Behind the Scenes of a Wedding Photographer’s Work – Interview with Łukasz Piecyk

Łukasz Piecyk is a wedding, documentary and portrait photographer. He regularly works with Fundacja Medium and the Reporter photo agency. His photographs have appeared in ABC, Do Rzeczy, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Newsweek, Polityka, Tygodnik Powszechny, Super Express, WPROST and W Sieci, as well as on major Polish news portals. Thank you for your time and the interview.
##### When and how did your adventure with photography begin?

I had been picking up cameras since childhood, although I had no idea how to take photographs properly. While at university in Toruń I worked as a journalist for a local newspaper. One day I went to cover an event without a photojournalist but with a borrowed camera. The result was nothing spectacular, but a colleague saw at least a little potential. That was when I invested in my first DSLR – and I read the manual before I even bought it.

I photographed my first wedding three years ago for a friend from the newsroom, by which time I was already working as a photojournalist. I borrowed a Nikon D3 from a colleague so I could work with two cameras, knowing that backup equipment is essential. Even so, I think I was more stressed than the bride and groom.

##### Why did you choose wedding photography?

I have not exactly made a career yet (laughs). But I quickly realized that my earlier view of wedding photography had been wrong. It is an extensive and demanding form of reportage rather than some mythical feat available only to a select few. You have to trust your eye and decide what your priorities are. Still, there is no point pretending it is easy.

What surprised me most was how much I enjoyed outdoor sessions. This kind of photography was new to me and perhaps that is why the location shoot remains the part of working with a couple that I look forward to most.

##### What inspires you as a wedding photographer?

Photographers who are better than me. I love looking at excellent wedding photography. My Instagram feed recently filled up with many more wedding photographers. I enjoy studying polished, inventive sessions mixed with documentary images that really knock you out.

Anyone who has ever looked down on wedding photography should seek out people doing it at world-class level. You do not have to look far – there are many such photographers in Poland. Another source of inspiration can be people who only recently picked up a camera and are already catching up fast. My fiancée has been photographing for a relatively short time, yet she has started bringing back frames I would gladly put in my own portfolio.

##### What is your cooperation with the couple like? How does the session work?

Sometimes it feels almost too easy (laughs). When I am working with complete strangers, I try to learn about their interests and everyday lives. Conversation is always the key. A good way to relax the atmosphere – or simply make the couple pay less attention to me – is to give them something else to focus on. I often bring a flexible LED wire to sessions. It is always hopelessly tangled, so the couple’s first task is to untangle it. That is a good icebreaker if they do not feel comfortable in front of the lens. Once untangled, it also becomes a useful prop after dark.

##### What equipment do you use and why?

My basic setup is a Nikon D750 with a 24–70 mm system lens. I do almost everything with that combination, supported by a Nikon D610 and an 85 mm f/1.8.

I value the main setup for its combination of broad dynamic range, relatively low noise, speed and versatility. I like using the camera with the prime lens outdoors and for close portraits where shallow depth of field should play the leading role.

##### Describe how you use flash.

Flash units complement my cameras. I always have a speedlight with me – either a system flash or a Quadralite Stroboss 60 (evo). I do not use it all the time, but it can be invaluable for balancing strong window light indoors. If I want a very contrasty frame, there is little better than firing flash against direct sunlight. It gives the picture a street-style character.

During the wedding reception we have to judge the conditions. An outdoor ceremony can sometimes be photographed without flash if conditions and fast lenses allow it. In a wooden hall or castle courtyard, however, flashes placed in the corners become very useful. Depending on my needs I trigger them with a Navigator X transmitter or another flash. In the latter case I also gain an additional on-camera light that can work against the lights on stands.

For location sessions I always bring an Atlas 600 with a folding FLEX octa. It is a powerful cordless flash that lets me work even in hard sunlight and pull subjects out of shadow. A relatively large modifier that opens like an umbrella saves time and delivers soft light. I also shoot without flash for variety, but very often the Atlas-enhanced frames become my favorites.

##### Advice for beginners who want to succeed in the wedding industry?

Success means being able to produce consistently high-quality reports and sessions. The couple does not need a mythical “individual approach” as much as they need photographs at the same aesthetic level as the work in your portfolio – not copies, but images with a similar quality and visual language.

Do not take on more than you can handle. Want to offer sunset sessions? Try one with friends as a gift and see whether you can manage those conditions. Personally, I learned a great deal from concert photography. It forces you to know your equipment and manual settings very well. I often looked back at photographs from the previous year and immediately saw my own mistakes and gaps in knowledge.

Be self-critical, let others evaluate your work, study photographers who are better than you and practice in controlled conditions. A wedding day is not the time to learn by trial and error.

Photos: Łukasz Piecyk