Jerry Yoon Photographers recently teamed up with Borrowed and Blue, a locally-focused online wedding resource, to give couples everything they need to know about our photography services. Here’s our Q&A with Borrowed & Blue:
1. How did you first get into photography?
Ingrid: I first got into photography shooting film for high-school yearbook. I loved the unpredictability of film- accidental double exposures and waiting excitedly at the film lab for my photos to be developed. I watch more than I speak and photography is a natural medium of storytelling without having to go into speech mode.
Jerry: My father is a fine art painter and my mom a classical pianist so I was surrounded by art my whole life. I’ve always loved watching movies and studying cinematography, so photography was an extension of creating art through direction.
2. What single photo sums up your aesthetic?
Wow, It’s hard to choose just one. After a lot of debate, we landed on this one, and it’s a pretty weird one. We chose it because it conveys that we are all about the real moments that make us people (and dogs). We love the quirks of life, finding both joy and sadness, and celebrating everyone’s crazy journey. We love staying fresh and making images that people haven’t seen over and over again.
3. As a storyteller, what draws you to a particular subject?
We are drawn to real emotion. In one of our favorite weddings, the bride, groom, mothers, fathers, cousins, rabbi, EVERYONE, could not keep from flipping out and bubbling over with happiness. It was infectious and so fun to capture.
Another thing we are drawn to is juxtaposition—when things that seem like they don’t belong are placed together, it makes for an interesting story. This engages the viewer and asks them to conjure up their own story.
4. What is your favorite moment to photograph at a wedding?
Our favorite is being with the bride and groom while they get ready. There’s so much nervous excitement in the air with their best friends. There’s also mirrors, hair spray, hands moving around, and personal items strewn about that we love to use in our photographs.
5. What are some of the most photogenic spots for engagement shoots?
We do something called an urban safari and it’s led to some of our most interesting images. It’s where we drive around with the couple and stop whenever we see something cool. We usually wander around Oakland where we run into murals, shipping containers, or freeway overpass nooks. We also wander around San Francisco near the mission. When the couple has full trust in us and we keep an open mind, creativity can really flow.
6. What’s your favorite out of all the San Francisco wedding venues to shoot at?
We love shooting at The Foreign Cinema in the mission, SF. Besides being great to our clients and having good food, there are many interesting photo opportunities in that space. It’s filled with both nooks and crannies and big spaces, so it’s a perfect place to tell a dynamic story.
Another one of our favorites is Diablo Ranch in Walnut Creek. It’s full of golden hills, sprawling oaks and a friendly(ish) emu. (One time it sort of bit me, but it was a love bite!) It’s not very manicured and there’s a bunch of fun western touches to the space that add a lot of charm to the wedding.
8. What’s the biggest mistake the couples make when choosing their photographer?
One mistake is not looking through a full wedding gallery. Just seeing best-of photos doesn’t give couples a sense of breadth of skill. Photographers deliver hundreds of photos on a wedding day and each photo should be intentional, well composed and part of the story. Seeing the whole gallery will give you a sense of whether the photographer really cares about delivering the gallery as a fully finished story.
9. What makes you different from other wedding photographers?
Our style is quirky, fun, and fresh. We try not to take ourselves too seriously. We also know that our style is not for everyone. We tend to attract artsy types, architects, musicians, engineers with secret dancing super powers, and above all, couples with a healthy sense of humor.
10. What tips do you have for couples who have never been photographed before?
Have fun! Oh… it’s hard to have fun with a giant lens in your face? Oooh look, a cool giant cement pipe! Let’s go climb it! (We don’t stop taking pictures, so before you know it, you forget the camera is there. Then we can start having fun and being ourselves!)
Inspired yet? Book your wedding photographer with Jerry Yoon Photographers today. And thanks again to Borrowed & Blue for the Q&A!