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Vancity Photographer: Roxana Albusel Photography
About Roxana Albusel Photography
I am Roxana, the principal photographer running Roxana Albusel Photography for the last six years. I am ridiculously passionate about capturing emotion and seeing beauty in the world around us. I make it very obvious how much I love my job during each shoot and often entertain my clients with my excitement. When you’re always surrounded by love, happiness and contagious happy energy, what’s not to love? Some destinations I have shot in are Quebec and colourful Mexico as well as California, the Okanagan, Oregon and Europe. When I'm not shooting I love spending time with my loveable puppy Tasha and traveling with my boyfriend of six years! I definitely have the travel bug and am always looking forward to new adventures!
Why did you become a photographer?
I fell in love with photography when I backpacked around Europe for six months and took thousands of photographs. Photographing so many different sceneries and people, I realized capturing and preserving emotions is the thing that makes me the happiest in life. Having very encouraging family and friends, I decided that pursuing photography full time would be a dream come true (and I’m a big fan of following your dreams in life!). While I worked really hard to teach myself a lot of different skills, I have also had a natural ability to see the beauty in the scenes around us and put this to good use as clients started quickly putting their wedding memories in my hands!
What do you love most about being a photographer?
I adore developing connections with my clients and being a part of such intimate moments in their lives. People always tell me that I have an uncanny ability to make people open up to me and feel comfortable, thereby leading to very romantic and meaningful moments captured on camera. It’s such an incredible honour to call photography my job. Couples genuinely put their trust in me and I definitely do not take that for granted!
How long have you been a photographer?
I have been shooting for six years and over 120 weddings!
What do you think distinguishes your work from that of other photographers?
There are several things that I believe set me apart in my work. The first is the ability to make my clients feel quite comfortable and relaxed during a photoshoot through some silly jokes, a very quirky personality and hilarious directions. There are so many times that clients would come up to me after the shoot and tell me how much fun they had in spite of being really nervous to start with! I give as much or as little direction as each couple needs and I genuinely believe every person is photogenic. It’s just a matter of making the person feel comfortable enough to relax in front of the camera! Second, I have a great eye for composition and details. I am able to set up a shot, read light and pose couples in a way that benefits them the most. I notice anything that hinders the shot in an instant and am great at setting up the shot beforehand, rather than having to fix it in post processing. Finally, I think I do a great job of capturing an equal combination of details, candid moments and artistic poses to satisfy many different wedding needs.
How soon do people receive their photography photos?
I aim to have the photos ready on the couple’s one month anniversary as I believe it makes a wonderful gift for the newly married couple!
What was one of your most memorable wedding experiences?
While I have numerous memorable experiences - such as shooting multiple weddings in Mexico - one of the experiences that stands out the most is when a couple flew me to a small town in Northern Quebec to photograph their stunning country wedding very early in my career. They did this because they loved my “eye” for seeing the world around me. To this day, I am so very flattered they took a chance on me so early in my career and feel it’s one of the defining moments that made me realize I could be great at doing this for a living. I will also never forget that my first wedding ever was an Indian wedding!! Knowing how much more experience Indian weddings require due to the many different traditions, I am still blown away and so very grateful that the couple put their trust in me simply based on my artistic eye and creativity (I didn’t disappoint them and continue to photograph their family to this day).
Do you recommend engagement shoots?
While they’re not necessary and I offer packages without engagement sessions, I can’t recommend them enough! It is a great way for us to get comfortable with each other before the big day, especially for people that are shy in front of the camera. Engagement sessions also provide the couple with beautiful memories to use for invitations, save the date cards, slideshows and guest books for the wedding.
Where are some of your favourite photo seasons? Photo shoot locations?
Some of my favourite photo locations will always be places that reflect beautiful light! I also truly believe the location doesn’t always matter as long as there is beautiful chemistry between the couple. It’s amazing what you can do with stunning light and my job is to find the beauty in each and every place. I love shooting in the country, along dykes, next to barns and rivers and farmland and buildings with colour and texture. I also love non-manicured, wild forests and gardens (I believe they look so much more romantic in photos!). I love each season for different reasons but my favourites are definitely spring and fall for the stunning and vibrant Vancouver colours. I also find that since most people get married in the summer, a spring or fall engagement session would complement the wedding photos very well and provide some variety!
What advice would you give an upcoming bride & groom?
The biggest advice I give to my potential clients is to hire somebody they feel comfortable with and one that helps them open up in their photos. Technical skill is definitely important, but I truly believe the ability to be yourself around the photographer and their camera is even more important! Have a coffee and get to know each other, it totally makes a difference during your photoshoot. I also strongly advise couples not to stress in the planning and to hire a wedding planner - they will change their life in the planning process! It’s your special day and you should enjoy every moment leading up to it! Finally, I tell my couples to do what makes them happy. I get asked often how something is done and I always say, "this is your day, do whatever you want - there are no rules!" When couples are comfortable enough plan a wedding according to their tastes, even if it doesn't fit the norm, new traditions are developed, opening the way for other couples to gain inspiration in planning their own special day!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxanaphotos/
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Website: http://www.roxanaphotography.com
For more information or inquiries please email: contact@roxanaphotography.com. I have packages to suit many different needs and would love to answer any questions you may have about your wedding photography. Send me a message and let's meet for coffee!