Wedding photographer Ivelin Iliev showed how emotion can be captured in a couple "without a couple"

Everyone knows that where there's a wedding, there's wedding photography. The photographer's skill then lies in the shooting itself – how to capture the love between the couple and the emotions of the guests. But what happens if the couple can't show up, as was the case with the event "Love Through the Lens with Ivelin Iliev"? The wedding photographer demonstrated true skill with two people who didn't know each other before standing in front of his lens in our studio and in front of him, or as he called them himself: a "virtual" couple.

Posing

How to stand, how to hold their hands, and generally "posing" is something that Ivelin and his wife, with whom he works, guide not only the "virtual" couple in our studio, but also real newlyweds during their photoshoots. This is how the truly artistic shots we can see in his portfolio are achieved.

"Our approach is to intervene only during the photoshoot," he summarized. "Photojournalism 80% and portraits 20% - photoshoot, guest portraits - this is how I divide the wedding. There is also macro, product, culinary - for shots from the restaurant."

Clean background

Ivelin's style includes a clean background and strong contrasts. Seeking simplicity is the photographer's first piece of advice. Before the ceremony, for example, he finds nothing better than "good light, a clean background, a bride or groom getting ready."

"I always look for a clean background: everything should be simple, without a complex, confusing composition – like Christmas photoshoots "where is my child". The idea is that when the viewer opens the frame, they see what they need to see – the narratively important element – the newlyweds."

Strong contrasts

To have color, we must have light, Ivelin reminded those present. However, this is not always possible at a wedding, as in most churches the light is insufficient for shooting, and in restaurants there is little or too varied lighting. That's why he always carries flashes and synchronizers in his backpack. In addition to being able to balance light from different sources, flashes can be used in various ways: for example, by illuminating the background, Ivelin explained that he creates silhouettes.

"The nature of the light doesn't concern me, I just need light. In churches, I shoot without a flash, with whatever light is available. But I scout the location beforehand. As well as the ceremony location, the restaurant..."

He said that he always aims to preserve the atmosphere as it is. Even if the light in the restaurant is blue, green... "That was the wedding," says the photographer. But you also need to know how to work with flashes so as not to overexpose the shots or make them flat.

"If necessary, I use a flash just enough to slightly fill in the shadows and then boost it a little more with software. Because you know what the light is like in a church – warm. If we use a flash without a filter on it, we kill absolutely everything."

                                              Working with Canon                                                          

Ivelin Iliev works with Canon. He carries at least 2 camera bodies: Canon R6s. He also has another Canon as a backup in case something happens during the shoot. And why is the Canon Tilt-Shift 45mm F2.8 his favorite lens?

"I use it to correct perspective. It has an application in architectural photography. With the Tilt-Shift, we can straighten everything."

How did Ivelin Iliev manage to "correct" the impossible situation of holding the event for which his real model couple couldn't arrive? Here's a shot after processing, and along with it, on our Facebook page on Saturday, October 21, you'll find two more that the photographer provided us for publication:

We thank him for his flexibility and artistic ideas. We also thank everyone who came to practice working on location with various Canon cameras and lenses and Godox flashes.

We also thank the "virtual" couple, who endured the cold on the day of the event, and the instructions to recreate a wedding emotion without a wedding.

The photos in the article and in its gallery are by photographer Dilyana Gergova. Look out for Ivelin Iliev's portrait in our Photographers section in our blog, where he tells how he started on the path of a wedding photographer and how he achieved his mastery.