Real Wedding - San Sebastian, Spain - James Sturcke Photographer

Real Wedding Description

One of the best things about being a wedding photographer is the sheer variety of marriages couples throw together. I shot one recently where only the couple, the registrar and me were present. Others, meanwhile, take place in full public view. Lianna and Salvador’s wedding in San Sebastian, Spain, was certainly in the latter camp. It was right on Zurriola beach in the centre of San Sebastian in the height of summer.

Working with a bubbly couple on their wedding day in the middle of busy San Sebastian is great fun. But boy it’s also tough! I may be walking along talking to the couple but at the same time I’m constantly looking for the next photo: Would that composition work? How’s the light there? Will we get run over / arrested if we try to do a shot there? That sort of thing…

If I have a quiet day in low season I'll often spend it working on my street photography and it's moments like this that that pay dividends; you have to be able to react so fast to a combination of factors which give you only a fraction of a second to get a clear shot, pedestrians walking along a street, for example.

And backgrounds, backgrounds, backgrounds… Looking through the viewfinder I have half an eye is on the couple and the other on what’s going on in the rest of the frame? Does it strengthen or weaken the overall shot? If it’s the latter I’ve got to re-compose or re-focus right away.

Such a public wedding in San Sebastian may not be for everyone, but one thing is for sure: you’ll certainly get a unique set of wedding photos.