Kevin Lam Photography

Yesterday I posted some photo candy from Carol and Brian's wedding. Today, I'd like to introduce you to Carol and Brian's talented photographer, Kevin Lam Photography. Kevin is a wedding and lifestyle photographer based in Toronto, however, his art often takes him around the world. In fact, when I originally contacted him, Kevin was en route to shoot a wedding in the Caribbean! A big thank you to Kevin for allowing me to share Carol and Brian's wedding photos, and to 'interview' him. Read below for the 'inside scoop' on engagement portraits, trash the dress sessions and photo tips for the big day!

How did you get into photography? How long have you been shooting weddings?

I’ve always been fascinated by photography. I’m drawn to the stories that photojournalists and documentary photographers create through still images. The power of these stories is still something that very much moves me and is perhaps my biggest inspiration.

When I was growing up I guess I was one of the artistic kids in class. I would constantly be sketching, doing computer art, and even trying to write music in my spare time. However, photography was just a secondary interest for me at that time. When photography underwent its digital revolution, that’s when my interest in photography really took hold. This year will be my third year photographing weddings and my second year doing it full-time. I am extremely fortunate to be doing something I love.

Do you have a favourite location for wedding/engagement portraits?

I can’t say that I have a single favourite location to photograph weddings or engagement sessions. We love working with the natural beauty found in places like the Bahamas or Niagara, ON. But we also really enjoy creating images in man-made environments with great light and architecture.

We’d really love to use more off-beat locations, instead of the usual park and flowers that so many couples seem to default to. I think beautiful and amazing wedding images can be created in places where you least expect.

This year we’re really looking forward to photograph at some really great venues, including the Hockey Hall of Fame, Canoe Restaurant on the 55^th floor of TD Centre, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many couples wonder if engagement pictures are necessary. What is your take on them?

Engagement sessions are definitely not a necessity. However, there are two reasons why I would highly recommend them. First and probably most important, is that it allows the couple to work together with their photographer before the wedding day. This is important because sometimes couples are not as comfortable in front of the camera as they would hope to be. By doing an engagement session you get the chance to work with your photographer and they also get to learn more about you and how you are in front of the camera.

The second reason I think engagement sessions should be considered by couples is that it gives them the opportunity to create some truly memorable images in a relaxed and casual setting, something that is usually not possible due to the nature of wedding days. An engagement session is something that all our couples seem to really enjoy.

"Trash the Dress" sessions are very popular right now. Can you explain what happens in a "Trash the Dress" session?

Despite what the name suggests, a “Trash the Dress” session is not solely about trashing your expensive wedding dress. It happens after the wedding, when you’ve already worn your dress for its intended purpose and you decide that you want to create some unique wedding images without worrying too much about whether the dress will get dirty or damaged. Since you free yourself of this worry, you and your photographer can really create something unique that normally wouldn’t be done during the wedding day. I’ve seen brides jumping into lakes, lying on the beach, and all sorts of things that most brides would dare not do on their wedding day. We haven’t had any of our former brides ask us about a Trash the Dress session yet. I guess they love their dresses too much!

Do you have tips for brides and grooms to ensure they don't run out of time for pictures on their big day? Any other advice?

There’s a lot going on during a wedding day and it’s always a good idea to lay everything out in a schedule and realistically see how much time you have for everything. If you aren’t very good at staying on time, then a wedding coordinator or good friend can really help you stay on track.

From the photographer’s perspective, we think it’s important to scout out the venue and photo locations beforehand. When we do that we can start brainstorming some ideas and figure out the best places for photo opportunities. We also like to attend rehearsals so that we know how the ceremony will unfold. On the wedding day there are no retakes, so it’s important that we don’t miss anything that we should have captured. It also gives us the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the families and bridal party before the wedding day.

Wedding days are hectic and there isn’t much room for fumbling around. We think that it’s important that photographers does their homework to ensure that everything moves efficiently on your big day!

To see more of Kevin's work, please visit Kevin Lam Photography. You can also follow Kevin on Twitter @ kevinlamphoto.