Interview with Vasilis Kouroupis, a destination wedding photographer
Since Greece is going through the second lockdown due to the pandemic of COVID-19, we would love to give a positive note to our days, and introduce one of the most talented destination wedding photographers in Greece, Vasilis Kouroupis. We hope you enjoy his introduction and his beautiful work!
Vasilis began his studies on photography right after he finished school. For the first year of photography studies,he was working in some local photo studios to get some experience.
He always wanted a job with a social character, and getting in touch with people was always what he had in mind, especially if that would be on the most beautiful day of their lives! Another reason that made him choose this profession was the need to travel through his work and not being committed to a single office. He often saw people working in nice quiet cafes with their laptops, and that was something he found very charming and appropriate for him as well.
So at the age of 27, rediscovering the world of wedding photography as it is now – a real art form of depicting human emotions – he decided to start working – studying into what gives fine art wedding photography its special character. So, after three years of intense preparation and hands-on practice, he was finally able to call himself a destination wedding photographer.Vasilis is available to photograph the wedding of couples that love the way his photography depicts emotions. Getting to travel to other continents and to know new cultures, broadening his photographic horizons and his perspective for life itself are the best opportunities this job has to offer. In the near future, he is looking forward to traveling to Florence and Paris where he has been invited to photograph the wedding of two lovely couples!
In Greece there is so much beauty around, and the natural lighting is truly magical, therefore it would be a pitty to focus on specific places rather than expanding his coverage. However, If he had to name some of his favorite locations these would be the magnificent castle of Monemvasia, the enchanting Mani with its towers, the stone houses with the traditional character, and the distinctive gray stone. Also, the enchanting landscape of Santorini always leaves him speechless. Another great destination with amazing Mediterranean aesthetics and love for hospitality is Opora in Nafplion, as well as Kinsterna in Monemvasia. Milos is also an impressively beautiful island, still untouched by massive tourism, with locations like Sarakiniko that could not saty out of this list. It truly is very difficult to pick favorite locations in Greece, as the whole country is stunning and has so much potential!
Part of his inspiration comes from other fellow photographers he admires, such as portraitists like Peter Lingberth, photographers who create purely for aesthetic reasons a perfect image like Rodney Smith, and of course many other wedding photographers. Vasilis confesses that he spends lots of time observing people, the intimate body movement of two people in love, the looks, and the facial expressions an emotional warm hug brings. He also gets inspired by movies, especially if it is well structured and directed. The simple joys of life and the movement of the daily city life is also a great inspiration for him.
Talking about tips to the new destination wedding photographers, Vasilis said that one should love this job to the core and to be passionate about it. He often observes the couples and all elements around them such as the light and people holding hands. Always try to remain discrete, and in the end this will definitely keep you alert and help you move forward.
The photography proceedure of a wedding usually starts from the pre wedding party, followed by the wedding day preparations where everything is calmer. Of course an important part of the day is the wedding party followed by music, laughs and love. For him the best moments to capture are those full of emotions with the couples’ loved ones, as well as their portraits after the wedding ceremony, which is a proceedure that is always very emotional!
Vasilis only photographs digitally unless the couple asks for film, where in this case Vasilis has an assistant to support him. The reason he prefers working on digital is because he has the luxury of unlimited clicks at a very specific moment. In that way he can choose the best image to fit the moment, as opposed to film that he could only have one picture at a time, making it risky for rushed situations like a wedding where you need to make sure multiple things are on fleek. Nevertheless, he really enjoys film as well, and he will use it if need be. You can see through his images that his editing style resembles film so we get the best of both worlds, a more modern approach to film photography!
For the day of the wedding Vasilis finds very important to witness the emotions between the couple without interfering, yet following closely just to capture the authenticity of the emotion. A good photographer should advise the couple according to the perfect lighting, and to identify the time needed for the planed images. This needs to be discussed beforehand so that the couple enjoys their wedding as much possible.
Vasilis mentions that upon agreement with the couple and the wedding planner he can identify the right timing for the venue and ceremony set up even before the guests arrive. It is really important for the couple to remember their wedding through their photos for the next years!
Vasilis always suggests that the couples share with their photographer any thoughts regarding their photos. He always encourages them to ask any questions they may have, and to show pictures they may have already seen from his site and would like him to recreate or get inspired from. Vasilis often creates a shared board on Pinterest with pictures they might like! It always helps to show and tell the wedding photographer what they like, while trusting him completely and therefore be sure that they have chosen the right photographer. Vasilis advises all couples to enjoy their wedding day as much possible and leave erything else to the hands of their trusted vendors! We have your back!
We would like to thank so much Vasilis for his valuable thoughts, it is really important to have such a useful feedback from a professional. You can see more of Vasilis work at https://vasiliskouroupis.com/