Award winning wedding photographer Costa del Sol | Exclusive interview with Andrew Scriven

The Story Behind the Lens: An Interview with wedding photographer Andrew Scriven.

Wedding Planners know the ins and outs of vendor teams, and here at Sunshine Weddings we are fortunate to work alongside many talented professionals including: cake bakers, florists, hair and makeup stylists, stationers, caterers, officiants, rental companies, lighting designers and of course, the person in charge of creatively capturing all of your wedding day memories The Photographer!—so it’s definitely important to hire an experienced professional.

And today we are delighted to chat with award winning photographer based on the Costa del Sol, Andrew Scriven.

With his camera, Andrew immortalises those meaningful, once-in-a-lifetime moments you’ll want to remember forever. His passion is capturing beautiful weddings and sincere emotions, and today we chat with Andrew and find out more about his journey as a wedding photographer.

Please tell us a bit about you, and how you started in photography and wedding photography?

Hello! My name is Andrew and I was born in London. My career in photography started with a bang when I set off around the world with my bike and Nikon camera in 2009 on a journey that would last 12 months.

I was incredibly lucky to sail to Antarctica on board a stunning three mast tall ship. While sailing through some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes, I met with a curious humpback whale. I took a photo of that whale and that photo became a finalist in the National Geographic International Photo Contest. Buoyed by this recognition, I submitted more photography to the Sony World Photography Awards and I was shortlisted as a finalist in that competition too. I went on to win the Digital Photographer Magazine’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award.

I met with representatives of the World Photography Organisation at a gallery event and before long I became an Ambassador for Sony Cameras. I was invited on shoots and to speak at photography events around the world. This was my dream come true. I was also running a small photography gallery out of Covent Garden, London.

When I became a father in 2012, my perspectives changed. I no longer wished to travel around the world and I turned my focus to photographing things that I loved closer to home. I fell in love with wedding photography.

It is such a privilege to be invited to work so closely with a couple on their wedding day. I am grateful to be trusted to work so intimately with them. I have a unique view of the day which allows me to capture the special moments as they unfold.

How would you describe your working style? Do you prefer to blend into the background to capture candid moments, or do you like to be more visible and take charge to choreograph images?

A wedding day is a celebration of love and commitment in the presence of loved family and friends. I am there to capture those intimate moments as they unfold, to create a visual record for a couple and their families to keep forever. It is never my intention to try and choreograph a wedding day to capture my shot list in a particular way. I will not interrupt a first kiss to make sure I capture it in the right way! It is my goal to blend in as far as possible to capture the special moments that unfold. If I am asked to capture set shots (normally of the bride and groom and their families), I am of course happy to do that too.

What is included in your standard package?

My photography package includes the following:

–   A pre wedding consultation face to face or via zoom. This is an opportunity for us to get to know one another a little and for you to explain to me the style of photography you are looking for.

–   Professional photography on the day of your wedding. Most couples like around 8 hours of photography but I am very happy to be flexible with my timings.

–   Professional editing of the images to make sure they look wonderful!

–   The provision of a private online gallery for you to view and download your images. These galleries can be shared with family and friends and downloaded multiple times. As a guide, I usually provide between 50-100 images per hour of shooting.

–   I offer the option of professional printing and photography albums

–   A questionnaire after the photography has been shared. This is a really important final step for me. I want to make sure every couple is happy with the service they have received and they love their photography.

How long after the wedding can the bridal couple expect to receive the images? And in what format?

I aim to send the final edited images to the couple within 2-6 weeks via a private online gallery available to view through my website.

Any advice for those bashful couples, who struggle to pose naturally?

For most people, it is unusual to have a photographer focusing on them for a day and most couples are understandably a little bashful to begin with! But I find couples quickly begin to enjoy the process of having their picture taken as we get to know each other. I am there to celebrate with you, to laugh, cry and dance. The best pictures for me are those that are not posed.  It is my job to capture the candid moments that create the story of your day, ensuring you feel comfortable in my presence.

What sets you apart from your competition?

There are so many fantastic photographers out there, it can be hard to stand out! My background in photography comes from a love of natural beauty. I like to observe, to feel gratitude and to photograph what is before me. My priority is respecting the couple and the commitment they are making to one another. It is a privilege to be invited to witness every wedding ceremony and to capture the unique moment through photography. The most important thing for me is that every couple feels comfortable and relaxed with me and they are happy with their photography.

Any funny anecdotes that you can share with us that have happened to you at a wedding?

Yes, I was photographing a beautiful intimate wedding in Spain. A friend of the bride was invited to sing to the couple before their first dance. He was a performer and he had a wonderful voice. I was with him on stage as he began to sing. It was a song about his own unrequited love. He sang about the pain he felt as he watched the woman he loved (and would always love) marry another (the wrong) man. I soon realised he was singing about his feelings for the bride! To this day, I don’t know if this had been planned with the couple but it made me realise the importance of communicating with your friends and family before they start speaking or singing about you!

Hidden talent?

I love acting and being on stage…maybe one day I will follow up on this!

Cat or dog?

Tough to choose but probably a dog.

Sea or mountains?

Again, a really tough choice. I live by the sea though and love swimming so I will say sea.

Morning or night person?

Morning if my children allow me to sleep!

A big thank you to Andrew for today’s super fascinating feature and for the stunning photos. We look forward to seeing you capture magical wedding moments this season and beyond.