This Is What True Love Looks Like On Camera
Alright, so we might get overwhelmed sifting through crazy amounts of wedding photos each day, but that doesn’t mean we ever get bored of it. For real, maybe it’s a sickness - love sickness - that makes us compelled to swoon over all the sweet snaps of couples saying ‘I Do,’ but when we can actually see true love captured in one incredible still, it’s kind of mind-blowing 🤯. Victoria Johannson, SoFlo wedding photographer and eternal wanderluster, does it on the daily. She found her calling in life because she’s in love with emotions, and being able to catch them in their truest, purest form (as fleeting as they are), is the best and most chase-worthy challenge for her. We caught up with Victoria and rather than talking about her ‘greatest hits’ or how she crushes her competition, she instead just shared a sampling of her photography. So many couples, so many locales, but only one very obvious truth: she knows how to land the look of love. And for your wedding, isn’t that the ultimate endgame?
Yes, yes it is.
Love isn’t loud, it’s subtle, and sneaky - so capturing it is hardly child’s play
Victoria doesn’t subscribe to a formulaic way of working. She doesn’t have a prototype pair of people getting married that she looks to shoot, she’s open and excited to meet any couple that comes to her to capture their wedding day and their ever-evolving love story. And she not only likes when her brides and grooms have ideas about how their signature story should be told, she welcomes and encourages it! Her philosophy is that the best weddings are the ones that are unique to the two tying the knot, so she cautions her couples not to do what everyone else is doing, because they saw it on Pinterest. She asks [them] to consider what makes the most sense to them as a couple and what is organic to their relationship and who they are together.
To get aligned, she sits down with her clients (in person or via a phone call) and really aims to get a feel for what matters to them on their wedding day. Who will the key people be at the wedding? What are the relationships that they’ll see play out at the party? What moments are paramount for them to have ‘proof’ of when it’s all over? She then takes that information in and floats around on the day of the wedding, catching the dynamic moments as they happen and focusing on the little stories that often go untold but are such a big part of the wedding day and the heirloom memories that will be created.
The detail shots can be done but they're not exactly what she digs
Remember that point about not doing ‘what everyone else is doing?’ Well, for Victoria, a lot of that has to do with the basic ‘day-of details, staged, and highly-stylized vignettes’ that have become so popular in recent years. They’re beautiful, of course, but in the spirit of total transparency, do they really say all that much about a couple’s love? That’s why she asks her clients to think about years down the line. What images are truly going to matter to them? Will it be those ten pictures of their rings, or will it be the ones of the bride’s grandmother giving her a hug with tears in her eyes?
Survey says? Grandma 😭😭😭. Always.
We could go on and on, but we’ll let these couples say it all
They looked so happy, because they WERE so happy
“Nicholas and I engaged Victoria to take our pre-wedding/engagement photos. We are very happy to have found a gem in Victoria! We knew we got the best photographer right from the start. We initially wanted to have the engagement photoshoot in Napa Valley. Unfortunately, there was a forest fire and we had to find another location. Victoria recommended alternatives that were just as stunning. We greatly appreciated her time and effort in doing the research and recommending places, as we do not live in USA. And for being patient with our many questions. We decided to go with Joshua Tree National Park (which we wouldn't have known without Victoria) as it would be a day before the new moon and the chance of catching the milky way in the photos would be very high (which again, we wouldn't have known without Victoria, she's so knowledgeable!). She took us to scenic locations around the park (such as the only water body in the entire Park) and we caught the quiet sunset too! We had a wonderful and unforgettable time. We are so happy with our photos and we can't wait to display them in our new home. They are beautifully natural, all thanks to Victoria's skill in capturing that precise magical moment where we actually look good giggling over lame jokes/running/dancing/going down a slope and her ability in making us feel at ease and happy during the whole session. We looked so happy in the photos 'cos we were truly so happy, thanks to Victoria! Victoria is not only professional, she is also a warm, friendly and wonderful person. We are proud to have found her and her work on the world wide web. We hope that more people will get to know her and her beautiful work. If you are in the US/California and are looking to take beautiful photos and have a great time, do look for Victoria!” ~ Michelle+Nicholas
Her work was like magic!
"Our photographer Victoria Johansson Egneby was a sweet and interesting lady. Her work was like magic! The first thing she told us at our meeting was, “I am not going to ask you to pose for me. We will create memories and I will capture it.” And that’s exactly what she did. From reliving some fond memories in the form of a playful Q&A to acting crazy on the streets, she had us do it all. Loved working with her and her unique techniques to bring out natural emotions and smiles! Her professionalism deserves a big kudos too 😊” ~ Sulbha
Obsessed, right? Well here’s another 10 reasons to book her
10 reasons… nah, not necessary. We actually just meant 10 percent off a full-day (8-hour) shooting package with Victoria Johannson Photography if you book now thru January 20th 2019.