxed, intimate photos with the more formal pictures that need to come out of a wedding.
The intricacies of wedding photography
Wedding photography does get something of a bad name, and so, wedding photographers can often struggle to be taken seriously.
“It’s seen as a kind of pointless shooting that has no creativity,” Dimitri said, speaking of the more common misconceptions around wedding photography.
“In actuality, it’s the opposite. To be a wedding photographer, you need to be patient, creative, and very importantly, be able to work with what’s in front of you. I do all kinds of photography including commercial work and portraiture – I’m actually one of the few wedding photographers who was able to move into the commercial industry from the wedding industry.
“With a commercial shoot, for example, you can specify how many models you want, the lighting you need, and so on. But when it comes to weddings, you have two-and-a-half hours to do pictures depending on what your client can give you. Quite often your client runs late, which eats into your photography time, but you still need to get your photographs and deliver them to your client. It’s a tough, stressful job and you need to know what you’re doing.”
This is where skill comes in, and not just from a technical viewpoint, though Dimitri did point out that even from a technical viewpoint, a wedding photographer needed to be able to work effectively in all lighting conditions and on very tight timelines.
But beyond technical skills, there are also other skills that are crucial for a wedding photographer. These are largely soft skills – things like anticipating potential problems and having a backup plan that still allows you to do your job, as well as people skills – not just to handle a nervous or stressed couple or retinue, but fussy family members or friends who try to take over the running of the day and ergo, the photographer.
“In a wedding, I often know where it will go wrong before it goes wrong. It’s a sixth sense I’ve developed over the years. I’ve got used to reading clients and can often tell when something is not likely to go to plan. Technical experience is very important, but so is developing a sixth sense of what will happen next,” Dimitri said, sharing how he had developed these skills over the course of his career.
“When it comes to problematic people like a pushy relative who wants to run the event, I let them run with it because you never know how successful an idea will be. But, as much as there are successes, there are failures, and you need to have a backup plan.”
On what most defines a wedding photographer and allows them to be successful, Dimitri narrowed it down to two things – being able to go with the flow and being able to capture the moment despite whatever challenges are thrown at you.
“Your key responsibility is to capture the moment and try not to miss anything – that is what a wedding photographer needs to do. All weddings are challenging – it is how you perceive and react to it that is important.”
The fun side of being a wedding photographer
Despite being a very serious business, being a wedding photographer is very rewarding and well, fun. “The people, the way things happen, how things are very bubbly and happening is very exciting,” Dimitri said of what he likes most about his job.
“Being a commercial photographer, especially if you’re working alongside a video shoot, you can spend a large part of the day waiting around to get your shot, but weddings are more active, there’s more running and being in the midst of things. Being a wedding photographer is like being a friend and a wedding planner put together.”
Sharing his advice for other people inspired by photography and looking to break in, Dimtri said: “Be humble enough to always learn from anyone – that is the best advice that I give my photographer friends. Keep learning and avoid being stagnant.”
“As for getting into wedding photography specifically, I would say that if you are doing good work, it shouldn’t be too hard to get in there. Use referrals to push your name out there. There are so many people working in the wedding industry – designers, florists, hairdressers, makeup artists, planners – and because you’re good, they will promote you.”
PHOTOS DIMITRI CRUSZ
