Mark is the principal photographer at Mark Jay Photography and the ‘Mark Jay Photography’ style stems from his creative eye and experience. Read more about how Mark got into weddings and the Mark Jay Photography style in part 1 of our interview with Mark below.

How long have you been shooting weddings?

I have been a professional photographer for around 7 years now. Mark Jay Photography as a business has been around since 2011 and focuses exclusively on weddings, although I have worked in the wedding industry since 2002 starting out in motion. I have a Bachelor of Design majoring in photography and also work as a commercial photographer between weddings and do my own creative shoots so I am constantly shooting, refining my technique, learning new things and drawing inspiration from all forms of photography.

Did you always want to be a wedding photographer?

Wedding photography wasn’t the initial aim when I set out to do photography. However, I have always loved editorial and portrait photography and was asked to do a couple of weddings. I realised after a little while that I had my own unique wedding photography style and was obviously doing something right to continue getting happy clients organically via word of mouth only, so I decided to focus on wedding photography more extensively and that’s how Mark Jay Photography took off.

What do you love about wedding photography?

Wedding photography is extremely challenging because you’re working in real time and don’t get any do-overs. You’re also dealing with real people, all kinds of lighting situations and issues can arise that you can’t always plan for. It’s fast paced, exciting and you have to remain creative while not missing a moment. I am a big lover of problem solving so as much as it can be stressful, I secretly enjoy the adrenalin of the day and the process of overcoming those challenges and getting amazing photographs.

The other reason I love wedding photography is because I love working with people. Our couples are real people and not actors or paid talent – some of them confess upfront at our initial meetings to being uncomfortable with photographs, so I love getting them to enjoy the process and draw out their personalities in the photos. To me, the real skill of being a top wedding photographer is not only the technical or creative skill, but being able to work well with people. The reason our couples look so happy, natural and relaxed in their wedding photographs is because we’ve worked hard to make sure they are.

How do you describe the ‘Mark Jay Photography’ style?

I describe it as editorial meet photojournalistic. Our philosophy is to create images that are elegant and contemporary, yet timeless. We want our couples to look amazing and natural so we don’t follow trends, overwork our images or overly direct our couples – that means no cheesy poses, although we enjoy having a laugh in the process! Our photographs have a consistently refined, clean aesthetic that comes in part from my experience as a commercial photographer and in part from being pedantic about composition and framing.

Also, because of my video background, I like to incorporate a story-telling aspect in our photographs. This means it’s not just about getting a handful of key, posed shots but documenting the entire day – all the anticipation and emotion and the joy of those candid moments – in a way that is not only authentic, but also beautiful.

Do you pre-plan your shots or do you aim to keep your photography spontaneous?

Weddings occur in real time so we have to be camera-ready and always a step ahead for the key moments so there is a degree of pre-planning involved, but it’s also important to be flexible so that you can capture those candid, spontaneous and genuinely happy moments that come naturally on the day. One of the things key to the quality and consistency of our work is the thought and pre-visualisation we put in each photo as well as attention to how it is composed, lit and framed.

An essential element to our photography style and what we look for in every shot is beautiful, natural lighting. The light will generally dictate where and how we shoot a wedding. It’s not the quantity of light that matters but the quality and this will vary depending on the location, the time of day, the weather, and the season so in some way, it cannot always be pre-planned. But, no matter what lighting challenges are presented, we rely on our experience and technical expertise to use the best available light in the most flattering way. It’s why you pay a professional photographer to capture your wedding.

Is there an essential ‘Mark Jay Photography’ shot?

We don’t look to replicate previous work but we do understand that our couples have most likely booked us based on work they have seen, so the style, quality and attention to the story remains consistent even though every wedding day is unique.
Even when shooting in the same churches / ceremony grounds, locations and receptions, we like to ensure that the photographs take on the essence and personality of the couple and the style of their wedding day.

There are a few signature ‘Mark Jay Photography’ shots in our repertoire which we feel are important to the story. We’ll always try and get an epic shot of a bride and groom leaving the church and again in their wedding car. There is something so magical about these shots as they occur just after the ceremony when our clients are experiencing the ultimate love ‘high’.

Get in touch

We’ve got more questions for Mark to answer in future articles on this blog, but if you have any questions for Mark to answer regarding our style, photography, service or anything else, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at info@markjayphotography.com