(This is a shoot I've posted previously on the site. A friend mentioned a shot they remembered from the set, and when I went back to find it I realised how much I loved this commission... so here it is again...)
A vintage Lancia. White tie and tails. Trams. Dusk ceremony and Portugal in the Spring. Throw them all in a pot and voila! The wonderfully atmospheric wedding of Pierre and Oliver.
Hot-foot from shooting wedding no.1 in West London a few days before (there were three, including one in Cape Town), I arrived in Lisbon not having seen the city for over ten years. With charm to spare, the place embraces you and within hours, you being there makes you feel as if you're having a G&T with an old friend. I adore the atmosphere and laid-back vibe.
Oli had grown up in Lisbon and to their great credit, Oli and Pierre made the shoot very straightforward for me: Meeting up near their hotel in the Chiado, I hopped in the Lancia with the chaps for a blast through the streets up to Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest district. Here, at the Hotel Santiago de Alfama reaching the last stages of spectacular development, their ceremony was held, followed by a drinks reception. And then... it was party time.
I think it’s clear to see the wedding was a personality-rich affair. Wherever I looked there were great little scenes, expression, cliques of conversation and endless laughter. The guys had made a huge effort to make everybody feel welcome and part of their weekend.
My own excitement for the shoot is rooted in the transition from day to night, and all the shots which presented themselves during this progression. Simple pictures such as lamp-lit guests awaiting the tram ride to the wedding breakfast - or the ‘drivers eye view’ of the car driving through the narrow streets - these are all unique parts which make a throughly satisfying sum. I look back at these images and feel transported into the mood of the evening again. I only hope Pierre, Oli, their family and friends will all feel the same in the months and years to come.
So, as always, team work wins the day, and I’d say a huge thank you to not just the guys, but to everybody who allowed me to enjoy this very special commission… Obrigado!
