Mario Sales Photography

Interview

AIA - How long have you been involved in photography?

MS - I have been actively involved in photography for the last 20 years or so. My dad, himself a keen photographer, gave me a camera when I was in high school. I then saw an advertisement in one of the local newspapers offering "Darkroom chemicals and paper for Sale". Needless-to-say, I bought the kit but, alas, I was still missing an enlarger. I tried to make one out of a toilet roll and placed a torch bulb, which was powered by some batteries, in it. This, unfortunately, did not work and all my images came out black. I eventually managed to secure a 2nd hand enlarger from a swop-shop and, when my first image came to life in the developer, you can't imagine what an amazing experience it was! Of course, the rest is history...

AIA - Why wedding photography?

MS - This sort of happened by accident. You know the old story- I was always seen toting my camera and one thing led to another. I started capturing family members' weddings for free and this eventually progressed to friends and then to friends-of-friends. Wedding photography is amazing in that so much happens at a wedding - the action is fast and the energy surrounding a wedding is like an adrenalin rush for me.

AIA - How would you describe your style?

MS - When I'm capturing a wedding I prefer the simple, candid documentary approach as this is what I find I am more comfortable with. A whole range of factors have actually influenced the way in which I shoot - my clients' perspectives, family, influential photographers and the influence of other artists. Identifying my style has taken me many years and, hopefully, the clients who seek my type of wedding photography can see that. At the end of the day, passion, emotion and applying life-experience to a wedding is, for me, what it is all about!

AIA - Which South African wedding photographers do you admire?

MS - This is a tough question as there are many wedding photographers out there who have produced some "killer images". I often say to myself, "Wow! I wish I had shot that one!"

At the end of the day, though, I reckon the photographers I admire most are the ones who are consistent and continuously produce great work. Up-and-coming photographers who I am keeping an eye on are:- Michael Tree and Andrea Carlyle. Joe Dreyer, in Cape Town, has an amazing eye, and Elizabeth Oliver Kalau is also a well-known artist who, in my opinion, continuously keeps raising the bar of wedding photography.

AIA - Where is wedding photography in Africa going as a style? Do we have a style or do we just copy overseas trends?

MS - South Africa is home to extremely diverse cultures and to actually label a specific style to wedding photography in this country would be irresponsible of me. I have most certainly seen an increase of artistic freedom from wedding photographers with regard to their choice of location and creative ideas. For example, it was almost unheard of, a few years ago, to actually shoot the bridal couple in an urban setting, amongst buildings. Looking at current work being produced in South Africa, we are seeing more of this coming to the fore. Are we copying overseas trends like the Australian wedding photographers? - Yes and no… Is this wrong? - I definitely don't think so. Clients are actually demanding something different and this just encourages us to think outside the box.

AIA - What things would you look for in a photographer's portfolio if you were getting married?

MS - Beautiful wedding imagery doesn't happen by chance and, unfortunately, a steep price-tag does not always guarantee the 'ultimate, treasured wedding album'!

So, how does one go about securing those memories of your special day that will last a lifetime? It is very important that both the bridal couple and the photographer feel comfortable with each other. There must be some sort of connection otherwise the pictures may well turn out to be just another clinical study of two people getting married - the warmth and excitement of the whole wedding experience must be evident in the images. I feel that, too often, a selection gets made purely on the work shown and not enough thought has gone into the dynamics or interaction aspect of choosing a photographer.

Consistency is important so ask to see two or three recently-completed wedding albums - not just his/her best work.

AIA - How can someone you are photographing ensure that they are helping you get the best images of the day?

MS - One bride told me, at our initial meeting, that she was concerned about guests arriving late (theirs was to be a Friday wedding) and she didn't want that to impact on the time she had allocated for the photo shoot. We, therefore, arranged to have some of the photos taken beforehand as well as afterwards. This is perfect as it allows ample time for the creation of stunning imagery.

Summer months are usually not an issue but, if you are planning a winter wedding, the daylight sometimes fades very quickly so make sure allowance has been made in order to achieve the right balance.

Bridal preparations, be it in winter or summer, usually take a good couple of hours so an hour or two also needs to be allocated to that aspect.

As far as location is concerned, some of the most awesome weddings I've shot have been in exciting and unusual places. Selecting unique locations is fun, interesting and, sometimes, even challenging. It helps if the couple has a location in mind, which has a special meaning or significance to them, but it should be relatively close to the reception area for obvious logistical reasons. I vividly recall a wedding photo session, some time back, at a prominent building when, all of a sudden, there were flashing lights and security personnel all over. The bridal couple weren't fazed at all and calmly walked off to their waiting car, leaving me, the poor photographer, to wangle my way out of having all my gear confiscated!

I have received numerous bits of information from bridal couples but, by far the most important and useful, is the information pertaining to family politics! One couple was totally upfront regarding who was paying for what, and that made my job so much easier in-so-far-as I then knew who the 'key players' were and who I could photograph together and who not. This advice also allows me (as the photographer) to be discrete and subtle and ensure that I capture all the important family members.

As the photographer, I always appreciate it when I am told that there are twins in the family - One bride forgot to tell me this crucial bit of information and I landed up running around like the proverbial chicken-with-its-head-cut-off until I realised the error of my ways, not to mention the fair amount of time it took to select the correct groom in the editing process!

AIA - What's the funniest/horrendous thing that happened to you at a wedding.

MS - I was shooting a wedding in the Drakensberg when, suddenly, there was a terrible cloudburst and there was no time to shout a warning let alone run for cover. There was water everywhere - in the camera bags, jacket pockets and in the bride's shoes. No-one was spared! The bride looked…well, she looked wet, very wet and rather upset. We eventually made it to the reception where her bridesmaids made a remarkable recovery attempt and then the funny side of it all came out! I got some terrific shots and some blurry shots - but what a wedding!

Shooting digitally has also had some scary moments for me. Last year I had just finished shooting the formals when I got a "card read error". To make matters worse, it happened on a 4Gig card and I had already captured some stunning images. When I got home I tried 'Rescue Software'… Nadda!! I then got hold of a data retrieval company in Johannesburg who tried, unsuccessfully, for two days to download the pics. As a last resort, I phoned the card company in the States who thought they were being extremely helpful in that they said they would replace the card. The only thing was that I did not want the card replaced - I just wanted my images back! Anyway, I ended up having to courier the card to the States. Believe me, my nerves were shot (thank goodness I backed up with film). Anyway, after six weeks, I received a package from the States containing a new card and a DVD - Yippeee! They managed to recover all my images! I was sweating bullets. Of course, I only told the couple of this 'slight technical hitch' after I had delivered the album!

AIA - What is your favorite image and why?

MS - I don't have any one specific favourite but rather a collection of classic images that all have special meaning to me.

Contact Mario

http://www.mariophoto.co.za

mail:mgsales@worldonline.co.za