A balanced presentation is very important to Dave in his wedding photography. This can clearly be seen in his photo collections. “By insisting on only one way of capturing the whole wedding day, it’s going to produce a monotonous album”, says Dave. “There should be a good mix of candid, artistic and journalistic shots.”
Dave knows that a wedding involves plenty of emotions and expressions, therefore he adopts different approaches to best capture the best moments. As Dave puts it, “You shouldn’t force something out of it (the wedding day). I’m an artistic photographer, but this doesn’t mean that all my shots must and can only look artistic. During the customary gatecrashing, for example, I wouldn’t want my shots to appear artistic or, worse still, posed. They must instead reflect the guys’ excitement, laughter, and even their fear!”
While Dave’s shooting style is based on a journalistic approach, he still believes in the beauty of carefully composed shots. “My way of posing the couple is not merely giving instructions. When I ask them to kiss, I want them to enjoy it. I talk to them, help them recall their first kiss, first real date, things like that. I believe anything that comes out of the heart, be it words or actions, is beautiful and sets us apart from all other beings on earth.”
Summing up, Dave says, “Your wedding day is one of the most beautiful and unique days of your life. As a professional wedding photographer, I see, react to and capture moments important to the couple. I’m never narrow-minded in my photography style.”
One last question for Dave: Many premium photographers do not take table shots at the end of the dinner, why do you still do it?
“I used to feel that the table shots are nothing special, until one day I saw an old painting that depicts a family portrait. The family members were all seated very nicely, and it looked sweet. It then struck me that if I’m a good photographer, I’ll take something as ordinary as table shots and make them look as good as paintings. I’ve heard that even the couple’s friend can take those table shots with his cheap DSLR. But the results can be really different, depending on the photography technique and post-processing. Yes, I touch up every single table shot, and I continue to explore new ways to make my photos even better.”
Dave was inducted into the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association in 2008.
 |
Contact Details |
|
| Liaison: | Dave Koh |
| E-mail: | photo [at] davekoh [dot] com |
| Tel: | 9026 0544 |
| Fax: | - |
| Address: | |
| Website: | http://www.davekoh.com |