READING TIME: 4 min 26 sec
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/06/2024
UPDATED: 09/06/2024
Gaby Bolívar is far more than just a photographer - she's an artist who transforms each wedding into a romantically charged experience dripping with unbridled emotion and authenticity. Her singular ability to forge intimate connections allows her to capture imagery that transcends mere documentation. Gaby's portraits are vivid portals, absorbing viewers into uplifting narratives that change perspectives and inspire presence.
Romantic, artistic, and passionate are three words that can easily be used to describe the photographic style of Gaby Bolivar. “I love to create pictures that show emotion and that show people living in the moment,” she explains. “I also love to focus on details because focusing on details means you’re living in the moment.”
The digital and film photographer, says she got obsessed with weddings and started doing “homemade-styled shoots” with her friends. “I didn’t have any contact with vendors or anything. I called a couple of friends who had gotten married and asked them for their dresses. I called other really pretty friends and asked them if they could model for me. My best friend did their makeup. And as silly as these photoshoots may sound…that’s how I built my first portfolio.”
Now she realizes that photography has changed the way she lives her life. “I used to run from goal to goal, constantly working, constantly hustling. Photography takes me back to the present. Living as a photographer means learning to accept things as they are. It means seeing the beauty in the unexpected, in fractions of moments. It means feeling, crying, laughing, and taking in each emotion as it happens.”
"I believe the most important thing about the experience I give to my clients is making them pause for a moment." For Gaby Bolívar, photographing a wedding transcends just taking pictures. She meticulously architects an experience designed to strip away the couple's inhibitions and self-consciousness, allowing her to capture their most authentic, vulnerable selves.
Months of emotional investment culminate in Gaby Bolívar establishing a safe space where the couple can be fully present. She gently guides their dance, her carefully chosen music elevating the chemistry and comfort levels. "I love to talk to couples about how photography has changed my life, and the way it has taken me back to the present, back to a state of gratitude. Each step of my experience is designed to be enjoyable, to not feel it as a chore or as if they are just talking to another vendor."
Gaby’s approach prioritizes making the entire journey an enjoyable one, avoiding the typical vendor-client transactional feel. Through deep discussions, she shares the transformative impact photography has had on her own life's perspective. "The way I direct couples varies depending on their personality, but I rather have them close so they can touch and feel love for each other, feel safe and comfortable. I rather focus on emotion than composition. I believe a good photograph is honest, captures the vulnerable, human side of people."
Her guidance is customized to each couple's personality, but always aimed at capturing raw emotion over strict posing. Gaby Bolívar creates an environment where physical intimacy conveys the authenticity and vulnerability she craves. "Once they decide they want to work with me, I write them an email thanking them for their trust. I make sure they know that their wedding is special for me and that it's an honor to me to be the one who captures their story. I explain to them what are the next steps: sign the contract and make the first deposit. Since the day they hire me, until their wedding, I'll make sure we keep in touch. I'll write to them from time to time to see how they feel, how's the wedding planning and let them know I'm there for them anytime they need me, not as a vendor but as a friend too."
The experience begins with Gaby expressing gratitude for the couple's trust in her vision. She maintains constant communication leading up to the wedding day, checking in as a friend rather than just a vendor to ensure she understands their desires and personal situation. "It's important for me to know how they want their wedding to be captured, what moments are important for them, which people they want pictures of, members of their family and if there's any special situation I should know about."
"When I think about a happy memory, I see it full of light, it feels warm inside and gives me nostalgia. My post-production gives pictures a peaceful yet cheerful, luminous style," Gaby shares.
Gaby Bolívar's artistry extends well beyond just her time behind the camera. In post-production, she meticulously cultivates a dreamy, luminous aesthetic that transports you straight into the emotional core of the memory. Her color toning mimics the warm glow of nostalgia, while her refined edits prevent tones from becoming oversaturated distractions. "The memories we live at night, in parties, how music feels like, are things that we live with a much more intense emotion. The color I use in the party pictures is a lot more vivid and saturated, they even have light leaks that look like an old film picture."
Yet she's a true Renaissance woman, applying a distinctly different look to capture the kinetic energy and musical heartbeat of the reception. Here, vibrant colors and light leaks channel the vintage feel of film photography from a bygone era.
Pre-wedding consultation calls dig deep to unearth specific details and family dynamics to customize Gaby’s approach. She leaves no detail unexplored in her quest to document the day through the couple's own lens. "It's an honor for me to be a witness of the beginning of love stories. Every wedding inspires me to show people what photography has taught me about being present and enjoying one´s authenticity. I want couples who are working with me to enjoy the process of taking pictures. I want them to have fun. I want them to feel they are in a safe place to be fully vulnerable and authentic, not just in their wedding but in their whole lives."
A Gaby Bolívar wedding exhibition isn't just a collection of photos - it's a breathtaking anthology that awakens desires to experience her magic firsthand. Her radiant persona shines through every compositional choice, inspiring you to embrace authenticity. Whether you dream of a scenic Mexican beach or a historic estate closer to home, you'll walk away craving the opportunity to surrender to Gaby’s soulful direction. In her hands, you'll not only gain photographs, but a renewed appreciation for savoring life's most precious episodic details.
