HE & SHE PHOTOGRAPHY - A TWO PART INTERVIEW

We sent some question-y goodness over to Southern California shooting dream team He & She, and they responded in a big-bold-badass way.  We've decided to split their interview into questions + Totally Rad eye candy, with more goodness hitting next week!

TRA: What do you do in the world of photography?

He & She: We are artists who happen to photograph weddings. I think that's the most honest way to look at what we do. We are inspired by the moments that unfold around us, and so we naturally lean towards a photojournalistic approach. In terms of translating what we observe into art, we put our creativity into play through our perspective, hoping to capture moments in ways other people don't see them. Or at least that's the goal, anyway 

In art school (where I got my BFA in graphic design, and Erin in creative photography), there was a pressure for us to produce material with heavily weighted concepts, but Erin and I could never fall into making that kind of work. A professor once told me that "happy art" is the hardest art to produce successfully. I think that's why we were so intrigued by wedding photography. We saw an opportunity to make happy work, and it didn't hurt that we were both drawn to portraiture (or taking pictures of people... the word portrait bores me!) There's something to be said for work that makes you happy in the process.

When it comes to how our work is perceived, I think we're both more than slightly paranoid about creating imagery that is overly glamorous or dramatic imagery. I wouldn't use the word romantic to describe our work. We love beautiful imagery, of course, but it's the cliché, glowing, running arms wide spread in a field, gag me with a spoon wedding imagery we try to steer clear of  And to do that, we try to keep influenced by images and designs that aren't wedding based.

TRA: What gets you two inspired?  How do you realize your vision?

He & She:   We surround ourselves with inspiration on a day-to-day basis. Whether it's fashion photography, or design magazines, we're constantly pushing ourselves to think outside of the realm of wedding photography. We try to focus on simplicity and think about basic design elements like form, shape, line, color, and of course light when it comes to photography. When Erin and I are setting up a shot, we try to narrow down our purpose, cutting out the distractions. Sometimes we'll set up a shot and be taking pictures that we aren't necessarily interested in, in anticipation of a certain moment. Once it happens, whether it's a laugh or a kiss, it's on like Donkey Kong. We play off of the connection that our clients have, which always keeps things fresh. We don't want to get in the way of that.

TRA: Care to share the recipe for this image?

He & She:

Pro Retouch - 75%

Flare up (Golden) - 10%

Yin/Yang -- 40%

Contrast - 27%

Warm it up Kris - 40%

Pool Party - 20%

Get Faded (Autumn) - 15%

Get Faded (Winter) - 20%

Vignette + Blur (standard) - 25%

Wish You Were Here - 30%

Boutwell Magic Glasses - 30%

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(Their recipe uses actions from both the Original Totally Rad Action Mix and TRA2: The Revenge.) Check back next week for more from He & She!