Today we have the pleasure to interview Clive Xuereb the photographer behind Natural weddings. Clive’s approach is very different to normal stage wedding photography and I would define his style as moody and deeply artistic. Thanks Clive for finding the time for this interview!
So Clive could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into photography.. and specifically into wedding photography?
Primarily thank you for your interest in my photographic perspective. Photography was a way of expressing myself from a young age, my first DSLR was a graduation gift from my parents, a Nikon D80. I made the best use of this camera and learnt further by practice. There is no good and bad in photography as each photo is subject to everyone’s interpretation.
Did you always want to be a photographer? How did your studies and experiences help you in the photography world? What inspired you to venture into photography?
No, being a full time photographer was not my vision, I was born into a family business and I gave a lot of effort into that. When I do something I do it wholeheartedly, I never studied or attended photography courses, I’m self thought. I gave my all to photography thereafter some friends asked me to capture their wedding day. This one wedding led me to become who I am today and capture weddings for a living.
How would you define your artistic vision and style in your wedding photography? (maybe you can include some examples of photos which illustrate this point)
My weddings are defined as real, candid and natural. I love to capture people in their true selves, all I request is for them to be themselves. I’m a lover of details, weddings are very meticulous and this might be one reason I enjoy capturing them.
What books / resources or training did you find more useful at the beginning of your photographic career that helped you prepare for today?
I never looked into books to start my career, today I do though, I purchased books as I appreciate the art of some other photographers. One of my favorites is Helmut newton.
We all agree that photography is not about equipment, though professional equipment helps. Can you tell us what is currently in your photography bag when preparing for a wedding (flashes, triggers, tripods, other useful accessories)? Do you have different setups for different occasions or do you always shoot with the same set of cameras and lenses?
A good photographer is a good photographer no matter the equipment. Modern equipment is only there to make your job slightly easier and not to help you become a better photographer. I’m currently more in love with my DSLR images than my mirrorless, it’s hard to explain. I don’t carry a flash, I don’t own a trigger, I never carry tripods. I only use prime lenses and make the best use of available light, this gives the images a more realistic feeling. Using fixed lights help me fill in dark areas into venues.
I know this is a hard question, but let's try... from all the wedding / elopements images you took, which is your favourite image and why?
I don’t have a favourite however I love intimate images and images that portray a true self.
Which is the photo which took you the most time and effort to take?
Unfortunately at weddings we cannot spend time to capture images, you need to be alert and capture that minuscule moment.
What are your thoughts on the next evolutionary steps in photography for the future?
It all depends on what genre of photography. High volume and commercial photography will be helped by AI. AI is not for me though, I believe photography is an art and I love to start and finish my piece.
How much does post-production play a role in your photography?
It plays a role but not a huge one, it is very time consuming as one might know. I do my best to capture the best image I can shoot, that way I need less processing. I’m not a trigger happy photographer and I make sure I capture what I need and how I need it. Post production is there to fine tune my images and crop more artistically than captured.
What are the typical challenges you find as a wedding photographer?
My greatest challenge is to get clients to think outside the box, unfortunately many people are stuck to traditions and I don’t like to be traditional.
What advice would you give to new photographers to improve quickly and effectively? What advice would you give to the more experienced ones?
Nothing good comes quick in life, just b passionate in what you do and give it your all, don’t aim for financial gain, aim for fulfillment.
What are your future goals as a photographer? Do you have any long term plans?
I'm not a fan of long term plans, I live now. I am currently shooting a selected amount of weddings per year, giving a personal approach to my clients and providing an experience more than just photos. Im happy with my current approach as I get to meet couples with a similar philosophy to life and weddings, hence the end result is conglomerate.