Vendor Feature: Robert Evans
We are excited to welcome a new face in town, Robert Evans, a talented California-born {but midwestern at heart} photographer that we look forward to working with. Although his career has opened up many adventurous doors {from shooting celebs to hanging out of helicopters to chatting with Oprah Winfrey} don't let his experiences fool you. This down-to-earth Minnesota loving guy enjoys getting to know his couples on a personal level in order to make their wedding day photos a dream come true. Enjoy this exclusive Q/A + gorgeous photos and make sure to check out his website, Robert Evans Studios, Destination Wedding Photographer!
1. Fill us in on your history and what brings you to our sunny state.
I was born in Santa Monica, California and grew up just over the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley. My summers were spent in Indiana at my grandparents’ lake home, which provided me with a balance between big city and Midwest hospitality. Today, I find that I lean more Midwest than big city. I have always gravitated toward water and prefer a quiet lake to the restless ocean. Minnesota has a unique combination of both a thriving metropolitan city with lots of calm water, four seasons, and wonderful people.
After twenty-five years as a professional photographer, and thanks to the internet, I can live wherever I choose and that’s in Minnesota.
Much of my work is destination-based, but I am looking to build a family-oriented photography studio that supports the community in which I live, where I photograph weddings, family portraits, senior portraits, with some editorial and commercial work sprinkled in. Moving forward I would like to travel a bit less and be home to enjoy the beauty of where I live.
2. Coming from California with a celebrity clientele, how are you feeling about the transition to Minnesota?
I am very excited about living in Minnesota. As I mentioned before, my heart is more Midwest then LA. The celebrity world choose me, I did not chose it.
In 2000, I submitted my portfolio like an actor on a blind audition, for what I was told was a Shell Corporate Oil event; I got the part. I knew that the “event” was to be held on July 29, 2000 in Malibu, California. Two weeks prior I was sitting in my studio working and I heard on the radio that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were rumored to be getting married July 29th in Malibu. I laughed, I cried, I скачать драйвер для видеокарты freaked out. A plethora of emotions came flowing out all at once. It was such a huge compliment, that out of anyone they could have picked to photograph their wedding, I was the one they sought. I had two weeks to calm down and I told myself, “Go do what you love to do and have fun, they are just people.”
As you can imagine, from that moment on I was now titled a “celebrity wedding photographer”, a title I shy away from. I love photographing people’s weddings and on their wedding day, celebrities are no different from anyone else.
I am passionate about what I do and love capturing great images for anyone who appreciates great photography. I embrace all my clients with the same passion, regardless of their career. A one-on-one connection with my couples and clients is what I value most in my work. On a wedding day, I share such a personal part of my clients’ lives and I love my ongoing relationships with them year after year, watching their families grow and recording those moments for them.
3. Through your travels of shooting destination weddings and events, what is the most exciting experience you have had?
My work has taken me to photograph weddings and events all over the world. I have hung out of helicopters, shot a bride and groom with a tornado nearby in the background, photographed a wedding on an airplane 35,000 feet above ground officiated by Sir Richard Branson dressed as a priest, and shot four weddings in twenty-four hours. One of my favorite memories, however, is from a wedding I photographed in a thirteenth-century castle in North Hampton, United Kingdom, named Castle Ashby. It was a small guest list of about fifty. We stayed in the castle for three nights and the quaint chapel for the wedding was on the same grounds. As you can imagine, the photographic opportunities were endless. At night when we were not working, my crew and I would stay up late to make short scary movies, even having a very spooky supernatural experience with a ghost. Yes, this castle was rumored to be haunted and we definitely believe it based on our experiences there!
4. Where do you find most of your creative inspiration?
I work in the moment; I am inspired by my environment and lighting, and I play off of my couple’s personalities and emotions on the wedding day. My suggestion to my couples is to really experience their wedding day, feel what there is to feel, and don’t hold their emotions or your personalities back. Instinctively I know what to shoot when I see it, but if I try to force a moment, chances are the image will not look or feel authentic. Photography is my God-given gift and I am inspired every time I pick up a camera. I absolutely love what I do.
5. How would you describe your signature style?
I capture images how I see things. What I see through the lens is just as unique as a fingerprint; no two photographers are the same. My vision has common threads that run through it. Simplicity, emotion, architecture, depth, and movement are some of the traits that I see consistently throughout my body of work. I see things differently than other photographers and strive to not take the same images at my weddings. Each wedding is like a whole new canvas on which to paint. If I am excited at the end of the day, I know that my couples will be as well.
6. Do you have any suggestions for couples in search of a wedding photographer?
My best advice is to hire someone you would invite to your wedding as a guest. Personality and compatibility are so important to great wedding images. You must like the person photographing your wedding. Find someone with experience photographing weddings. A friend or relative with a camera usually ends in disappointment. There is much more to being a great wedding photographer than just taking pretty pictures. With experience comes wisdom. Knowing how to anticipate moments, reacting fast and professionally throughout the wedding day, and dealing with an array of personalities is very important. Finally, make sure you love and gravitate toward the photographer’s work and that fits your style. My photography is not a fit for everyone and that is fine with me. I want to work with couples who value wedding photography and are creative themselves. Photography is the only thing left after the wedding day is over. Make sure you do your homework and invest in your memories so you don’t have regrets. You only get one chance at great wedding photography.
7. What makes your approach different from other wedding photographers?
I would have to say my approach to wedding photography has been shaped by my twenty-five years photographing weddings. First, I make great effort to educate my clients about what to expect on the wedding day, taking them through some of the emotions and conflicts they might encounter. I help them understand what can make them late and how to keep themselves and their families on time in order to make photography a joy on the wedding day and not something they are dreading. I create a fun, relaxing timeline that works for everyone. Almost always, I get to shoot what I want and not what I get because I have taken the time to educate my couples. I shoot ninety percent of my weddings for myself. If I am excited at the end of the day I know my couples will be too as long as I too listen to my couple as they educate me on what’s important to them. Great communication is always key in any relationship.
8. Have you played with any other type of photography techniques or style?
Video and other photography techniques such as stop-motion, and time-lapse are a few styles with which I enjoy toying around. I have shot and directed a few music videos. Video is simply moving images and I think if you have the eye as a photographer, video is a natural transition.
9. Where has you work been featured for viewing?
Of course the best way to view my work is on my website, http://www.RobertEvans.com. In September of 2013, I was honored to be chosen as a “Sony Artisan of Imagery”, one of eight photographers in the world Sony sponsors and identifies as the best in their field. http://www.imagingedge.com/artisans. Over the years my work has been featured on many different media outlets around the globe. Of course if you Google my name or Robert Evans Studios, you can find many different stories and articles about my career.These are some of the places my work has been showcased:
The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, MTV, CNN and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, amongst others. My photos have been published on the covers and featured in the content of publications including: USA Today, People magazine, Playboy magazine, Us Weekly magazine, HELLO! magazine, OK! magazine, Life&Style Weekly, In Touch magazine, Martha Stewart Living magazine, Inside Weddings and Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine to name a few.
