1. What is the official name of your photography business?
Jeffrey Rease Photography & Design, www.jeffrease.com
2. Where are you located?
In the "Heart of Dixie" in Birmingham, Alabama
3. What was your inspiration for this image?
I love to shoot in the late afternoon "golden hour" when possible and catching that beautiful light behind the couple or on their skin provides a very fitting atmosphere of romance and beauty to the images.
4. Do you plan which images to take or are they spontaneous ?
I have ideas beforehand because I scout the location, but often the weather, time of day and other factors determine what I want to do in a particular moment. A good photographer has to be able to adapt to changes and be spontaneous when new ideas and elements present themselves. Most of my clients love it when I come up with spontaneous ideas!
5. Is there anything in particular that you love about this shot?
What I love about it—other than the awesome location in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico—is the sense of being in the moment of happiness and love this couple shares and capturing the location that they enjoy so much. I knew I had to get some shots with the infinity pool and the distant mountain and surf. A bonus was the person sitting on a distant rock. And the late afternoon timing after the ceremony came together beautifully.
6. What is it about your photography that speaks to an individual or a couple looking for someone to capture special moments?
I am told that I am a soft-spoken and quiet person in general and during portrait shoots and weddings they hardly know I am there. I play to that strength and let the moments happen as I am shooting so we get some more candid images and less posed and rigid expressions. At weddings, I want the couple to be the center of attention—I don't want to be a distraction at all. Even with engagement shoots I often use a zoom lens and shoot from a greater distance so the couple feels more at ease being themselves. Yes, I do have to bring in the art director side of me and arrange some things for the planned shots, but overall I want the images to convey strong feelings of love, romance, happiness and celebration of THAT couple.
7. Is there anything else special that you would like to share with the audience?
My wife, Lesa, assists me often and though we are in Alabama, we shoot just about anywhere we are asked to go. And I shoot anything—fashion, portraits, weddings, musicians, landscapes, lifestyle—I love it all!
