Today for our blog interview, we have one of my favourite wedding photographers on the island - Shane P. Watts. I personally love his way of looking at light, subjects and his choice of angles… and I thank him for finding the time for this interview!
Hope you enjoy this interview with my fellow photographer friend!
So Shane could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into photography.. and specifically into wedding photography?
I was born and raised in Ireland and was always interested in photography (showing my age here) but this goes back to the time of film photography. I got into wedding photography when I moved to Malta permanently in 2012.
Did you always want to be a photographer from an early age? How did your studies and experiences help you in the photography world?
Yes, it was always something I enjoyed and for many years it was my hobby and passion. To be able to do this full time is really a dream. My background is in psychology and thankfully that can be used everyday in photography when dealing with people.
How would you define your artistic vision in your wedding photography? (maybe you can include some examples of photos which illustrate this point
Every wedding is different and every couple is unique and I approach every wedding uniquely. I think the most important things is to tap into what the couple want and deliver that in the final product. My end game is always to show the fun in weddings and I think that comes across in a lot of photos I take.
What books / resources did you find to be helpful and useful in your photographic career that helped you prepare for where you are today?
At the beginning I used to watch a lot of educational tutorials to practice my craft, mainly on YouTube and also Patreon. Nowadays I am comfortable with my style however I like to attend workshops and conferences where I can meet other wedding photographers and we can share ideas and experiences.
We all agree that photography is not about equipment, though professional equipment helps. Can you tell us what is currently in your photography bag when preparing for a wedding (flashes, triggers, tripods, other useful accessories)? Do you have different setups for different occasions or do you always shoot with the same set of cameras and lenses?
I’m now using Nikon mirrorless cameras. My go to lenses which I use at every wedding are; 70-200 and 24-70. I also use Profoto as my off camera flash however 99% of the wedding is photographed using whatever light is available.
If your whole photographic collection was burning, and you could save just one photo you took, which one would it be and why? (include photo for inclusion)
To be honest it wouldn’t be a wedding photo but rather a photo of my kids. J Other photographers would attest to the fact that after a busy season photographing weddings the last thing you want to do is pull out your camera for more photos at home. Combine this with getting all three kids on board to take a photo and it becomes almost an impossibility. However when COVID hit I took out the time to take some photos of the kids and this particular one is definitely my favourite.
Which is the photo which took you the most time and effort to take? (include photo for inclusion) Can you kindly share the story / technique behind it?
99% of the photos I take are not staged or posed but one that comes to mind that required some pre planning is this photo with the two umbrellas and the bride and groom. I saw the umbrellas at the beginning of the wedding and I wanted to come up with a way to include it in a photo with the bride and groom. I had two bridesmaids, one on each side holding the umbrellas and the bride and groom in the middle. The sun was setting so I had to use a fast shutter speed and the umbrella’s were backlit from the sun.
We need to say the truth that (at least in my opinion) you are one of the more popular wedding photographers on the island. Considering that you are not maltese and you moved to Malta in 2012 ... how did you manage to get so established?
Thank you, I appreciate it. I run this business with Amanda (my wife) who is Maltese and when we moved back here permanently in 2012 she took over the business side of things, she is in charge of admin, marketing and editing. I think at the time there was a bit of a gap in the wedding photography market. Most photographers were more traditional in their style and approach and we came in it with a more fresh, modern approach. Combine that with offering a good service. Nowadays there are more options for couples with different modern styles.
How much does post-production play a role in your photography?
Post production plays a very big role in my photography. Having a good editor is as important as being a good photographer.
What are the typical challenges you find as a wedding photographer in Malta?
The heat in the summer mainly. I find that being on your feet, carrying heavy equipment and the peak of summer is a big challenge.
What are your future goals as a photographer? Do you have any long term plans?
I would like to try drone photography at weddings but for the time being the plan is to keep learning and adapting, keep shooting weddings and meeting fantastic people in the process.